Korea Entry for US Passport Holders 2026: K-ETA Exemption, Mandatory e-Arrival Card, and 90-Day Stay Rules

An American passport holder who reaches the arrival hall at Incheon International Airport without having filed Korea's electronic arrival card may have to fill out a paper form on the spot. Immigration lines stretched to as long as 80 minutes on August 5 this year — a reminder that skipping the paperwork beforehand can cost real time at the airport.

At a glance: The United States, Guam included, is one of 22 exempt countries and regions under Korea's temporary K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) waiver, in effect from January 1 through December 31, 2026, Korea Standard Time. Travelers who are exempt from K-ETA but don't hold one must still file an Electronic Arrival Card (e-Arrival Card) before entering Korea, at the official site www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. It can be submitted starting three days before arrival, carries no fee, and becomes invalid — requiring resubmission — if the traveler hasn't entered Korea within 72 hours of filing. Visa-free stays for tourism are capped at 90 days.

Being K-ETA-exempt only means you can enter without that specific travel authorization — it does not exempt you from reporting your arrival. Per Ministry of Justice Korea Immigration Service notices, only a narrow group is excused from filing the e-Arrival Card: foreigners already registered as residents in Korea, holders of a valid K-ETA, and flight crew, among a few others. In other words, even nationals of K-ETA-exempt countries must file the e-Arrival Card separately, unless they choose to apply for a K-ETA anyway.

Three mistakes trip people up most often. First, entering personal information on look-alike websites instead of the official one — the Ministry of Justice has issued a specific warning about copycat sites. Second, submitting too early, so the 72-hour validity window lapses before the actual arrival date. Third, entering an inaccurate Korean accommodation address, which can trigger extra questioning at immigration. The form asks for passport details, accommodation address and contact information in Korea, arrival and departure dates, flight number, and purpose of visit and occupation, and it's available in seven languages, including English.

Applying for K-ETA voluntarily costs a 10,000 won fee, but once approved, it spares travelers from filing a new e-Arrival Card on every future trip — unlike the e-Arrival Card itself, which must be refiled for each entry. With immigration lines at Incheon stretched thin this summer, the Ministry of Justice is adding 141 officers to the airport's immigration office starting August 11, but the new staff aren't expected to be fully deployed until around year's end — making advance paperwork the surest way to save time at the airport for now.