e-Arrival Card Korea 2026: How to Fill It Out, K-ETA Exemption, and the 72-Hour Rule

Bottom line: If this is your first trip to Korea, fill out the electronic arrival card on your phone at e-arrivalcard.go.kr no later than 3 days before you land — and ideally before you board. Anyone holding a valid K-ETA is exempt from this step entirely.

If you didn't know: Skip the online form and you'll fill out a paper arrival card by hand at the immigration hall, adding an estimated 10 to 15 minutes of writing and waiting (no official statistic exists for this — it's an estimate). That time stacks directly onto whatever immigration queue you're already in. Submitting too early backfires too: file it 5 or 6 days out and it auto-expires after 72 hours, forcing you to redo it from scratch at the airport. The rule isn't "as early as possible" — it's "starting 3 days before arrival."

The form itself only asks for passport details, flight number, your accommodation address in Korea, and a contact number — simple enough to finish on a phone in about three minutes. Since the system launched on February 24, 2025, one less line of paper scribbling happens at the immigration counter. Nationality changes the picture a bit: Japanese passport holders are exempt from needing a K-ETA at all through the end of 2026, but everyone, regardless of nationality, still has to file the e-arrival card. Citizens of countries whose travelers hold a K-ETA, on the other hand, get the e-arrival requirement waived along with it. Some foreign outlets have reported that Korea moved to an online-only system in 2026, but the Ministry of Justice's own notice doesn't specify an end date for the paper option — it's safer to check the official site again before you fly.

This article summarizes official guidance and is not legal, medical, or financial advice.

Journey stage: ① Before you go · Verified 2026-10-29