Korean Visas
Foreign nationals entering Korea are required to have a valid passport and a Korean visa issued by the Korean embassy or consular offices in their country. However, citizens from many countries are now permitted visa-free entry for a limited period under certain conditions. In order to check whether you are allowed to enter Korea without visa issuance and for other requirements, please contact a Korean embassy or consular office in your country or visit the following websites to confirm.
- Visa information
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- www.mofa.go.kr (Korean, English)
- Korea Immigration Service
- www.immigration.go.kr (Korean, English)
- Hi Korea
- www.hikorea.go.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Example of Entry Visa to Korea
Countries under Visa Waiver Agreement
The 104 countries listed on the website linked below, in addition to Mozambique, which was added in February 2017, are under a Visa Waiver Agreement with Korea. Depending on nationality and passport type, citizens from these 105 countries can visit Korea with the purpose of tourism without a visa for 30 to 90 days.
www.hikorea.go.kr (English)
Designated Countries & Regions Granted Visa-Free Entry to Korea
(Listed countries without a specified period have a limit of 30 days)
Countries with visa-free entry for general, diplomatic & official passport holders [Table1]
| Continent | Countries |
|---|---|
| Asia | Japan (90 Days), Hong Kong (90 Days), Macao (90 Days), Taiwan (90 Days), Kuwait (90 Days), Brunei, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain |
| North America | United States (90 Days), Canada (6 Months) |
| South America | Argentina, Honduras, Paraguay, Ecuador (90 Days), Guyana |
| Europe | Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Cyprus, Albania, Croatia (90 Days), Slovenia (90 Days), Vatican, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia (90 Days), Montenegro |
| Oceania | Australia (90 Days), Guam, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tuvalu, Tonga |
| Africa | Republic of South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Swaziland, Egypt |
Countries with visa-free entry for diplomatic & official passport holders [Table2]
| Continent | Country |
|---|---|
| Asia | Indonesia, Lebanon |
Visa-Free Entry to Jeju-do
- Applicable countries: Citizens from all countries not included in the Visa-Free tables above, excluding eleven countries, who travel directly to Jeju International Airport or Jeju International Passenger Terminal with the purpose of tourism.
Excluded countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Libya, Macedonia, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Palestine
- Duration of stay: 30 Days
- Allowed region: Jeju-do
- Conditions of entry: Travelers must take planes or ferries with direct routes to Jeju-do
Customs
All visitors who enter Korea must submit a written baggage declaration to a customs officer upon entry. If a passenger declares non-duty free articles voluntarily, the declared amount will be accepted and the clearance procedure will be expedited, unless the declared price of articles is questionable. More information about customs allowances and currency regulation can be found at the website below.
- Korea Customs Service
- www.customs.go.kr (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish)
Duty Free Allowance
For items that are taxable, US $600 per capita from the total dutiable value shall be exempted from imposition of duty tax. Additional duty free exemptions are: 1 bottle of liquor (less than 1 liter, not over US $400), 1 carton of cigarettes (200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco) and 2 ounces of perfume (about 60㎖). For amounts that exceed the duty exemption, duty on the amount over will be charged per capita. Also, the liquor and cigarette exemptions are only permitted for those over 19 years of age.
This page was last updated on September 8, 2017, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here.