South Korea is now available to citizens of several countries without a visa. If you wish to obtain tourist status, you will now need a K-ETA. You will need to provide a number of documents, including a passport photo. To avoid having your application rejected, here is more information on the ideal format for photography to be submitted at the time of application.
K-ETA for travelling to South Korea: what format should the photo take?
The photo for the K-ETA must be of good quality and respect specific dimensions of 700 x 700 maximum. It must be sent in a JPEG or JPG format. Similarly, the size of the file to be sent must under no circumstances exceed 100Kb otherwise the application will be rejected. In the photo, the applicant's face must face the camera correctly. The head must be bare except for religious or medical reasons.
The K-ETA has recently become an essential document for all tourists wishing to visit South Korea. Applications can be made on the official website This document must be accompanied by a recent passport photograph, a credit card and an e-mail address. An intermediary agency can also be commissioned for a fee.
What do I need to know about K-ETA?
Before you fly to South Korea, it's important to know that there's another step in addition to the usual one: the K-ETA. This is a procedure for requesting authorisation to enter South Korea. The K-ETA is defined as Korea Electronic Travel Authorization and is now compulsory. The government has imposed this measure on all tourists entering the country from September 2021. It is essential for travellers who do not require a visa and who are visiting South Korea for family travel, tourism or non-profit business purposes.
The K-ETA applies to visa-exempt travellers from Belgium, France, Canada and 109 other countries around the world. In total, these are 112 countries who are affected by this measure.*
When and how do I apply for a K-ETA?
The K-ETA must be requested at least one day before the flight, i.e. 24 hours in advance. The result of the request will be sent to you by email within 24 hours of your request. As a precaution, we recommend that you apply earlier to avoid any surprises. To obtain this sesame, you will need to pay the sum of KRW 10,000the equivalent of 7 €.
La K-ETA applications can be made entirely online. The steps to follow are :
- prepare the necessary documents
- fill in the application form
- submit the necessary documents
- pay the related costs
- wait for the deadline
- receive your K-ETA by e-mail.
Keep up to date with the latest news from South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs to keep abreast of any changes.
How long is the K-ETA valid for?
The K-ETA is valid for 2 years provided that your passport is also valid for the same period. If your passport expires before the K-ETA expiry date, you will need to apply again. It allows you to stay in South Korea undisturbed for between 30 and 90 days, depending on your country of origin. Furthermore, if you need to make several trips to South Korea during the period of validity of your K-ETA, you do not need to reapply each time. It should also be noted that this document does not apply to people on work experience contracts or to students in South Korea, who are required to have a visa.
* The authorities have announced that 22 nationalities will be exempt from the K-ETA until the end of 2024 as part of the "Visit Korea Year". I'll let you read our article.
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