01
Entry paperwork
The temporary K-ETA exemption for eligible countries and regions runs through 31 December 2026 (Korean time). It is not an exemption for every passport. Check your eligibility on the official K-ETA site.
If an e-Arrival Card is required, submit it free on the official site within three days before arrival. Prepare your passport, email, flight and accommodation details. Eligible valid K-ETA holders are exempt; entering on a visa can change that requirement.
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02
Health and customs are separate
Q-CODE is not automatically waived for all tourists. Travellers who stayed in or transited a priority quarantine area must report their health status; those from a quarantine area must report if symptomatic. Use Q-CODE or the health questionnaire and check the current KDCA list.
An arrival card is not a customs declaration. Check allowances and restrictions before packing food, plants, animal products or other controlled goods. Declare items when required; ask customs if unsure.
03
Automated gates: arrival is not departure
Short-stay foreign visitors aged 17 or over can use departure automated immigration without advance registration. Arrival access has different eligibility rules. Taiwan and Hong Kong participate in reciprocal programmes, but eligible travellers must enrol; do not assume a first arrival can bypass staffed immigration.
04
Pack for the first day
Bring a suitable two-round-pin adapter; Korea uses 220 V / 60 Hz. Check your device's voltage rating—an adapter does not convert voltage. Pack toiletries, charging cables and an offline accommodation address.
Power banks belong in carry-on baggage, not checked bags. Protect terminals and check your own airline's capacity, quantity, storage and onboard-use rules. Keep prescription documentation with necessary medicine and check import restrictions.
Keep some KRW cash for conventional T-money top-ups. Do not assume an overseas bank card or your home transport card will work at subway gates. Set up mobile data before arrival.
Sources and scope
Source review: 2026-10-16. Practical steps and itinerary combinations are editorial guidance. Check official notices for current opening hours, prices, availability and entry requirements.