Do I need the e-Arrival Card if I have a K-ETA?

No. Holders of a valid K-ETA approval do not need to submit an arrival card, on paper or online.

My country is exempt from K-ETA. Do I need the e-Arrival Card?

Yes, if you do not hold a K-ETA, you must submit an arrival card. You may apply for a K-ETA voluntarily and pay its fee instead, which means you can skip the arrival card. The temporary K-ETA exemption runs until 31 December 2026.

Is the South Korea e-Arrival Card free?

Yes. There is no fee on the official site, www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. Sites that charge a fee are not official. K-ETA, a separate travel authorization, does have a fee.

Korea e-Arrival Card or K-ETA: which do you need?

Short answerIf you hold a valid K-ETA, you do not need Korea's e-Arrival Card. If you don't, submit the free e-Arrival Card at e-arrivalcard.go.kr up to 3 days before arrival; K-ETA is a separate travel authorization with a fee.

Checked 28 October 2026 by the Arrival Card Finder editorial team against official sources. How we check

Open the official forme-arrivalcard.go.kr

e-Arrival Card and K-ETA side by side

	e-Arrival Card	K-ETA
What it is	An arrival card	An electronic travel authorization
Cost	Free	Non-refundable fee
When	Up to 3 days (72 hours) before arrival, Korea time	Official notices advise at least 72 hours before you board
Who	Visitors without a valid K-ETA, including nationals with a temporary K-ETA exemption	Visa-free visitors; voluntary for nationals with the temporary exemption (until 31 December 2026)
Official site	e-arrivalcard.go.kr	k-eta.go.kr

Who doesn't need it

Holders of a valid K-ETA approval. K-ETA is a separate electronic travel authorization for visa-free visitors, applied for only at k-eta.go.kr. It has a non-refundable fee, and official notices from Korean embassies advise applying at least 72 hours before you board.
Nationals of countries with a temporary K-ETA exemption (extended to 31 December 2026, for example the USA, Belgium and the UK) who do not hold a K-ETA must submit an arrival card. They may still apply for a K-ETA voluntarily, and pay the fee, to skip the arrival card. Existing K-ETA holders can use theirs until it expires.

Cost

The e-Arrival Card is free. UK FCDO says "There is no fee to submit the e-Arrival card", and Incheon Airport lists the fee as none. Korea's Ministry of Justice warns that look-alike sites charge fees, while the official site does not.

Do not confuse it with K-ETA. K-ETA is a separate electronic travel authorization with a non-refundable application fee.

When to submit

You can submit up to 3 days (72 hours) before you arrive in Korea, counted in Korea Standard Time (KST). If you do not arrive within 72 hours of submitting, your e-Arrival Card is no longer valid and you need to submit a new one.

Paper arrival cards: official sources differ. Korean embassy and consulate notices said paper and electronic cards would both be accepted during a transition period until December 2025. UK FCDO says paper entry declaration forms will still be available. Check the official site before you travel.

Common questions

Do I need the e-Arrival Card if I have a K-ETA?: No. Holders of a valid K-ETA approval do not need to submit an arrival card, on paper or online.
My country is exempt from K-ETA. Do I need the e-Arrival Card?: Yes, if you do not hold a K-ETA, you must submit an arrival card. You may apply for a K-ETA voluntarily and pay its fee instead, which means you can skip the arrival card. The temporary K-ETA exemption runs until 31 December 2026.
Is the South Korea e-Arrival Card free?: Yes. There is no fee on the official site, www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. Sites that charge a fee are not official. K-ETA, a separate travel authorization, does have a fee.

Official sources

Every fact on this page comes from these government pages and official travel advice.