Checked to flyChecked 2 September 2026
United States passport · travel to South Korea

Korea K-ETA

Korea suspended this requirement for Americans to encourage tourism, and has extended the suspension more than once. It is currently due to return on the first day of 2027, which makes the date more useful to you than the permit.

K-ETA todayExempt to 31 Dec 2026
e-Arrival CardStill required

Where this stands today

The exemption is real, temporary, and has been renewed before.

US passport holders are exempt from K-ETA until 31 December 2026. Korea's Ministry of Justice extended the temporary exemption through 2026 as a tourism measure, covering the United States along with the other countries in the scheme. Unless it is extended again, K-ETA becomes required for Americans on 1 January 2027.

This has now been extended more than once, so another extension is plausible. It is not something to rely on. If you are flying in January 2027 or later, check before you book, because the requirement returns by default rather than by announcement.

What you do need instead

The exemption removes one requirement and leaves another in place.

Travelling before 31 December 2026 without a K-ETA

No K-ETA

Correct. You board on your passport. You must still submit the e-Arrival Card.

The e-Arrival Card

Required

Korea's digital arrival card is mandatory for travellers who do not hold an approved K-ETA. Because the exemption means most Americans have no K-ETA, it applies to almost everyone.

Already holding an approved K-ETA

No arrival card

An approved K-ETA replaces the e-Arrival Card. This is the one case where holding the permit saves you a step.

Travelling on or after 1 January 2027

Check first

The exemption is due to lapse. Confirm the current position on the official portal before you book.

The numbers, if you do apply

Published on the official K-ETA portal. Some travellers apply anyway to skip the arrival card.

Fee10,000 KRW

Roughly 7 to 8 US dollars, as stated on the official portal.

Decision72 h

The portal advises applying at least 72 hours before departure.

ReplacesArrival card

An approved K-ETA exempts you from the e-Arrival Card.

Applies toVisa free

K-ETA covers nationals who may enter Korea without a visa, which includes Americans.

The official addresses

Two government systems, two addresses, both ending in the Korean government suffix.

k-eta.go.krOfficial, K-ETA
e-arrivalcard.go.krOfficial, e-Arrival

The suffix .go.kr is restricted to Korean government bodies. Because the K-ETA is currently waived for Americans, any site selling you one is selling a document you do not presently need.

What goes wrong

The exemption itself causes most of the confusion.

  • Buying a K-ETA you do not need. Americans are exempt until the end of 2026. Agencies still sell the application, and the search results still carry pages written before the exemption.
  • Skipping the e-Arrival Card because you skipped the K-ETA. These are different systems. Not needing the first is precisely what makes the second apply to you.
  • Assuming the exemption is permanent. It is a tourism measure with an end date, renewed twice so far. It expires on 31 December 2026 unless Korea acts again.
  • Reading advice written in 2023 or 2024. K-ETA was genuinely required for Americans before the waiver. Older guides are not wrong about the past, only about the present.

What changed

Three moves in three years, which is why the guidance online contradicts itself.

  1. K-ETA launches and applies to visa free nationals, including Americans.

  2. Korea suspends K-ETA temporarily for a list of countries as a tourism measure.

  3. The exemption is extended again, now running to 31 December 2026.

  4. K-ETA is due to return for these nationalities unless extended once more.

EXPIRES

The date is the useful part

The K-ETA exemption for US passport holders runs to 31 December 2026. It has been extended twice already, so it may move again, but it lapses by default. Anyone booking travel for 2027 should check the official portal rather than assume.

Questions

Do US citizens need a K-ETA?

Not at the moment. Korea's Ministry of Justice has temporarily exempted US passport holders from K-ETA through 31 December 2026. Unless the exemption is extended again, the requirement returns on 1 January 2027.

If I am exempt from K-ETA, do I still need the e-Arrival Card?

Yes. The digital e-Arrival Card is required for travellers who do not hold an approved K-ETA. Since the exemption means most Americans have no K-ETA, the arrival card applies to nearly everyone.

How much does a K-ETA cost?

10,000 Korean won, which the official portal describes as roughly 7 to 8 US dollars. That is only relevant if you choose to apply during the exemption, which some travellers do because an approved K-ETA replaces the e-Arrival Card.

What is the official K-ETA website?

k-eta.go.kr. The e-Arrival Card is at e-arrivalcard.go.kr. The .go.kr suffix is restricted to Korean government bodies.

When does the K-ETA exemption end?

31 December 2026 as things stand. It has been extended more than once, so check the official portal before booking travel in 2027 rather than assuming either outcome.

How long before travel should I apply for a K-ETA?

The portal advises applying at least 72 hours before departure, and states that applications are generally processed within that time.

Sources

The exemption is documented by Korean consulates in the United States and the fee by the K-ETA portal itself.

Checked 2 September 2026