From February 24, 2025, travelers to South Korea will be able to complete an electronic arrival card (e-Arrival Card) prior to arrival. This online formality will replace the traditional paper form by the end of the year.
Following in the footsteps of Cambodia, Malaysia and soon Thailand, international travelers to South Korea will soon be required to complete an electronic arrival card (e-Arrival Card) prior to their stay in the Land of the Morning Calm.
This new online formality will be available on the e-arrivalcard.go.kr portal (currently under development) from February 24, 2025.
According to the Korean Immigration Service, during the initial phase, which will last until December 2025, passengers will be able to choose between filling in a paper or electronic arrival card. From 2026, only the online pre-departure option will be available.
As the South Korean authorities explain, this free procedure must be carried out within 3 days prior to arrival in the country, and concerns all travelers, with a few exceptions.
Visitors holding a valid K-ETA electronic travel authorization do not need to complete an electronic arrival card. Registered residents of South Korea (including Permanent Resident Card and Overseas Korean Resident Card holders) and airline crew members are also exempt from the e-Arrival Card requirement.
How to submit the e-Arrival Card to travel to South Korea?
Before logging on to the e-arrivalcard.go.kr portal, please have your passport ready, as well as information about your upcoming trip to South Korea, such as flight or ship details, and local accommodation (see the guide provided by the South Korean authorities at the end of this article).
Step 1: Accept the Terms and Conditions
You must accept the terms and conditions of the e-Arrival Card website. For minors under the age of 14, a family member or other person must submit the declaration on their behalf and accept these terms and conditions.
Step 2: Upload a copy of your passport
Upload a copy (photo or scan) of the data page of your passport (the machine-readable zone MRZ must be clearly visible/readable).
Once the passport has been uploaded, your personal information will be automatically extracted using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology.
Step 3: Enter your travel details
You’ll need to enter a few details about your trip, including :
- arrival date, flight number,…
- planned departure date, flight number,…
- the purpose of your stay in South Korea
- place of residence in South Korea and contact information
Step 4: Submit the declaration form
The declaration is completed when you click on “Submit”.
- This service is free of charge and requires no approval.
- You will be able to download your e-Arrival Card in .PDF format or take a screenshot from the website.
An e-mail notification of e-Arrival Card submission will be sent to the address provided by the registrant. If any changes are required after submission, you will be able to edit your declaration on the website before passing the entry control.
