South Korea Visa Requirements for U.S. Citizens
Asia · KR
South Korea visa requirements for U.S. citizens
No visa needed; 90 days. K-ETA is temporarily waived
- U.S. passport status
- Visa free
- Visa-free days
- 90 days
- Document route
- Apostille
- Translation
- Required
- Short-stay fee
- None
- Schengen area
- No
Entering South Korea
U.S. citizens enter South Korea visa-free for up to 90 days. Korea normally requires a K-ETA electronic travel authorisation, but U.S. citizens are covered by a temporary exemption that has been extended through 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 Americans are expected to need a K-ETA again. Verify the current position before you travel, because this exemption has been extended more than once and could be extended again or allowed to lapse.
Passport requirements
Valid for at least six months beyond your intended departure, with at least two blank pages.
What is specific to South Korea
Korea uses a two-stage model similar to Japan for long stays: the sponsor in Korea obtains a Confirmation of Visa Issuance, and you then apply at a consulate with that number. Korea also runs a points-based F-2-7 residence route that lets qualified people accumulate points from education, income, Korean language ability and age, and a workation visa pilot aimed at remote workers with an income test tied to national income per head. Alien registration within 90 days of arrival is required for long stays.
Visa categories for South Korea
Each has its own page combining the universal process for that category with what South Korea specifically requires.
Tourist and Visitor Visa
Visa-free for 90 days. K-ETA temporarily waived for U.S. citizens through 31 December 2026.
Business Visitor Visa
Visa-free within the same allowance for meetings.
Student and Study Visa
The D-2 study visa, with the institution obtaining the confirmation.
Work and Employment Visa
The E-series visas by occupation, requiring a Confirmation of Visa Issuance obtained by the sponsor.
Digital Nomad and Remote Work Visa
A workation visa exists as a pilot, with an income test tied to twice the national gross income per capita.
Family, Spouse and Partner Visa
Family routes are usually the most generous immigration category a country offers and simultaneously the most document-intensive. There is normally no income test on…
Permanent Residence and Citizenship
The F-2-7 points-based residence route leading to F-5 permanent residence. Korea generally restricts dual citizenship.
Where and how to apply
- Official portal
- HiKorea
- Where to file
- At the consulate with jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence.
- Biometrics
- Fingerprints and a facial image are collected for most visa categories.
- Fees
- No fee while the K-ETA exemption applies. Long-stay visas carry fees of roughly 60 to 100 dollars.
- Short-stay processing
- Not applicable for visits while exempt
- Long-stay processing
- Two to six weeks for most long-stay categories, following a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance
Documents and authentication for South Korea
South Korea is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so U.S. public documents are apostilled. That is a single certificate and it is the end of the chain.
Translation. Required into Korean by a recognised translator.
- 1 Obtain a certified original From the issuing authority. Photocopies, scans and souvenir certificates cannot be authenticated.
- 2 Notarise, if it is a private document Letters, affidavits, powers of attorney and diploma copies need a notary acknowledgement first. Government-issued vital records do not.
- 3 County clerk, in some states A handful of states require the county clerk to certify the notary commission before the Secretary of State will act.
- 4 Authenticate at the right level State-issued documents go to the Secretary of State of the ISSUING state. Federal documents, including the FBI Identity History Summary, go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
- 5 Apostille or embassy legalisation Hague Convention destination: the apostille ends the chain. Non-member destination: the document then goes to that country embassy or consulate. For South Korea the apostille ends the chain.
- 6 Certified translation Translate the document together with its apostille or legalisation certificate. Doing this first means paying twice. Required into Korean by a recognised translator.
- 7 File with the right consulate Jurisdiction is by your U.S. state of residence. Bring originals plus a full copy set.
The two expensive mistakes. Sending a federal document such as an FBI Identity History Summary to a Secretary of State, which cannot authenticate it. And translating before authentication, so the apostille certificate is not inside the translation and the whole set has to be paid for twice.
Official sources
- HiKorea (official immigration portal) Visa categories, alien registration and extensions.
- K-ETA official site The only legitimate K-ETA application site, for when the exemption ends.
Questions about South Korea
Do I need a K-ETA?
Not while the temporary exemption for U.S. citizens is in force, which currently runs through 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 Americans are expected to need one again. This exemption has been extended more than once, so check the official K-ETA site before travelling rather than relying on a guide.
Verified Sep 7, 2026 Primary sources: www.immigration.go.kr, www.hikorea.go.kr
This resource is provided free by Federal Apostille as an educational tool. It is not legal or immigration advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Visa rules, fees, processing times and entry requirements change frequently and often without notice, and individual circumstances change the answer. Always confirm current requirements with the official government source and the specific embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over your place of residence before you book travel or file an application. Every figure on this site carries the date we last verified it and a link to the primary source.
