Venturing abroad is an exciting experience, filled with new cultures to explore, foods to taste, and vistas to see. However, before immersing oneself in these novel experiences, one must navigate the labyrinthine process of obtaining a visa. While the general rule of thumb dictates that visa requirements ask you for a sober, straightforward exchange of
Visa Policy for South Korea
The visa policy of South Korea determines the regulations, rules, and requirements that a foreign citizen must meet in order to travel to the country.
South Korean visa requirements state that all travelers entering the country, whether they have a visa or not, need to have a passport valid for at least 6 months that contains between one or two blank pages.
Upon arrival in the country, it may also be necessary to prove that the visitor has enough funds for the stay to gain entry to South Korea.
According to the South Korean visa law, there are currently around 110 various visa-exempt nationalities for the country. These foreign citizens may enter South Korea for differing periods of permitted stay visa-free.
To access visa-free travel to South Korea, nationals of most of these countries must have an approved K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). This can be used for vacations or business trips for short-term stays.
In addition, travelers eligible for visa exemption for tourism, business, and transit through the K-ETA scheme may have to apply for a South Korean visa for overseas study, corporate investment, foreign language teaching, residency, or other purposes.
Individuals from over 130 countries and territories around the world require a visa to travel to South Korea, no matter the period of stay or purpose of travel.
South Korea currently only offers the option of obtaining a visa through a government diplomatic office, either an embassy or a consulate, as a visa on arrival is not available for the country.
Therefore, applying for a South Korea visa currently involves having to attend an appointment in person and supplying an embassy with a range of supporting documentation depending on the visa type requested.
Find further information about these different types of visa for South Korea below.