2026 Korea Entry Essentials: K-ETA Waiver & e-Arrival Card Guide

Two things to know before entering Korea in 2026

If you’re planning a trip to Korea in 2026, make sure you understand two changes to entry procedures: the temporary K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) waiver and the e-Arrival Card (electronic arrival declaration). You may have seen claims online that paper arrival forms are completely gone — the reality is a bit more nuanced. Here’s the latest, based on official Ministry of Justice information.

1. K-ETA: Waived for 67 countries during 2026

On December 23, 2025 the Ministry of Justice announced an extension of a temporary K-ETA waiver for nationals of 67 countries and regions. The waiver runs from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 (Korean time). It covers, for example, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and others — a total of 67 countries/regions. Citizens of those places may enter Korea visa-free in 2026 without applying for K-ETA.

Note that K-ETA is expected to be mandatory again from January 1, 2027, so if you travel around year-end you should verify the rule that applies on your date of departure.

Even if your nationality is covered by the waiver, you may choose to apply for K-ETA voluntarily. The application fee is 10,000 won (about US$8) and is nonrefundable; one advantage of applying is that holders of a valid K-ETA are exempt from submitting the e-Arrival Card.

2. e-Arrival Card: who must submit and when

The e-Arrival Card is an online arrival declaration system introduced on February 24, 2025 by the Ministry of Justice and the Immigration & Foreigners Policy Headquarters to replace the paper arrival card. The official portal is e-arrivalcard.go.kr and the service is available in seven languages: Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Russian.

Travelers from countries covered by the 2026 K-ETA waiver (the 67-country group of short-term visitors) must submit an e-Arrival Card online starting up to 3 days before arrival. If you submit an e-Arrival Card but do not enter Korea within 72 hours after submission, the registration expires and you must submit a new form. The following travelers are exempt from submitting an e-Arrival Card: those who already hold a valid K-ETA, long-term residents who have completed foreigner registration, holders of group electronic visas, and crew members.

3. Is the paper arrival card completely gone?

Many travel blogs and outlets have reported that paper arrival cards were fully abolished from January 1, 2026 and only e-Arrival Cards are accepted. However, when asked by the media outlet VisasNews, the Ministry of Justice replied that “until there is an official announcement of complete abolition, paper arrival cards and the e-Arrival Card will be used in parallel.”

In other words, as of now there’s no official declaration that paper cards are entirely phased out, and airports are still operating both systems. Practically speaking, travelers who submit an e-Arrival Card tend to move through immigration faster using a QR code, so airlines and airports strongly encourage online pre-submission. Because the system and policies can change, always check official sites close to your travel date.

4. Pre-departure checklist

• Check whether your nationality is one of the 67 countries covered by the 2026 K-ETA waiver.
• If your country is included: submit the e-Arrival Card online from up to 3 days before arrival (passport photo page upload can auto-fill data).
• Save, screenshot or print the issued QR code and carry it with you.
• If your country is not included, or you prefer not to submit an e-Arrival Card, apply for K-ETA in advance (fee 10,000 won; it’s recommended to apply at least 72 hours before departure).
• About 1–2 weeks before departure, recheck official notices on k-eta.go.kr and e-arrivalcard.go.kr for any updates.