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K-ETA waiver extended through December 31, 2026 — what 67 countries don't need to apply for this year

Reported 2026-05-29 / Posted 2026-05-29 · Compiled from Korea Ministry of Justice, VisitKorea, Korean embassy notices, and verified visa policy sources · By

If you are planning a Korea trip later this year — and you are traveling on a passport from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Singapore, or one of about 60 other countries — Korea's Ministry of Justice has good news. The K-ETA temporary waiver has been extended through December 31, 2026, which means you do not need to apply for K-ETA before your trip this year. The exemption was originally set to expire at the end of 2025; the one-year extension covers all of 2026.

Three things make this announcement worth bookmarking: the extension is full-year (not partial), the list of eligible countries is broader than most blogs realize (67 countries and regions), and what is unknown is what happens on January 1, 2027.

What changed and what didn't

  • Waiver dates: January 1, 2026 → December 31, 2026 (KST)
  • Eligibility: Passport holders of the 67 countries/regions on the existing K-ETA exemption list
  • Visit purpose covered: Tourism, business meetings, family visits, conferences — all short-stay purposes the waiver was designed for
  • Stay duration: Standard short-stay rules apply (typically 30, 60, or 90 days depending on country agreement)
  • What is unchanged: The list of eligible countries is the same as 2025
  • What is still required: The e-Arrival Card (mandatory since January 1, 2026 for all foreign visitors). See our e-Arrival Card guide.

The 67 eligible countries and regions

The list is broader than most travel blogs realize. Here are the main groups:

North America

  • United States · Canada

Europe

  • United Kingdom · France · Germany · Italy · Spain · Netherlands · Belgium · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Switzerland · Austria · Poland · Czech Republic · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Portugal · and most other EU/EEA members

Asia-Pacific

  • Japan · Taiwan · Hong Kong · Macao · Singapore · Brunei · Malaysia (short-stay) · Australia · New Zealand

Middle East / Latin America / others

  • UAE (select) · Israel · Bahrain · Qatar · Chile · Mexico · Argentina (select) · plus several others

⚠️ Always verify your exact passport eligibility on the official K-ETA site k-eta.go.kr before flying — country lists are managed by the Ministry of Justice and can include conditions specific to your passport type.

If you already have an active K-ETA

Two scenarios:

  • Your K-ETA is still valid: You can still use it. Existing K-ETA approvals continue to be valid until their normal expiry date.
  • Your K-ETA has expired: No renewal needed. If you are from an exempt country, just travel with your passport and complete the e-Arrival Card 72 hours before flying.

What you DO need this year

K-ETA exemption simplifies your pre-flight prep, but two things are still required:

  • e-Arrival Card — Mandatory for all foreign visitors since January 1, 2026. Free, takes 5 minutes, complete it within 72 hours of your flight. Official site: e-arrivalcard.go.kr. Watch for fake sites that charge fees — only the .go.kr domain is real. (See our K-ETA + e-Arrival Card guide.)
  • Passport with at least 6 months validity on the date of arrival
  • Return or onward flight booking — Immigration officers can ask. Have a printed or screen-ready copy.
  • Address of your first night's accommodation — Required on the e-Arrival Card

What happens on January 1, 2027?

This is the unknown part. The current extension covers exactly through December 31, 2026 (KST). Three possible scenarios for 2027:

  • A. Further extension — Korea announces another one-year extension in late 2026. Most likely if inbound tourism continues at record pace.
  • B. Permanent waiver — Korea formalizes the waiver permanently for the 67 countries, removing the K-ETA requirement entirely. Less likely but possible.
  • C. K-ETA returns — The waiver expires, and travelers from those 67 countries must again apply for K-ETA before flying. K-ETA is straightforward (₩10,000, online, 72-hour processing), but it's a step you'd add back.

Korea's 30 million annual visitor target for the medium term (see our 30M tourism vision guide) makes scenario A or B more likely than C. Final decision will likely come in the second half of 2026.

If you're booking late 2026 or January 2027

  • Travel before Dec 31, 2026: No K-ETA needed (assuming exemption country). Just e-Arrival Card and standard documents.
  • Travel January 2027 or later: Plan as if K-ETA will be required again, then check official news in November–December 2026. If extended/permanent, you save one step.
  • Late-2026 to early-2027 trips that cross the year: The application requirement is based on your arrival date in Korea. If you arrive December 30, 2026, no K-ETA. If you arrive January 1, 2027 and the waiver isn't extended, K-ETA needed.

Honest take

K-ETA was introduced in 2021 to add a security layer to Korea's visa-free entry system, then temporarily waived in late 2023 as the country opened to post-COVID tourism. The continuing waiver — now through end of 2026 — is part of the broader push toward Korea's 30 million inbound visitor goal. For travelers from the 67 eligible countries, the practical message is simple: your trip this year is one document lighter. Focus on the e-Arrival Card (still required), accommodation address ready, and book early for the June 3 election week and summer peak. K-ETA can come back in 2027 — or it might not — but for all of 2026, it's not on your checklist.

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