The Korea entry form you need depends on the documents that will be valid when you arrive. A traveler with a valid K-ETA is exempt from the e-Arrival Card. A traveler covered by the temporary K-ETA exemption may still need an e-Arrival Card unless another arrival-card exemption applies. A visa holder, resident-card holder, transit passenger, or group traveler can face a different result, so use the official e-Arrival Card Navigator before entering personal information.
As checked on August 24, 2026, Korea’s official e-Arrival Card is free and can be completed within three days before arrival in Korea. The official K-ETA notice extends the temporary exemption for the countries already covered through December 31, 2026. The exemption list and each traveler’s document status can change, so this guide explains the decision process rather than treating one nationality list as permanent.
Choose the form by document status, not nationality alone
Start with what the traveler will actually hold on the arrival date: a valid K-ETA, a visa, a Korean residence card, or none of those. Then check the official navigator. A passport from a K-ETA-exempt country does not automatically mean every Korean arrival form is waived.
| Arrival status | What to check | Likely next step |
|---|---|---|
| Valid K-ETA | Confirm it is still valid for the passport used on this trip | The official e-Arrival guide lists valid K-ETA holders as exempt from the arrival card |
| K-ETA temporary exemption | Confirm the passport is covered on the official K-ETA site | Use the e-Arrival Navigator; K-ETA exemption is not the same as arrival-card exemption |
| Korean visa | Check the visa and any separate exempt status | Use the navigator before submitting an e-Arrival Card |
| Korean residence card | Confirm the card will be valid on entry | The official guide lists registered residents among the exempt groups |
| Transit, group, crew, or special status | Read the exact category in the official target guide | Do not infer the result from a general tourist checklist |
Keep these three decisions separate: permission to travel, the immigration arrival declaration, and any customs declaration for goods.
K-ETA and the e-Arrival Card do different jobs
K-ETA is an electronic travel authorization used by eligible visa-free travelers. It is considered before travel and does not become a visa. The e-Arrival Card is the electronic version of the immigration arrival declaration that used to be completed on paper by travelers who were required to submit one. Holding a valid K-ETA is one of the listed reasons a foreign traveler does not submit the e-Arrival Card.
The distinction matters during the 2026 temporary K-ETA exemption. The official K-ETA notice says the existing temporary exemption was extended through December 31, 2026. A traveler from a covered country may travel without applying for K-ETA if all other entry conditions are met, but that traveler does not gain the arrival-card exemption that comes from holding a valid K-ETA. The official notice also says an exempt traveler may still apply for K-ETA, pay the application fee, and receive its benefits, including omission of the arrival declaration.
Do not apply merely because a blog or airline checklist says “K-ETA required.” Scan or enter the passport only on the official K-ETA site and read the current result. Airline document checks, immigration permission, and final admission at the border remain separate decisions.
Use only the official e-Arrival Card website
The Ministry of Justice warns that fake e-Arrival Card websites have appeared. The official domain is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr, and the service does not ask for a fee. Do not enter passport or payment information into a look-alike domain, an advertisement, a travel-agency form, or a link sent by an unknown account.
- Look for the Korean e-government notice at the top of the page.
- Confirm the address bar ends in e-arrivalcard.go.kr.
- Use the Navigator before selecting the individual or group declaration.
- Stop if the site asks for card details or an e-Arrival submission fee.
- Return through the official homepage to check or edit a declaration.
On the official screen, check the government banner, the free-service notice, the three-day submission window, and the navigator before entering any passport data.
Prepare the details before the three-day window opens
The official e-Arrival guide lists a valid passport, a working email address, arrival date and flight number, stay information, and optional departure details among the information to prepare. Collect them before opening the form so the session is not built from guesses.
- Passport: use the same passport that will be presented for the flight and at immigration.
- Email: use an address you can open while traveling; the issue number is sent there.
- Arrival: save the flight or vessel number and the Korean arrival date, not the departure date from the first airport.
- First stay: keep the accommodation name, road-name address, postal code, and phone number together.
- Departure: keep the planned date and flight available even when a field is optional.
The official page says the declaration can be completed within three days before arrival based on Korea Standard Time. Use the live dates shown by the official site. If the arrival falls outside the dates offered, wait rather than changing the trip date to force the form through.
Enter the Korean stay address without guessing
For a hotel trip, use the first confirmed place where you will stay after arrival. Copy the official road-name address and phone number from the booking confirmation or the property’s own page. Save the Korean name as well, because similarly named branches and transliterations can lead to the wrong address.
If you will move between cities, the first confirmed stay is more useful than a rough itinerary. If you are staying with a friend or family member, ask for the full address and contact number before the submission window. Do not invent a hotel, use an airport as accommodation, or select a branch only because its English name looks familiar.
- Match the property name and branch.
- Confirm the road-name address and postal code.
- Keep a screenshot or offline copy of the booking details.
- Check that the phone number belongs to that property or host.
- Update the declaration before immigration inspection if the stay information changes.
Submit, save, and correct the declaration
- Open the official site and run the Navigator with every document that will be valid on entry.
- If a declaration is required, choose the individual or group path that matches the travelers.
- Enter passport details exactly as printed and check the arrival date, flight, and Korean stay.
- Review the final page before submitting; do not rely on browser autofill for names or passport numbers.
- Save the issue number and confirmation email somewhere available offline.
- Use Check/Edit on the official homepage if the purpose, stay, departure, or other editable travel information changes before immigration inspection.
The official guide says an electronic declaration has the same effect as the paper arrival declaration and that a traveler who submitted it does not complete the paper version for the same entry. It also says a new declaration is required for a later re-entry. Keep the confirmation as evidence of what was submitted, but follow an immigration officer’s instruction if the live process differs.
Keep customs and quarantine separate from immigration
The e-Arrival Card and K-ETA do not decide whether food, medicine, cash, gifts, or duty-free purchases must be declared. Korea Customs Service controls the traveler customs process, while quarantine and other agencies can control particular plants, animal products, medicines, and restricted items. Passing immigration does not clear undeclared goods.
Before packing, list what you are carrying, the quantity, value, and purpose, then compare that list with the current Korea Customs Service guidance. Keep prescriptions, product labels, receipts, and original packaging where they can be shown. When a category or threshold is unclear, use the official declaration channel or ask staff before leaving the controlled area.
Work through common traveler situations
A visa-free traveler is temporarily exempt from K-ETA
Confirm the exemption on the official K-ETA site for the passport and date. Then choose K-ETA exemption or the equivalent status in the e-Arrival Navigator. Do not assume the K-ETA exemption removes the arrival declaration.
A traveler already has a valid K-ETA
Check that the K-ETA still matches the passport and remains valid. The official e-Arrival guide lists a valid K-ETA holder as exempt from the arrival card. Keep the authorization result available for the airline and immigration process.
A traveler has a Korean visa
A visa and an arrival declaration are separate records. Use the official Navigator with the visa and any residence or special status. Do not copy a visa-free traveler’s checklist.
The hotel changes after submission
Use Check/Edit on the official e-Arrival homepage before immigration inspection and replace the stay information with the confirmed address. Save the updated result and the booking details together.
Questions travelers ask about Korea entry forms
Is the Korea e-Arrival Card free?
Yes. The official Ministry of Justice site says no fee is required. A website asking for payment information is not the official e-Arrival Card service.
When can I submit it?
The official site opens the available arrival dates within three days before arrival based on Korea Standard Time. Use the dates shown on the live page rather than calculating from your home time zone.
Do I need both K-ETA and an e-Arrival Card?
A valid K-ETA holder is listed as exempt from the e-Arrival Card. A traveler temporarily exempt from applying for K-ETA may still need the e-Arrival Card. Check the two official sites with the traveler’s actual passport and status.
Can someone else submit the form for me?
The official service supports individual and group or travel-agency paths. The traveler remains responsible for accurate information. Review passport, email, flight, and stay details before another person submits them.
Does the entry form include customs?
No. Immigration arrival information and customs declaration are separate. Use Korea Customs Service guidance for goods, cash, food, medicine, and allowances.
Official sources and related Before Korea guides
Use the official Korea e-Arrival Card homepage, its declaration guide, and the official target and exemption guide. For travel authorization, check the official K-ETA site and the temporary exemption extension notice.
For goods and declarations, use the Korea Customs Service English site and its mobile traveler declaration entry.
Continue with Korea Entry Requirements: K-ETA and Customs, Korea Entry Checklist 2026, and Korea Customs Declaration Guide for Travelers.
August 2026 anti-fraud and timing check
The official e-Arrival Card remains free and uses the exact government domain www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. Korea Immigration Service warned in March 2026 that look-alike sites were requesting payment information. Do not upload a passport or card details to a sponsored result, shortened link, or similar-looking domain.
The official guidance allows submission from three days before arrival in Korea, measured in Korea Standard Time, until before immigration inspection. The submitted information is valid for up to 72 hours. If the traveler does not arrive within that period, submit a new declaration. Prepare passport, flight or vessel information, Korean accommodation address and contact, purpose, and occupation before the window opens.
When a status line changes after submission
- Reopen the official Check/Edit route rather than submitting blindly on another site.
- Match the name, passport number and arrival date to the travel document.
- If the passport, visa/K-ETA status, arrival date or stay address changes, use the official correction guidance or submit again when directed.
- Keep customs goods, food, medicine and cash declarations in their own process.
Current source review, August 24, 2026: the K-ETA exemption extension through December 31, 2026, the e-Arrival target guide, submission timing and the official-domain warning were rechecked.