Korea arrival checklist

Check entry permission for this passport and trip

Use the Korea Visa Portal's Visa Navigator and the Korean embassy or consulate responsible for your residence to determine whether the exact passport, purpose and stay require a visa, visa-free entry or K-ETA. A rule for another nationality, dual-national passport or transit pattern is not evidence for your trip. Confirm the document again with the operating airline before check-in because the carrier must decide whether it can board you.

Check that the passport used for the booking matches the entry authorization and remains valid for the planned journey. If a visa or K-ETA is tied to an old passport, name or passport number, do not assume it transfers. Entry permission permits travel to inspection; the immigration officer makes the final entry decision.

• Search by nationality, purpose and intended length of stay.
• Use the same passport from airline check-in through immigration.
• Do not purchase an authorization through a search advertisement or unofficial agent.

Treat the 2026 K-ETA exemption as nationality-specific

K-ETA says the temporary exemption for countries and regions already covered by the program is extended through December 31, 2026. That is not a worldwide visa waiver and does not remove visa rules for a traveler who is otherwise ineligible. Check the official K-ETA result for the passport instead of inferring eligibility from a friend's trip.

An exempt traveler may still apply voluntarily for K-ETA and pay the official fee to receive its benefits, including exemption from the arrival card, but an unnecessary voluntary application is not a visa. A previously approved K-ETA can be used until its own expiry if the linked passport and details remain valid.

• Verify whether the passport is in the current exemption group.
• Do not confuse K-ETA exemption with visa exemption.
• Re-check rules for travel after December 31, 2026.

Submit the free official e-Arrival Card when required

Korea Immigration Service says unregistered foreign nationals generally submit an arrival card, while registered foreign residents, valid K-ETA holders and specified exempt groups do not. Use the eligibility navigator on the official site. The e-Arrival Card can be submitted from three days before arrival and remains valid for the stated arrival window; prepare the passport, flight or ship details, departure plan, occupation, accommodation address and contact information.

The only official domain is e-arrivalcard.go.kr, and submission is free. Any lookalike site asking for card details or payment is not the official service. Correct changes before immigration inspection and save the issue information or PDF offline even though the official guide says the file does not normally need to be shown.

• Enter the first real accommodation, not a generic Seoul landmark.
• Match names and passport numbers character by character.
• Never pay a website to submit the official form.

Check Q-CODE against recent travel and symptoms

Q-CODE is a quarantine declaration, not an immigration authorization. KDCA updates key quarantine-control areas and broader quarantine-management areas as disease conditions change. Travelers arriving from a key area may need Q-CODE, while travelers from a management area may need it when symptoms such as fever or cough are present; recent transit or stays can also matter.

Check the current KDCA notice close to departure rather than copying a country list from an old guide. Q-CODE registration can begin within the official pre-arrival period, and a changed health or travel history may require a new QR code. Answer symptoms truthfully and follow quarantine officers' instructions on arrival.

• Review every recent country or region, including transit.
• Keep the QR code available offline when submission applies.
• Seek official guidance if illness develops before the flight.

Screen medicines, food and restricted items before packing

Keep ordinary prescription medicine in original labelled packaging with a copy of the prescription or clinician letter, then check the active ingredients against Korean rules. MFDS approval is required before entry for medicines containing controlled narcotic or psychotropic substances, regardless of nationality. A medicine sold over the counter abroad can still contain a controlled ingredient in Korea.

Animal products, meat, plants, fruit, vegetables, seeds and other agricultural or food items can require declaration and quarantine. Firearms, weapons, certain sprays, wildlife products, commercial goods and other restricted items have separate requirements. When uncertain, ask the relevant authority before travel and declare the item rather than hiding it.

• Check ingredients, not only the brand name.
• Carry required permits with the medicine in hand luggage.
• Do not bring someone else's prescription or repack pills without labels.

Prepare the customs decision before landing

Review Korea Customs Service's current passenger allowances and declarable-goods list for the actual arrival date. Declare goods over the allowance, commercial items, restricted goods, qualifying agricultural or animal products and means of payment above the reporting threshold. Purchases made at an arrival duty-free shop still count in the customs calculation.

Use the official mobile traveler declaration or the airport's instructed channel when a declaration is required. If nothing must be declared, follow the current Nothing to Declare route. Customs may still inspect baggage, and a completed immigration or e-Arrival form does not replace a customs declaration.

• Keep purchase receipts accessible.
• Count goods carried for another person as items in your baggage.
• Ask a customs officer when the correct answer is unclear.

Build one offline arrival folder

Save the passport identification page securely, visa or K-ETA result where applicable, e-Arrival submission details, Q-CODE when required, flight and terminal, first accommodation name and address in Korean and English, local phone number, return or onward booking, travel-insurance assistance number and essential medical documents. Keep a paper accommodation address separate from the phone.

Do not place every sensitive document in an unlocked photo album or share it in a group chat. Use device security and redact passport numbers, QR codes and booking references from any image sent for help. A trusted contact should know the itinerary without receiving more identity data than necessary.

• Make the airport-to-accommodation route available offline.
• Record a transport fallback for a delayed arrival.
• Keep emergency contacts separate from the lost phone.

Follow the arrival sequence before spending time on setup

At Incheon, follow signs through any required quarantine step, immigration, baggage claim and customs before entering the public arrival hall. Confirm the terminal and baggage belt on official displays. Report missing or damaged baggage to the airline's baggage service before leaving the controlled area and keep the claim record.

After customs, connect to your planned data option, withdraw or exchange only the cash needed for the first stage, obtain the chosen transport card and re-check the route from the actual terminal. Use official counters, signed railway and bus facilities or the managed taxi queue; ignore unsolicited transport offers. Original photos and local-experience notes should be added only after personally completing the route without exposing passports, QR codes, baggage tags or other travelers.

• Resolve baggage problems before leaving the claim area.
• Do not let a phone setup delay the last practical transport.
• Message the accommodation if immigration or baggage creates a late arrival.

Official sources to re-check

• Korea Visa Portal — Visa Navigator
• K-ETA — 2026 temporary exemption notice
• Korea Immigration Service — official e-Arrival Card
• Korea Immigration Service — e-Arrival Card eligibility and timing
• Korea Immigration Service — fake e-Arrival Card warning
• KDCA — Q-CODE and quarantine requirements
• KDCA — current traveler quarantine notice
• Korea Customs Service — passenger clearance guide
• Korea Customs Service — mobile traveler declaration
• MFDS — controlled medicine bring-in permit
• Incheon Airport — arrival procedure