Visa-freeTransit
K-ETA Transit Exemption + 30-day Transit Tourism — South Korea
- Max stay
- 30days
- Processing
- 0–1days
- Fee
- —
Difficulty10/10·Realism10/10Why? ▾
Difficulty10/10·Realism10/10
Why? ▾Difficulty
Quick paperwork10/10
Quick to obtain, light documentation, fast turnaround.
Why this score?
- —Visa-free entry — no advance authorisation needed
- +0.5Mid-strength baseline — e-Visa eligibility on tourism
- +0.5Fast processing (under a week)
- -0.25Onward / return ticket required
- -0.5Moderate documentation list (6 items)
Approval realism
Approval is likely10/10
Most applicants with the right paperwork get approved.
What drives this score?
- —No visa needed — entry is granted at the border given valid documents
- +0.5e-Visa-eligible baseline — moderate approval-rate boost
Step-by-step checklist
Your application checklist
- 1
Check your passport validity
32+ days beforeMost countries require 6+ months of validity beyond your travel dates and at least one blank page. If it's close, renew before applying.
- 2
Book refundable flight + accommodation
9+ days beforeUse a refundable booking (or a free hold/itinerary service) until your visa is approved — embassies want to see real plans, but you don't want to lose the money on a refusal.
- 3
On the day of travel
day of travelCarry: passport (printed visa if applicable), onward ticket, proof of accommodation, proof of funds, travel insurance. Border officers retain discretion regardless of visa status.
Show full requirements, fees, and source
Passport valid 6+ monthsOnward ticket required
What you need
- Visa-free transit for many nationalities: continue to a third country within 30 days, do not require a visa for that third country, no Korean stay over 30 days
- B-2 Transit Visa for nationalities requiring a Korean visa: typically 30 days, single entry
- K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) — required by most visa-free nationalities for any Korean entry including transit; ~$10 fee; valid 3 years
- K-ETA exemption: 22 countries (US, UK, JP, AU, NZ, DE, FR, etc.) through end-2025 — confirm current status before travel
- Jeju Island has separate visa-free regime: 30 days for most nationalities
- Cannot work on transit / B-2