Visitors from countries that don't need a visa for South Korea normally apply online for a K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) before they fly. Travelers from 22 countries and territories are temporarily exempt from that step. Under the Ministry of Justice notice of 23 December 2025, the exemption runs until 31 December 2026.

No further extension has been announced yet. If you plan to travel to South Korea in early 2027, expect to need a K-ETA unless Korea announces otherwise.

Who can skip the K-ETA until 31 December 2026

Your passport still gives you visa-free entry after 31 December. What changes is the paperwork: from 1 January 2027, unless the exemption is extended again, you will need an approved K-ETA before boarding.

What to do if you travel in 2027

  1. Arriving on or before 31 December 2026: nothing to do. Enter visa-free without a K-ETA.
  2. Arriving in 2027: watch the official K-ETA website (k-eta.go.kr) for a new notice in December. If none appears, apply for a K-ETA before you fly.
  3. Only apply on the official site. Many lookalike sites charge extra fees for the same form.

The exemption has been extended before: the December 2025 notice is itself an extension. We will update this article when Korea publishes its decision for 2027.

The same date as China

31 December 2026 is also when China's 30-day visa-free entry ends for 48 countries, unless it is extended. Many travelers on this list are on China's list too. Read China's 30-day visa-free entry ends 31 December 2026 for that deadline.

Where the rules come from

The end date comes from the K-ETA notice of the Ministry of Justice of Korea, dated 23 December 2025. The list of 22 countries and territories is the one reported by the immigration advisers EY and Erickson Immigration Group. The passport pages for these 22 countries already show South Korea as visa-free with an upcoming change to K-ETA from 1 January 2027. If you see a newer official notice, email us and we will update this article and the passport data together.