If you are fascinated by South Korea as a destination, you will need to obtain a Korea Electronic Travel Authorization or K-ETA for your crossing. This is a compulsory electronic document for access to this East Asian country for travellers arriving for a short tourist or business stay, while being exempt from the visa requirement.
How long is the South Korean electronic K-ETA legally valid?
South Korea's electronic visa has a valid for 24 months from issue date. This is the legal validity period for this travel document imposed by the South Korean government. If you have your K-ETA, you can therefore stay in South Korea for 90 days without interruption within these 24 months.
It may happen that your passport expires before the K-ETA. In this case, you must apply for a new K-ETA before the 2-year period expires.
What are the formalities for obtaining a K-ETA?
The application procedure for this authorisation is entirely digital. So everything is done electronically on the website of the South Korean Ministry of Justice or on this website K-ETA application form. The process follows several stages.
First, you need to prepare documents (passport, passport photo, etc.). You then proceed to filling in the form then perform the payment the costs involved in processing your travel file. You wait for the deadline for consideration of your K-ETA application. Please note that your application cannot be submitted without payment of the fee. You will then receive your K-ETA Korean by email if your traveller profile is accepted.
What does the K-ETA form contain?
On a K-ETA form, the applicant must provide a certain amount of information. This information relates to information on the passport valid. This essentially consists of your identity (surname, forenames, gender, date and place of birth, nationality, passport details). In addition to these details, your home address (place of residence, telephone number and e-mail address). The form also contains details of your professional situation.
You must also provide all useful information about your trip (reasons, place of residence, etc.). You must specify on the form whether or not you have previously travelled to South Korea. Your credibility depends on the reliability of the information you provide when filling in this document.
How long does it take to obtain a K-ETA?
Any procedure for issuing an ETA is subject to electronic processing. The K-ETA is no exception to this rule. Computerised processing from the application stage through to the issue of the document, including filling in the form, means that all operations can be carried out quickly and swiftly.
All the steps to be taken can therefore take time.between 24 and 72 hoursIf additional documents or information are required. For these reasons, it is recommended to start the Korean K-ETA application procedure at least 3 days before the planned date of travel.
Who can apply for K-ETA?
Between May and August 2021, electronic travel authorisation for South Korea remained at the experimental stage. During this period, the system was only implemented for a limited number of foreign countries. In this way, the South Korean government ensured that the system was operating smoothly.
The procedure now applies to all countries whose nationals were not required to provide a visa for short stays for tourism purposes. This measure therefore essentially involves citizens of the European Union and the Schengen area. Approximately K-ETA authorisation covers 112 countries for 3-month stays in this Asian country.
How much does a K-ETA cost?
To apply for a South Korean electronic authorisation, you must pay 10,000 won (7 €) of consular fees. This amount represents the processing fee you must pay before your application is examined by the competent authorities. Generally speaking, the cost of obtaining a K-ETA depends on the following factors linked to the country and time of year chosen to make the journey.
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