My country is on the exemption list. Should I still apply for a K-ETA?

You may, but it is optional and the fee still applies. The main benefit is that K-ETA holders do not have to submit an arrival card when they enter.

I already have a K-ETA. Is it still valid during the exemption?

Yes. The extension notice says approvals already issued stay valid until they expire, and fees already paid are not refunded.

Can I pay extra to get my K-ETA faster?

No. The official guide says applications are reviewed in the order received and there is no express service. A site offering a faster K-ETA for a higher price is not the government.

I got a new passport. Does my K-ETA carry over?

No. The K-ETA is tied to the passport you applied with, so you need a new approval for the new passport.

How long can I stay in Korea with a K-ETA?

The K-ETA does not set your stay. Your allowed visa-free stay depends on your nationality, and the K-ETA site lists it for each country.

Do I Need a K-ETA for Korea? 2026 Exemption List and Fee

What to do

First, check whether your passport is on Korea’s temporary K-ETA exemption list. As of October 2026, per k-eta.go.kr, the exemption is in force from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 (Korea time). If you are on the list, you can enter visa-free without a K-ETA and fill in an arrival card instead.

If your country is visa-free for Korea but not on the exemption list, you need an approved K-ETA before you board your flight or ship. If you need a visa for Korea, the K-ETA does not apply to you at all.

Who is on the exemption list

The Korean embassy in Switzerland publishes the full list. It names 25 countries and regions:

Region	Countries and regions
Asia	Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macao
Americas	United States, Canada, Guam
Europe	United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein
Oceania	Australia, New Zealand

The embassy notice ties the measure to the Visit Korea Year campaign. It has been extended before, so check the K-ETA extension notice again if you travel close to the end date.

Who does not need a K-ETA in any case

The K-ETA eligibility page lists groups that never need one, wherever they come from:

Travelers aged 17 or younger, or 65 or older, counted on the day you enter
People who already hold a Korean visa, and registered foreign residents
Diplomatic, official and UN passport holders
Flight and ship crew, and transit passengers
APEC Business Travel Card holders and US military personnel under SOFA

Children and older travelers can still apply voluntarily if they want the arrival card benefit described below.

How to apply, step by step

Use only the official site, k-eta.go.kr, or the official K-ETA mobile app. The immigration service has warned that it does not appoint any agency to apply for you.
Have your passport ready. You enter its details, and the system tells you if your nationality is exempt.
Pay ₩10,000 per person by card. The fee page lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay and Alipay+, and adds an online payment fee of about 3%.
Wait for the result by email. Review usually takes up to 72 hours but can take longer when volumes are high.
Travel with the same passport you used to apply.

The fee is not refunded if you are refused, so check every field before you pay.

How far ahead to apply

The rule is simple: the approval must be in place before boarding. Applying after you board, or once you are already in Korea, can lead to a refusal or entry problems. Because review normally takes up to 72 hours and there is no paid fast track, apply as soon as your trip is booked rather than in the last few days.

Costs and time at a glance

Item	What the official source says
Fee	₩10,000 per person (about US$7 to 8), plus about 3% card fee
Processing	Usually within 72 hours
Validity	3 years, or until passport expiry if earlier
Use	Multiple trips within the validity period
Refund	None, whatever the result
e-Arrival card	Free

The e-Arrival card

If you enter without a K-ETA, for example because your country is exempt, you still have to give the immigration officer an arrival card. Korea offers an online version at e-arrivalcard.go.kr. It costs nothing, and you can file it from 3 days before you arrive. Groups of up to 1,000 people can file together.

A K-ETA approval removes this step. The exemption notices from the immigration service and the embassy both mention that K-ETA holders do not need to submit an arrival card on entry. That is the main reason some exempt travelers still pay for a K-ETA.

Common mistakes

Paying a lookalike site. The immigration service has warned about unofficial K-ETA sites that pose as the government and charge high fees. The e-Arrival card is free, and its official site warns that any site asking for payment details is not the real service.
Waiting until the airport. The approval has to exist before you board. Applying after boarding can mean a refusal or entry restrictions.
Reusing an old K-ETA with a new passport. A new passport needs a new K-ETA, even if the old approval has time left.
Treating K-ETA as a visa. It is not a visa and does not guarantee entry. The officer at the border makes the final decision.
Confusing validity with stay length. The K-ETA lasts 3 years, but each visit is limited to the visa-free stay set for your nationality.

When this does not apply

If your nationality needs a visa for Korea, apply for the visa instead; a K-ETA cannot replace it. If you plan to work, study or stay longer than your visa-free allowance, the K-ETA route does not cover you either. Rules on exemptions change by notice, so check the official page before you fly.