Any foreign visitors wishing to enter the Republic of Korea must have a valid passport and obtain a Korean visa before the visitation. For nationals in countries eligible for visa-free entry to Korea, one must obtain K-ETA. This is a new measure put in force in Oct. 2021. Please make sure to check whether you need a Korean visa or K-ETA.

※ Starting July 1st 2020, The Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) issues a Confirmation of Visa Issuance in place of a visa label as an entry permit into Korea.

Example of Confirmation of Visa Issuance

Countries under Visa Waiver Agreement

Please visit the Korea Visa Portal website, or contact your local Korean Embassy for accurate visa information, as rules and regulations vary depending on the country you’re coming from.

The Korean government may have suspended visa exemptions and visa-free entry for foreign nationals in some countries due to Covid-19. Therefore, all individuals in those countries may be required to apply for a visa before travel even though they were previously eligible for visa-free travel to Korea. The list of countries affected by this measure can vary at any time with changes in Covid-19 circumstances; please make sure to check the up-to-date entry requirements before leaving for Korea.

If you need a letter of invitation for participating in APHC 2023, please email APHC 2023 Secretariat at reg@aphc2023.kr.
※ The APHC 2023 Organizing Committee issues invitation letter only to paper presenters or authors who have completed the registration along with the payment process.

K-ETA(Korea Electronic Travel Authorization)

K-ETA is mandatory for nationals or citizens of 112 countries/regions, where visa-free entry is available.

• K-ETA eligible nationals, who wish to enter visa-free the Republic of Korea, must obtain K-ETA approval before boarding the flight or ship. Please keep in mind that the assessment can take more than 72 hours depending of the situation. Therefore, please apply for K-ETA with sufficient time.
  → Details: https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/guide/viewetaapplication.do
• The validity period of a K-ETA is 2 years from the data of approval. K-ETA approval does not guarantee entry to the Republic of Korea. The final determination of a traveler’s entry will be made by the immigration official during entry immigration inspection.
• K-ETA approval may be denied or cancelled in any case of submitting false or inaccurate information on the K-ETA application, and that person may be subject to penalties or entry restriction according to relevant Korean laws. The same will be applied to those who are applying on behalf of the applicant.
• Even if your K-ETA has not expired, you are required to apply for a new K-ETA if there are any changes to your information, such as name, sex, date of birth, nationality, passport information (passport number, passport expiration date), infectious disease or criminal record.
• If there are any changes to your purpose of entry, address in Korea or contact information after your K-ETA approval, you are required to update such information through the K-ETA website (K-ETA application results – Edit Information) before entering Korea. Failure to do so may result in unfavorable measures such as entry denial.
• Those with K-ETA approval can go through entry immigration more conveniently, as they will be exempted from submitting the arrival card upon entry.
• K-ETA application by proxy is available, and one person can apply for up to a total of 30 people and make the payment at once.

Apply for K-ETA

• In order to apply for K-ETA, go to the official website (www.k-eta.go.kr) or download mobile App (K-ETA).
• K-ETA will be temporarily exempted to 22 countries/regions from April 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024 (KST).
  • Those who have the K-ETA are not required to submit an arrival card at the port of arrival.
  • List of 22 countries/regions eligible for temporary exemption of K-ETA
    : Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macao, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, UK, US (including Guam)
  • K-ETA Notice (https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/board/viewboardlist.do?tmpltNm=notice)
• What you need to prepare your K-ETA

  ① Valid passport

  ② Valid e-mail address

  ③ Face image photo

  ④ Credit or debit card that can be used to pay the fee.

  • Fee: KRW 10,000 per person (Approximately USD $9~10)
  • When paying the K-ETA fee, additional fees for online payment may apply.
  • K-ETA application fee is non-refundable once payment is made, regardless of the result of the application.
  • You can use debit cards or global credit cards such as VISA, Master, JCB, or AMEX.

For more detailed information, please refer to the official K-ETA website.

Q-CODE (recommendation)

Before entering Korea, registering Q-CODE is recommended as a support program designed to provide rapid quarantine services to those entering Korea.

• Target Persons for Input of Q-code: Every person who plans to enter the Republic of Korea regardless of their purpose, such as tourism, visiting family, etc. (Both Korean nationals and foreign nationals are included)
• Preparation to Input Q-code (Mandatory)
  • Valid passport
  • Valid E-mail address
  • Valid airline ticket
  • Health Condition Information

As with many other places around the world, the local situation and rules in Seoul, Korea regarding Covid-19 keep changing, so please stay vigilant and updated with the latest information.(as of January 3, 2023)

Required documents and preparation for entering Korea

※ [UPDATED] Effective January 7, 2023, all passengers entering the Republic of Korea from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, or Macau must provide proof of a negative PCR test or antigen test conducted within 48 prior to departure.
Effective January 2, 2023, all travelers arriving from China must then take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival to Korea. If the arrival test is positive, they will be quarantined in Korea for seven days. In addition, the Republic of Korea will restrict the number of short-term visas granted to visitors from China until February 28th, 2023.

※ Information on this website is for reference only. Please refer to airlines notices, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency COVID-19 website, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Travel Safety website or diplomatic offices website for more information.

Related links

Arrival & Quarantine

• Pre-departure Negative PCR Test Certificate is no longer required to enter Korea since September 3^rd, 2022.
• Day 1 PCR test is not mandatory for people entering Korea from October 1^st, 2022.