Almost all foreign visitors entering South Korea need to submit an e-Arrival Card. This requirement applies to short-term visitors (tourists, business travelers, etc. staying up to 90 days) and even to some longer-term visitors who haven’t registered as residents in Korea . In practice, if you are a foreign national flying to Korea and going through immigration, you will likely need to have completed an e-Arrival Card. (Exemptions exist for certain groups—see the next question.)

There are a few specific categories of travelers who do not need to submit an e-Arrival Card. Holders of a valid K-ETA(Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) are exempt, since they have already provided their entry info through that system . Also exempt are travelers who have registered their residency in Korea (such as long-term visa holders with an Alien Registration Card), people traveling on approved group electronic visas, and airline crew members . If you fall into one of these categories, you won’t need to do an e-Arrival Card. Everyone else should plan to fill one out before arrival.

ou need to submit the e-Arrival Card within 72 hours (3 days) before your arrival in Korea . You can fill it out as early as three days prior to your landing, including on the day of departure if necessary. For example, if your flight to Korea is on Friday, you can submit the e-Arrival Card on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or even Friday morning before you depart (keeping Korea’s time zone in mind). The key is that the information should be submitted no more than 72 hours before you arrive. Note: If you submit the card and then don’t travel within 72 hours, the submission expires (i.e., it won’t be valid for a later date) . In that case, you would need to submit a new e-Arrival Card if your travel got delayed beyond the 3-day window.

During the initial rollout in 2025, Korean authorities are allowing some flexibility. If you do not complete an e-Arrival Card in advance, you may be asked to fill out the traditional paper arrival card upon landing (since paper cards are still accepted until the end of 2025 as a backup) . However, this could slow down your entry process. After 2025, the paper form will be phased out completely, and all travelers will be expected to use the e-Arrival Card system. Failing to have it done in advance could lead to delays at immigration – you might be pulled aside to complete the form on a kiosk or device before being allowed to proceed. It’s strongly recommended to complete the e-Arrival Card online ahead of time to ensure a smooth arrival. If you’re unsure or unable to do it yourself, consider using a service like Global Migration Advisors or seeking help to make sure it’s taken care of before you fly.

Yes, children and infants also need to be accounted for via the e-Arrival Card. There is no exemption based on age. However, a child cannot fill it out themselves – a parent or guardian must complete the e-Arrival Card for travelers under 14 years old . The online system makes it convenient to do this: one adult can submit forms for multiple people in a group or family at once . You’ll just add the child’s details along with your own when submitting, or submit a separate form on their behalf. If you have several family members traveling together, the platform allows you to handle all their e-Arrival Cards in one session (you’ll just need each person’s passport and info as listed above).

No. Travelers who hold a valid K-ETA are exempt from needing to submit an e-Arrival Card . The K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) is a separate pre-travel permission that already collects personal and travel information, so if you’ve gone through that process and have an approval, you won’t also have to do the e-Arrival form. Similarly, if you are a long-term visa holder with a registered Alien Registration Card in Korea, or if you’re part of an official group visa tour, or you’re an airline crew member, you do not need an e-Arrival Card (as noted above). Just ensure you have the other required documents for those respective programs when you travel. For everyone else (including people from visa-free countries who don’t need a K-ETA), the e-Arrival Card is still required.