Tourist Visas for South Korea: Who Needs it & How to Get one
Tourist visas for South Korea are straightforward for many travelers, but the rules depend heavily on nationality and length of stay. Some visitors can enter visa-free, while others need to apply in advance or complete additional steps before arrival. Understanding this early makes planning much smoother.
South Korea’s visa system is fairly organized, but details can change and exceptions are common, including one that is in place for just this year! The rules have even changed for me between my two visits as an American, so these are the South Korea visa requirements that are true for 2026 so far.
This guide breaks down tourist visas for South Korea in a clear, practical way. It is designed to help you figure out what you need, what you do not, and what to check before you continue planning your South Korea trip.
Want to save this article for later? Pin it!
Who Needs Tourist Visas for South Korea?
Not all travelers need a visa for South Korea. About half the nationalities in the world can visit South Korea upon retrieval of a K-ETA, which is basically an electronic visa, while there is a handful of nationalities that have been exempt for a specific period.
Nationals from these countries can visit South Korea visa-free for 30 to 90 days, and Canadians can stay up to 6 months without any sort of paperwork at all!
There are different types of visas (which we’ll get into a bit later in the article), and depending on your nationality will depend on if you need a visa, and which type you’ll need to get before traveling to South Korea.
✅ Who Can Visit Without a Tourist Visa for South Korea?
Most visitors need tourist visas for South Korea. However, you are able to visit the country without any kind of paperwork under specific circumstances.
You can enter South Korea without a visa, if you are:
🌎 Which Nationalities are Exempt from Needing Tourist Visas for South Korea?
While most travelers typically need a K-ETA or a traditional visa, there have been a few exceptions made like we mentioned above.
The period that these nations can travel without tourist visa for South Korea just got extended until December 31st, 2026. This means that until the end of the year, certain nationalities can enter completely visa-free to South Korea.
Key Exempt Countries (Extended until Dec 31, 2026):
✅ Who Can Visit South Korea with K-ETA
The K-ETA is an electronic visa that is an easier and more affordable option of tourist visas for South Korea. This is available for certain nationalities, which are listed below.
Nationalities that can visit South Korea with K-ETA:
| Albania (30) | Grenada (90) | Nicaragua (90) |
| Andorra (30) | Guatemala (90) | Oman (30) |
| Antigua & Barbuda (90) | Guyana (30) | Palau (30) |
| Argentina (90) | Haiti (90) | Panama (90) |
| Bahamas (90) | Honduras (30) | Paraguay (30) |
| Barbados (90) | Jamaica (90) | Peru (90) |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina (30) | Kazakhstan (30*) | Samoa (30) |
| Botswana (90) | Kiribati (30) | Serbia (90) |
| Brazil (90) | Lesotho (60) | Seychelles (30) |
| Costa Rica (90) | Liechtenstein (90) | Solomon Islands (30) |
| Dominica (90) | Malaysia (90) | South Africa (30) |
| Dominican Republic (90) | Marshall Islands (30) | St. Kitts & Nevis (90) |
| Ecuador (90) | Mauritius (30) | St. Lucia (90) |
| El Salvador (90) | Micronesia (30) | St. Vincent (90) |
| Eswatini (30) | Montenegro (30) | Suriname (90) |
| Fiji (30) | Morocco (90) | Thailand (90) |
| Guatemala (90) | Nauru (30) | Tonga (30) |
| Guyana (30) | New Caledonia (30) | Trinidad & Tobago (90) |
| Haiti (90) | Nicaragua (90) | Tunisia (30) |
| Honduras (30) | Oman (30) | Türkiye (90) |
| Jamaica (90) | Palau (30) | Tuvalu (30) |
| Kazakhstan (30*) | Panama (90) |
❎ Who CANNOT Visit South Korea With/Without K-ETA: Who Needs a Traditional Tourist Visa for South Korea
Now that you know who is exempt from needing a visa those that can get a K-ETA, it’s pretty clear that if you don’t fall into one of those two, you’ll clearly need a traditional visa to get a tourist visa for South Korea.
Here are the nationalities that need a traditional visa to visit South Korea:
| Afghanistan | Egypt | Mozambique |
| Algeria | Equatorial Guinea | Myanmar |
| Angola | Eritrea | Namibia |
| Armenia | Eswatini | Nepal |
| Azerbaijan | Ethiopia | Nicaragua |
| Bangladesh | Gabon | Niger |
| Belarus | Gambia | Nigeria |
| Belize | Ghana | Pakistan |
| Bhutan | Guinea | Philippines |
| Bolivia | Guinea-Bissau | Rwanda |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Haiti | Senegal |
| Botswana | Honduras | Sierra Leone |
| Burkina Faso | Iran | Somalia |
| Burundi | Iraq | South Sudan |
| Cambodia | Kazakhstan | Sri Lanka |
| Cameroon | Kenya | Sudan |
| Cape Verde | Kiribati | Tajikistan |
| Central African Republic | Laos | Thailand |
| Chad | Lebanon | Tunisia |
| Comoros | Lesotho | Turkiye |
| Congo | Liberia | Tuvalu |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Libya | Uzbekistan |
| Cuba | Madagascar | Yemen |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Malawi | Zambia |
| Djibouti | Mali | Zimbabwe |
Please keep in mind that while we have gathered this info from official sites, some info may change and therefore not be 100% correct. It’s crucial that you double-check with your local consulate to ensure you are getting the right type of visa.
How to Get Tourist Visas for South Korea
Now that you know which visa category you fall into, let’s take a look into how to get tourist visas for South Korea!
👩🏻💻 How to Get Tourist Visas for South Korea with K-ETA
The first time I traveled to Korea, I was visiting on a layover in Seoul. As I was determined to see a bit of the city, I got the K-ETA (at that time it was necessary for Americans). The process was super long and expensive. I remember realizing it was absolutely not worth getting for just a layover.
Luckily though, that has changed! Getting tourist visas for South Korea with K-ETA are now simple, quick, and super affordable.
What you’ll need for your K-ETA application:
💵 How Much Do K-ETA Tourist Visas for South Korea Cost?
The K-ETA application costs 10,000 Won which is about $7-8 USD. This fee is non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of your approval.
⏳ How Long Does the K-ETA Take?
The K-ETA usually takes around 72 hours or under to process, but it can also take a bit more if there are a high number of applicants. It’s important you apply at least a few days before your flight, just in case there is a high volume of applicants when you are visiting.
📆 How Long Do Tourist Visas for South Korea with K-ETA Last?
You can use the K-ETA within the validity period, which is 3 years, or up til the expiration of your passport (if it is under 3 years). The amount of days you can stay varies from 30 to 90 days depending on your passport. (You can refer to the chart above).
🛂 How to Get Traditional Tourist Visas for South Korea
If you’re one of the nationalities that requires a traditional visa, then you’ll have to go into your local embassy and apply in person. Countries that have embassies for South Korea include China, France, Germany, India, Libya, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Vietnam, and United Kingdom.
There are multiple visas types that you can apply for including:
⏳ How Long Do Tourist Visas for South Korea Take?
Tourist visas for South Korea typically takes between 7 and 16 business days, but it can also take up to 20.
Like this article and want to save it? Pin it!
Getting Tourist Visas for South Korea: Final Tips & What’s Next
Getting tourists visas for South Korea are pretty straight forward, and with the right documentation and enough time you shouldn’t have any issues.
With the extension of the exemption for certain countries like Americans, Canadians, and many Europeans, many travelers can enjoy visiting South Korea completely paperwork free for all of 2026. If you want to make customs go more quickly and smoothly, you can also elect to fill out the K-ETA beforehand, even if you are one of the nationalities that are exempt.
If you do have to get a visa, make sure to make an appointment with your designated embassy as early as possible. While the processing time doesn’t always take a lot of time, you never know how long you’ll have to wait for an appointment.
👀 What’s Next?
Now that you know how to get your tourist visa for South Korea, you’re ready to learn more about the country!
Here are some other South Korea guides we have:
🚆 How to get to Seoul
🚌 Seoul transportation guide
🛍 Things to do and see in Seoul
💆🏻♀️ Korean scalp massage review
🍴 Seoul food guide
📖 Seoul complete travel guide
✈️ How to get to Jeju Island
🚗 How to get around Jeju
🤩 The best things to do in Jeju
☕️ The best cafes in Jeju
📖 Jeju travel guide
✈️ How to get to Busan
🚗 How to get around Busan
🏖 The best things to do in Busan
🗺 Busan 3-day itinerary
📖 Busan travel guide
So are you ready to enjoy an amazing trip? Once you get your tourist visa for South Korea you’ll be ready to go and can fully relax about the whole planning process for your trip. Have questions? Just drop them below!
Want to learn more about visiting South Korea? We have plenty of other Korean travel guides for you as well. Make sure to join our newsletter for all of our weekly article updates, and to receive exclusive discounts on the Scratch Your Mapa shop.
Excited about visiting South Korea but don’t want the stress of booking and planning the entire thing? Well, we’re here to help! Scratch Your Mapa offers customized travel planning services, to find you the best flights, unique accommodation options, and build you specially curated itineraries. Want to learn more? Grab your consultation today.
Here are some other guides you’ll love:
