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K-ETA mobile application: watch out for bugs!

In order to visit South Korea, it is compulsory for EU nationals to have a K-ETA permit. This decision was taken in September 2021. The K-ETA is an application created by the South Korean authorities to simplify all the formalities required of travellers for a short stay of less than 3 months. Despite all the good things being said about K-ETA, some people feel that the application on the mobile application is more complex and frustrating.

What is the K-ETA mobile application?

La Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) can be seen as a means used by the South Korean government to secure borders. Since its launch in September 2021, visa-exempt travellers have had easy access to the electronic travel authorisation to enter the country.

All procedures are carried out onlineTravellers no longer need to go to a South Korean consulate or embassy to apply. They can now do so from his home or whatever, its geographical location.

There are two ways of obtaining it:

Sa period of validity is 2 years for multiple entries into the country. The ETA permit is valid for a maximum stay of 3 months. You can therefore return some time later without having to reapply. However, if the passport expires, a new application must be made. Since its creation, the authorities have been doing their best to meet the growing demand for immigration from all over the world.

How does the K-ETA mobile application work?

Using the K-ETA mobile application is fairly straightforward and involves a number of steps. The first is to launch the application. The second step is to enter your personal details:

  • your e-mail address ;
  • your home address ;
  • and your telephone number.

Fields are reserved for this purpose. Next, you need to fill in the details of your valid passport. This includes your surname and first name(s). You will need to provide details of your nationality, gender, date of birth and place of birth. Lastly, you will need to provide the date the passport was issued, the expiry date and the passport number. Once you have entered your passport details, you will need to specify the method of payment. There is a lot more information to be provided:

  • information about the business Occupation, unemployed, student, retired ;
  • information about your future trip Name and address of first hotel and reason for stay in the country (tourism, sporting event, exhibition, business, training, other);
  • previous visit to Korea South if applicable.

You will then need to use your phone's camera to take a photo of the MRZ zone of your passport, and confirm the information you have already entered.

Recurring bugs and problems with the K-ETA mobile application?

The application often encounters bugs and frustrations. Some users regret that a camera phone is compulsory, or are reluctant to give a government application access to their camera. Sometimes the information scanned by the camera in the application is poorly transcribed or illegible, depending on reflections or ambient light, making it difficult to read. K-ETA application invalid or - worse - incorrect.

Sometimes, during use, the application displays the notification " 401 error "This indicates a poor connection between the server and the user. In the case of the " 404 error If you click on "Send", you should know that the information you are requesting is no longer active.

Although the concept of the application is commendable, these latest problems give us just as many reasons to be wary of it. Improvements will have to be made to the K-ETA mobile application. On the other hand, there is a web version of online K-ETA form. The latter is reliable and easier to use. A number of service providers are available to help you with administrative formalities.