K-ETA Exemption for US Travelers Through December 2026: Do You Still Need the e-Arrival Card?

Bottom line: US passport holders can enter Korea without a K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) through December 31, 2026. But K-ETA exemption does not mean every pre-arrival step is waived — only people who actually hold an approved K-ETA are excused from filing the e-Arrival Card, so Americans traveling without one still need to submit the e-Arrival Card separately at www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr, starting three days before arrival.

If you didn't know: If you assume exemption means nothing else is required and skip the e-Arrival Card, you'll have to fill out paperwork on the spot in the arrival hall. The e-Arrival Card can be submitted from three days before you land, but once submitted it's only valid for 72 hours — if your flight changes and you land outside that 72-hour window, the submission becomes invalid and you have to redo it.

This exemption is a temporary tourism-boosting measure, not a permanent policy. Korean missions abroad posted notices in late 2025 saying the exemption is "extended one more year, through December 31, 2026." Multiple travel and legal outlets report the US is among the roughly 22 exempt countries this round, but the official embassy notice page we opened directly did not list countries by name — the most reliable way to check is to enter your passport details at k-eta.go.kr and see whether it returns an "exempt" result. The Ministry of Justice has also repeatedly warned that www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr is the only official e-Arrival Card site, and any site asking for payment information is fake.

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

Journey stage: First hour · Verified 2026-11-09