Visiting South Korea

Visa-free stays for touristic, business or transit

Whether or not you need a visa to visit South Korea depends on a variety of factors: Your nationality, the purpose and the expected duration of your stay, as well as other things like family relations and your occupation.

Below you find a list of countries whose citizens don’t require a visa to enter South Korea for touristic, business or transit purposes for certain limited periods of time.

Nationalities that don’t need a visa for short-term TOURISTIC and BUSINESS purposes

Maximum stay of 3 months

• European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czeck Republic, Denmakr, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.
• Other Citizens (in alphabetical order): Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica (Commonwealth of), Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Singapore, Surinam, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago and Turkey.

Maximum stay of 2 months

Italy, Lesotho, Portugal

Maximum stay of 1 month

Tunisia

Nationals of the following countries, traveling for short term touristic or transit purposes, are allowed to enter visa-free, provided they hold a confirmed onward or return ticket and proof of sufficient funds.

Nationalities that don’t need a visa for short-term TOURISTIC and TRANSIT purposes

Maximum duration of 30 days

Albania, Argentina, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, New Caledonia, Oman, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Slovenia, South Africa, Swaziland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA, Vatican City, Venezuela and Yemen.

Maximum duration of 90 days

Australia, Hong Kong

Maximum duration of 6 months

Canada

Regardless of your citizenship or any visa-exemptions that may apply to you, your passport has to be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon entry in South Korea.

Any citizen of any country not mentioned above must apply for a visa no matter the duration of stay or purpose of travel.

Generally, individuals staying in Korea for longer than 90 days must apply for an Alien Registration Card.

Note: Many nationals are permitted visa exemptions on other passports, such as diplomatic or official passports. For further details of whether this is applicable and the necessary restrictions of such visa exemptions, it is advisable to contact the nearest Embassy/Consulate before departure.