How do you fill out the Korea e-Arrival Card?

Who needs the e-Arrival Card, and who is exempt

The rule is simple: if you are a foreign national entering Korea and you do not hold one of three documents, you file the e-Arrival Card.

• Exempt: approved K-ETA holders. The K-ETA already collects the same information, so an approved K-ETA replaces the arrival card. This is the main reason the two get confused.

• Exempt: registered foreign residents with a valid residence card, including permanent residence cards.

• Exempt: e-Group visa holders, which mostly applies to organised group tours from certain countries.

• Everyone else files it, including visa-exempt tourists during the K-ETA exemption, business travellers and children. Korean citizens do not file it.

In 2026, US, UK, Australian, Canadian and many EU passport holders are K-ETA-exempt under a temporary exemption that runs until 31 December 2026. If you are in that group and did not apply for a K-ETA voluntarily, you need the e-Arrival Card. If the exemption ends on schedule, most of those travellers will need a K-ETA from 1 January 2027, and the K-ETA then removes the arrival card step. Our K-ETA 2027 guide tracks that change.

When to submit: the 3-day window

The official portal opens submissions 3 days before your arrival in Korea. Landing at Incheon on 15 May means you can file from 12 May. Earlier attempts are refused, so a site offering to file it weeks ahead is not the official one.

File it the day before you fly, when your flight number and first hotel are fixed. It takes about 10 minutes with your passport in hand. On submission you receive a confirmation with a card (issuance) number. Save it as a screenshot or PDF so it is on your phone when you land after a long flight.

Each entry needs its own card. If you leave Korea for a few days in Japan and come back, file a new one inside the 3 days before the second arrival.

What the form asks, step by step

The portal is available in English and walks through five steps. Have your passport, flight number and first address ready.

• Step 1: terms and email. Agree to the terms and give an email address. The confirmation and any lookup by email use this address, so use one you can open abroad.

• Step 2: passport details. Name exactly as printed in the passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, sex and passport expiry. Your passport must be valid on arrival.

• Step 3: travel details. Arrival date, flight or ship number, purpose of visit, intended length of stay and your address in Korea. Use your first hotel's full address and phone number. If you are staying in Seoul first, our where to stay in Seoul page lists the areas most visitors use.

• Step 4: review. Check every field against your passport. A transposed passport number is the commonest error.

• Step 5: submit. You receive the issuance number. There is no fee at any step.

Families and small groups of up to 9 people can use the individual channel. Larger groups and travel agencies use a separate group channel on the same portal that takes up to 1,000 people.

How to check or edit a submitted card

The portal has a lookup and edit section. You get back into your card with either the issuance number or verification through the email you used.

Common reasons to edit: your flight changed, you switched hotels, or you mistyped a detail. If the arrival date moves outside the 3-day window, the cleanest fix is a fresh submission once the new window opens. If you spot an error on a passport detail, correct it before you fly rather than explaining it at the immigration desk.

Travel sites disagree on exactly how long a card stays valid and how late edits are allowed. The official portal only says that submission opens 3 days before arrival, so file and finalise it inside that window and check the lookup page the day you fly.

What happens at the airport

At Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae (Busan) or Jeju immigration, you hand over your passport. Immigration can see your e-Arrival Card record against it, but keep the issuance number or confirmation on your phone in case an officer asks. Fingerprints and a photo are taken at the desk for most foreign visitors.

Customs is separate. Korea scrapped the paper customs declaration in May 2023 for travellers with nothing to declare. If you carry goods above the duty-free allowance, you declare them on paper or through the Korea Customs Service's Traveler Customs Declaration app, which gives you a QR code. The e-Arrival Card does not cover customs.

From Incheon, our airport-to-Seoul guide compares the AREX train and limousine buses, and a working data plan from the moment you land helps with the maps: see South Korea eSIM for tourists.

Copycat sites and common mistakes

The official address is e-arrivalcard.go.kr, a Korean government (.go.kr) domain. Search ads for "Korea arrival card" often lead to agency sites that look official and charge a service fee for a form that is free. Type the address yourself.

• Filing it when you have a K-ETA. Not needed. The K-ETA covers you.

• Assuming the K-ETA exemption means no paperwork. In 2026 the exemption swaps the K-ETA for the arrival card; it does not remove both.

• Filing too early. The portal opens 3 days before arrival.

• Using a nickname or missing middle name. Match the passport exactly.

• Paying anyone. The government card is free.

Our South Korea visa guide covers the 90-day visa-free stay for US citizens and what to do if your trip is not for tourism.

Frequently asked questions