⚠️ Sensitive information — always check the official source
Visa requirements, quotas, amounts and dates change often. Every fact in this guide was checked against the official source on 2026-09-23 and we re-check it periodically, but before starting any procedure confirm the details on the official links (embassy, consulate or ministry) shown on this page. viajacongus.com does not process visas and does not replace official information.
💵 How much it costs
K-ETA: 10.000 KOREAN WON per person. Verbatim from the portal: «The K-ETA application fee is 10,000 KRW per person. *Approximately USD $7~8». And there is a surcharge added on top, which the body itself publishes: «When paying the K-ETA application fee, additional online payment processing fees may apply. (generally about 3%)». In other words, about 10.300 won in total, between 7 and 8 dollars. IT IS NEVER REFUNDED: «The fee covers the K-ETA application and examination process. Once paid, it is non-refundable regardless of the examination outcome». Not if you are refused, not if you cancel the trip. It is paid with «VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, DISCOVER, UnionPay or Alipay+», and the portal warns about a very common problem: «If your card's overseas payment option is blocked, the fee may not be processed successfully» — if your bank has blocked overseas payments on your card, the payment fails. THERE IS NO PAID EXPRESS PROCEDURE: «Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received, and there is no expedited service to speed up processing for specific applications». If someone sells you an express K-ETA, they are scamming you. Q-CODE: FREE. It is a KDCA system for declaring health information before entry and has no fee. If you are in the group exempt from K-ETA until 31/12/2026, entry costs you ZERO: no K-ETA, no visa, no paid form.
⏳ How long it takes
Official timeframe, verbatim: «K-ETA assessment typically takes 72 hour or less. However, please note that it may take more than 72 hours due to an unexpected increase in applications or other circumstances». Seventy-two hours or less as a general rule, with the express warning that it may take longer. And the body's own recommendation is far more conservative than people assume: in the notice «Notice about the Estimated Time for K-ETA Screening», the Ministry of Justice writes «Therefore, we recommend you to apply for K-ETA in advance (1~2 months prior to expected date of entry)». ONE TO TWO MONTHS before the date of entry. There is no accelerated service, you cannot pay to jump the queue, and applications are reviewed in order of arrival. Q-CODE: it is completed on the spot and the QR code is issued when you finish; the window for submitting it is the 7 days before arrival.
📅 How long it's valid
These are TWO different clocks, and mixing them up is the most expensive mistake in this procedure. CLOCK 1 — HOW LONG THE K-ETA LASTS: THREE YEARS, not two. Verbatim: «You can use K-ETA multiple times within the validity period. * Validity Period: 3 Years (if the passport expiration date is shorter than 3 years, valid until the passport expiration date) * Applications submitted before 2023.07.03: valid for 2 years». The extension from 2 to 3 years was announced in the notice «Expansion of K-ETA Validity Period» and applies to applications submitted after 3 July 2023 at 00:00 KST. If your K-ETA is older than that date, it is still valid for 2 years. And if your passport expires before the 3 years are up, the K-ETA expires with the passport. CLOCK 2 — HOW MANY DAYS YOU CAN STAY: the K-ETA does not decide that. Verbatim: «However, the validity period of K-ETA is separate from the visa-free stay period, so if you enter the country with a K-ETA, you cannot stay longer than the visa-free stay period for each country. The visa-free stay period for a single entry varies by country». Holding a K-ETA valid for three years does NOT mean you can stay for three years: you can stay for the days assigned to your passport (90 days, 3 months or 30 days depending on the country), and with a single K-ETA you can enter and leave as many times as you like within those three years. THE TEMPORARY EXEMPTION — AND THIS IS THE DATE TO WRITE DOWN: the K-ETA exemption for 25 countries and regions runs from 1 April 2023 to 31 DECEMBER 2026 (KST). The official notice says: «The Ministry of Justice decided to extend the temporary exemption period for 1 more year to stimulate the tourism industry, the exemption will be effective until December 31, 2026 (KST). * Extended K-ETA temporary exemption period: From January 1, 2026 (Thu) to December 31, 2026 (Thu) (KST)». The official reason for the measure is the «Visit Korea Year(2023-2026)». As of 23/09/2026 NO extension beyond 31/12/2026 has been published. Q-CODE: it is used up as soon as you enter — «The validity of input Q-CODE expires upon completion of the corresponding immigration process. Please input new quarantine information at the time of next entry to the Republic of Korea».
👤 Who needs it?
We read the three official lists on 23/09/2026 and our twenty-eight nationalities fall into three groups. GROUP 1 — EXEMPT FROM K-ETA UNTIL 31/12/2026, they neither pay nor apply for anything: GERMANY, AUSTRALIA, DENMARK, SPAIN, THE UNITED STATES and ITALY. That is six. GROUP 2 — HAVE TO GET THE K-ETA AND PAY FOR IT: Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. That is twenty. GROUP 3 — NOT ELIGIBLE FOR K-ETA AND NEED A VISA: BOLIVIA and CUBA. They do not appear on the portal's list of 116 eligible countries and regions, so there is no K-ETA to apply for: you have to request a visa at the Korean consulate. The DAYS OF STAY granted by visa-free entry depend on your citizenship, and we also read them one by one on the official list: 90 days for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, the United States, Guatemala, Italy, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela; 3 MONTHS —which the portal deliberately writes differently— for MEXICO, SURINAME and Belgium; and only 30 DAYS for ANDORRA, GUYANA, HONDURAS and PARAGUAY. There are also exemptions that depend not on the country but on the person, which the portal lists as follows: Koreans and dual nationals with a valid Korean passport; US military personnel on active duty under the SOFA; flight crew and seafarers; ABTC (APEC) card holders; transit passengers; registered foreigners and visa holders; UN passport holders; diplomatic or official passport holders; cruise passengers; and —the most important one for families— «Those who are 17 years old and younger or 65 years old and older (on the date of entry)».
