South Korea Tourist Visa
A visa is required. We cannot assist in processing this document, but we provide instructions on how to apply.
All About South Korea Visas
Please note that, as of September 2021, the citizens of 112 countries who were previously visa-exempt for South Korea are now required to apply for a K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorization) to visit the country. This includes nationals of the US, the UK, most European countries, Australia and Canada.
Meanwhile, this page focuses on the South Korea visa application process for nationalities that are ineligible for the K-ETA.
If you would like to visit the Land of the Morning Calm, you may need to get a South Korea tourist visa before your trip.
Unfortunately, the government website can be quite confusing, as there are 15 different categories of visas, each containing a wide variety of options and bureaucratic tangles.
Byevisa aims to help you obtain your Korea visit visa by clearly explaining what documents you need, how to fill out the application form online, how to make an appointment at your local diplomatic office to turn in the necessary paperwork, and more.
Read on to discover whether or not you need a visa in the first place, and how to get one if you do.
Contents
South Korea Visa Requirements and Eligibility
The easiest way to find out if you need a visa for South Korea is to use our visa checker tool here and enter your nationality:
You can also consult the list below. If you hold a passport from one of these countries, then starting in September 2021, you are required to apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) before going to South Korea. You will also need a valid passport and a few requirements, as explained in the following sections.
Unless otherwise stated, citizens of the following countries may visit for up to 90 days with a K-ETA. Countries marked with an asterisk (*) are permitted to stay for up to 30 days.
Albania*
Andorra*
Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina*
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bahrain*
Barbados
Belgium
Bosnia-Herzegovina*
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei*
Bulgaria
Canada (6 months)
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus*
Czech Republic
Denmark (90 days within a 180-day period)
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia (90 days within a 180-day period)
Fiji*
Finland (90 days within a 180-day period)
France
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guam*
Guatemala
Guyana*
Haiti
Honduras*
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland (90 days within a 181-day period)
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan*
Kiribati*
Kuwait
Latvia
Lesotho (60 days)
Lichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Malaysia
Malta
Marshall Islands*
Mauritius*
Mexico
Micronesia*
Monaco*
Montenegro*
Morocco
Nauru*
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway (90 days within a 180-day period)
Oman*
Palau*
Panama
Paraguay*
Peru
Poland
Portugal (90 days within a 180-day period)
Qatar*
Romania
Russia (60 days / 90 days total within a 180-day period)
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Samoa*
San Marino*
Saudi Arabia*
Serbia
Seychelles*
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands*
South Africa*
Spain
Suriname
Swaziland*
Sweden (90 days within a 180-day period)
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Tonga*
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia*
Turkey
Tuvalu*
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vatican City*
Venezuela
If your country is not listed above, you are required to obtain a visa before travelling to South Korea. Here we walk you through how to get your authorisation.
Korea Visa Application Process
The first thing you have to do is determine which type of authorisation you need, depending on your reason for travelling.
Here we explain the procedures for the C-3 Short-Term General visa, which is commonly used for stays of up to 90 days for the following purposes:
- Tourism.
- Transit.
- Visiting relatives.
- Attending events or meetings.
- Academic research.
There are some additional purposes allowed, but these are the main ones. Please note that you are not permitted to make any profit on this type of authorisation; working is not allowed.
Unfortunately, Byevisa is not able to process the paperwork for you because you will need to personally visit a Korean embassy or consulate in the country where you reside.
However, here we explain the basic process of how to apply for your visa to Korea, so you know what to expect.
1. Fill out the online application form and upload a digital photo (see more information below).
2. Make an appointment at the Korean embassy or consulate in your country of residence. When you fill out the application form, you will be prompted to search for and select a diplomatic mission in your area.
3. Go to your appointment with the following in hand:
- Printed application form with barcode.
- Passport (original and photocopy). Should be valid for at least 6 months and have at least 2 blank pages.
- Colour passport photo.
- Copy of residence card, if you reside in a country where you are not a citizen. This must be valid for at least 6 months.
- Original certificate of employment or study, if employed or a student.
- Visa fee in US dollars, or local currency if you receive permission from the diplomatic mission.
- Additional required documents depending on the reason for your stay (see below for more details).
*Process may vary depending on where you apply. Please check all details with your local diplomatic mission where you will turn in your application.
If you are not travelling for tourism, transit, to visit relatives, to attend events or meetings, or for academic research, you may need a different type of visa. You can use the Visa Navigator on the Korea Visa Portal to research your options. When you visit the online portal, select ‘General Guide’ from the left-hand menu, then click ‘Visa Navigator’. From there, you can enter your nationality and details of your trip to see which options are available for you.
South Korea Visa Application Form and Documents
To access the application form, visit the Korea Visa Portal, select ‘Application’ from the top menu, and click ‘e-Form (Visa)’ from the left-hand menu.
Alternatively, you can access the form by using the Visa Navigator explained above.
Please note that when you fill in the form, you must use all capital letters when writing in English, or block letters if you are writing in Korean.
You are asked to fill in fields including, but not limited to, the following:
- Your full name.
- Your date of birth.
- Your gender.
- Your nationality.
- Your passport information.
- Your current address.
- Your contact information.
As part of the form, you also need to upload a photo of yourself that meets the following requirements:
- Taken within the past 6 months.
- Colour photo on white background.
- Shows full face, facing forward.
- Photo size: 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm.
When you are finished filling out the form online, you must print it out, complete with barcode, and take it with you to the diplomatic office when you have your appointment.
The additional documents you may provide in person when you go are explained below. All documents should be in English or Korean.
If travelling for tourism:
- Copy of flight tickets or hotel reservation. If you haven’t booked your tickets or hotel yet, make sure to provide information on the flight or hotel you intend to book.
- Proof of sufficient funds for your stay. For example, paychecks or bank account statements from the last 3 months.
If personally invited to visit:
- Original invitation letter and guarantee letter.
- Copy of passport and Certificate of Alien Registration Card of Korean inviter.
- Proof of funds for stay or the Conference business registration certificate from the Korean Company who is inviting you.
If attending a conference or forum:
- Original invitation letter.
- Proof of funds for stay or the Conference business registration certificate from the Korean Company who is inviting you.
*Document requirements may vary from country to country. Please be sure to check all requirements with the Korean diplomatic mission where you will be applying.
More South Korea Visa Questions and Information
Do you still have some questions before getting ready to plan your trip? We’ve compiled some frequently asked questions (FAQ) with the answers you may be looking for.
