K-ETA, e-Arrival Card, Q-CODE: What You Actually Need to Enter Korea in 2026
Most visitors need one of two forms, not both, and your passport decides which. Here's the decision table, checked against official Korean government sites.
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In this guide7
- Do you need a K-ETA or an e-Arrival Card?
- When and where do you submit the e-Arrival Card?
- How do you apply for a K-ETA, and what if you made a mistake?
- Do you need to submit a Q-CODE?
- Do you need to fill out a customs declaration?
- Do you need any of this if you're only transiting?
- Checklist before you fly
This is where everyone gets confused: "Do I need a K-ETA, an arrival card, or both?"
The answer first. Most visitors need one of the two, not both, and your passport decides which. The other two items, Q-CODE and the customs declaration, only apply to some travelers. Q-CODE applies to more people than you'd expect, though, so check it.
- Passport from one of 22 countries or territories (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and others): no K-ETA needed until December 31, 2026. Instead, submit the free e-Arrival Card within 3 days before you arrive.
- Any other visa-free passport: get a K-ETA at least 72 hours before you board (10,000 won). With a valid K-ETA you don't need an arrival card. Travelers 17 or under, or 65 or over, are exempt from K-ETA and submit the arrival card instead.
- Korean visa holders: submit the e-Arrival Card.
- Q-CODE: required if you've recently stayed in or transited through a designated area (currently parts of the US and China, India, 13 Middle Eastern countries and more).
- Customs: nothing to declare if you're within the limits (US$800 in goods; alcohol up to 2L and US$400).
Do you need a K-ETA or an e-Arrival Card?
One table covers it.
| Your situation | K-ETA | e-Arrival Card |
|---|---|---|
| Passport from the 22 temporarily exempt countries/territories | Not needed (optional) | Required (unless you got a K-ETA anyway) |
| Other visa-free passport, age 18–64 | Required, before boarding | Not needed |
| Other visa-free passport, age 17 or under, or 65 or over | Not needed | Required |
| You hold a Korean visa | Not applicable | Required |
| You hold a Korean residence card | Not applicable | Not needed |
| Transit without going through immigration | Not needed | Not needed |
The 22 temporarily exempt countries and territories (per Korean embassy notices): Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macao, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the UK and the US (including Guam). To be certain, start a K-ETA application and scan your passport: if you're exempt, a "K-ETA exempt" pop-up appears, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The most common mistake: reading "K-ETA exempt" as "nothing to do." The Ministry of Justice's e-Arrival Card site lists "K-ETA exempt persons" among those who must submit. If your passport or your age makes you exempt, you file the arrival card. On the other hand, if you're exempt but apply for a K-ETA anyway, you skip the arrival card; the ministry's notice lists that as the benefit.
Note: the exemption runs until December 31, 2026. If you're traveling in 2027, check whether it's been extended.
When and where do you submit the e-Arrival Card?
- Where: e-arrivalcard.go.kr (official, Ministry of Justice; works on phone and desktop).
- When: from 3 days before you arrive, Korea time. Arriving on a Saturday? You can submit on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
- Cost: free. If a site asks you to pay for the arrival card, it isn't the official site.
- Verification: since May 6, 2026, you enter a verification code as part of submitting.
- Printout: not needed. Submit it and go through immigration as normal.
- Watch out: if you don't enter Korea within 72 hours of submitting, it expires. If your flight is badly delayed, submit again.
The Ministry of Justice launched the electronic card on February 24, 2025, and said paper cards could still be used through December 2025. I couldn't find an official notice on whether paper cards are still handed out after that. Don't count on paper: submit online in advance.
How do you apply for a K-ETA, and what if you made a mistake?
- Where: k-eta.go.kr (official).
- Cost: 10,000 won. Not refunded if you're refused.
- When: the official site says review generally takes up to 72 hours. Apply at least 72 hours before boarding.
- Valid for: 3 years, or until your passport expires if that comes first.
What to do about a mistake depends on what you got wrong (per the official K-ETA FAQ):
| Changed or wrong | What to do |
|---|---|
| Name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport expiry, infectious-disease or criminal-record answers | Apply again (and pay again) |
| You got a new passport (lost, renewed, name change) | Apply again |
| Travel dates, purpose of visit, address in Korea, contact details | Edit it under [Application Result] > [Update Travel Information] on the site |
| Your job | No need to reapply |
If you got something wrong that isn't on this list (your past travel history, for example), don't guess: ask through the site's inquiry form. The K-ETA Center says it generally doesn't take phone inquiries.
Tip: check your passport number and the spelling of your name twice before you pay. This is where most people slip.
Do you need to submit a Q-CODE?
More travelers need this than you'd think. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's rules:
- Stayed in or transited through a "priority quarantine area": required, whether or not you have symptoms. Changing planes there counts.
- Visited a "quarantine management area" and have symptoms like fever or a cough: required.
For October 1 to December 31, 2026, 32 countries are designated as priority quarantine areas. The ones travelers tend to miss:
- the US states of New Mexico, Michigan and Washington
- 10 Chinese provinces and regions, including Guangdong, Sichuan and Jiangsu
- India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Brazil and Mongolia
- 13 Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel
That last group means a connection through Dubai or Doha counts. The list changes every quarter, so check it just before you leave.
You can enter it from 7 days before arrival. Since October 1, 2026, Q-CODE has been issued through the agency's new Travel Health Alert site (travelhealth.kdca.go.kr). Failing to report, or reporting falsely, can bring a fine of up to 10 million won.
Do you need to fill out a customs declaration?
Not if you're within the duty-free limits: walk through the "Nothing to Declare" lane (customs can still inspect you).
- Goods: up to US$800 per person.
- Alcohol: up to 2 liters in total and US$400. Since March 21, 2025, there's no bottle limit (it used to be two bottles). Travelers under 19 get no alcohol or tobacco allowance.
- Tobacco and perfume: up to 200 cigarettes, 20ml of e-cigarette nicotine liquid (under 1% nicotine) and 100ml of perfume.
- Over the limits, declare on the paper or mobile form.
The VAT refund you claim when you leave is a separate system; see how Korea's tax refund works. Bringing prescription medicine isn't covered in this guide.
Do you need any of this if you're only transiting?
If you're only changing planes and not going through immigration, you don't need a K-ETA (official K-ETA FAQ). If your plans change and you enter Korea, or you have to enter to collect your bags, you do need one (if your passport requires it). Leaving the airport during a layover without a visa falls under Korea's transit-without-visa (TWOV) rules, a different system from the K-ETA exemption with a different list of countries. Confirm with your airline or Korea Immigration. For the time math, see our Seoul layover guide.
Checklist before you fly
- Check whether your passport is on the list of 22, and whether you're 17 or under, or 65 or over.
- No K-ETA needed: submit the e-Arrival Card at e-arrivalcard.go.kr within 3 days before arrival. K-ETA needed: apply at k-eta.go.kr at least 72 hours before boarding.
- Check whether anywhere you've recently stayed or connected through is a Q-CODE priority quarantine area.
- Check whether anything you're carrying goes over the duty-free limits.
- After landing: Incheon Airport to Seoul, SIM and eSIM, the apps you'll need.
Soo's TipScreenshot the confirmation screen after you submit. You don't need a printout, but if an officer asks, you can show it in one second.
Passports from 22 countries and territories (including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Germany and France) are exempt from K-ETA until December 31, 2026; those travelers submit the free e-Arrival Card at e-arrivalcard.go.kr within 3 days before arrival. Other visa-free passports need a K-ETA from k-eta.go.kr at least 72 hours before boarding (10,000 won, valid 3 years). Travelers 17 or under, or 65 or over, are exempt from K-ETA and file the arrival card. A valid K-ETA replaces the arrival card. A wrong name or passport number means a new K-ETA application; travel dates, address and contact details can be edited online. Q-CODE is required if you stayed in or transited through a priority quarantine area (currently including parts of the US and China, India and 13 Middle Eastern countries). Customs: nothing to declare within US$800 in goods and 2L/US$400 of alcohol. Rules change; check the official sites before you fly.
Note: This guide is based on official guidance from Korea's Ministry of Justice (the K-ETA and e-Arrival Card sites), Korean embassies, the KDCA and the Korea Customs Service as of October 14, 2026. It doesn't replace official guidance. Check k-eta.go.kr, e-arrivalcard.go.kr and travelhealth.kdca.go.kr before you travel.
