Know before you go: South Korea

Quick answer: Most tourists from the US, Canada, UK, Australia, EU, and dozens of other countries can visit South Korea visa-free for up to 90 days through December 31, 2026 without needing a K-ETA, but rules on K-ETA and arrival forms are being phased in and change often, so double-check before you fly.

Visa & entry

US citizens don’t need a visa for tourism or business trips of up to 90 days, which covers most travelers heading to South Korea in 2026. This visa-free arrangement generally applies to citizens of over 100 countries, though the exact stay length (30, 60, 90 days, or longer) depends on your nationality.

Normally, visa-free travelers must also apply for a K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) before departure. However, the Ministry of Justice has formally extended the K-ETA exemption for certain countries, allowing visa-free entry into Korea without a K-ETA through December 31, 2026. This exemption covers citizens of 67 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. If you’re exempt, you can still apply for K-ETA voluntarily; travelers from these countries may still choose to apply for a K-ETA, in which case they will be exempt from the requirement to complete an arrival card at the time of entry.

Whether or not you have K-ETA, most visitors now need to complete a separate digital e-Arrival Card. Since January 1, 2026, South Korea has replaced all paper arrival forms with a digital system. An approved K-ETA is a long-term authorization valid for three years, and if you hold one you are exempt from filling out the arrival card for every trip. The e-Arrival Card is a trip-specific digital form that must be completed within 3 days before every arrival. Only use the official government site: fill it out only on the official government website for Korea’s e-Arrival Card, as immigration authorities have warned that fake lookalike sites are charging travelers for a service that is officially free, and the real site uses the government domain and logo.

Practical notes: a K-ETA, once approved, is generally valid for three years from the date of approval. The application fee, if you need or choose to apply, is KRW 10,000, roughly USD 7 to 8. Because exemptions and requirements shift year to year (the current US exemption is due to expire and K-ETA becomes required again starting January 1, 2027), always confirm your specific country’s current visa, K-ETA, and arrival-card status on the official links below before you book or fly, ideally within a few days of departure.

Getting around

South Korea’s public transport is fast, cheap, and easy for foreigners to navigate. The single best purchase for any visitor is a T-money card, a rechargeable smart card. T-Money is the most popular and widely used transportation card in South Korea, and it can be used on subway, bus, taxi, and convenience stores across almost all of Korea, not just Seoul. You can buy one at convenience stores like CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, or Emart24, or at subway station ticket vending machines, which have English menus.

Fares are inexpensive: a single subway ride in Seoul costs ₩1,550 as of 2026, and buses run about ₩1,500 for a standard city route. Using a card instead of single tickets also saves money, since transportation cards give a ₩100 discount per trip compared to single tickets, and transfer discounts between modes only apply to card users. As a budgeting rule of thumb, for a three-day Seoul trip with moderate subway and bus use, loading ₩30,000 to ₩40,000 is usually enough.

Topping up used to require cash only, but this is changing: since March 17, 2026, Seoul Metro has rolled out 440 new kiosks across 273 stations on Lines 1 to 8 that accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay, and American Express, which sell T-money cards, load them, and issue Climate Card Tourist Passes, meaning no Korean cash is required at these locations. Still, older suburban Seoul kiosks and subway stations in Busan, Daegu, and Incheon Airport platform machines remain cash-only for now, so a safe move is to arrive with about ₩50,000 in cash for your first 24 hours.

If you’re staying mainly in Seoul and riding a lot, consider the Climate Card Tourist Pass: it gives visitors unlimited access to Seoul’s subway and bus system for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. Short-term pricing is 1-day for ₩5,000, 3-day for ₩10,000, or 5-day for ₩15,000.

For intercity travel, KTX high-speed trains and express buses connect major cities quickly; T-money can also be used on some intercity routes, though intercity express buses between Seoul and cities like Gangneung or Jeonju also accept T-money, with fares significantly higher, around ₩15,000 to ₩25,000 depending on distance. Taxis are affordable and widely available via the Kakao T app; most drivers do not speak English, so having your destination written in Korean or shown on a map app helps.

Money & costs

South Korea’s currency is the won (KRW). Cash is still useful, but the country is increasingly card- and app-friendly, and T-money doubles as a convenience-store payment card in addition to transit. When loading a physical T-money card with a foreign card rather than cash, note that loading money onto it at convenience stores requires Korean cash, though to top up with a foreign card you can use the new 2026 subway station kiosks or the Mobile T-money app, which charges Mastercard, Amex, or UnionPay a fee of roughly 3.7%.

If you prefer contactless, Apple Pay users have a new option: since April 9, 2026, Mastercard holders with an iPhone or Apple Watch can register their card in Apple Pay’s Wallet and tap directly on Seoul Metro gates, with no physical T-money card needed, though Visa support is expected to follow but was not confirmed at time of writing.

Budget travelers can save by avoiding peak seasons and single-ride tickets, and by using convenience stores, street food, and public transport rather than taxis for most trips. Keep some cash on hand for smaller markets, rural areas, and older ticket machines that don’t yet accept foreign cards, as noted above.

Best time to visit

South Korea has four distinct seasons, and the shoulder seasons are consistently rated the most comfortable for travel. The best time to go to South Korea is spring, March to May, or autumn, September to November, since both of these seasons offer fantastic weather and natural beauty.

Spring brings the country’s famous cherry blossoms; the best time for cherry blossoms is typically late March to early April, earlier in Jeju and Busan, later in Seoul and the northern regions. Spring is also peak tourist season, so book flights and hotels early.

Summer (June to August) is hot, humid, and includes a monsoon period. Korean summers are hot and very humid, with a rainy monsoon season called jangma from late June to mid or late July, followed by the hottest, beach-friendly weeks of August. Typhoons are also a factor: typhoon season is mainly August to September, though storms are usually short-lived, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the forecast and building flexibility into coastal plans during those months.

Autumn is widely considered the best all-around season. Autumn, September to November, is cool, dry, and widely considered the most pleasant season, with clear skies and vibrant fall foliage. Peak foliage generally runs mid-October to early November, a bit later in Jeju.

Winter (December to February) is cold and dry, good for skiing in Gangwon-do, but less ideal for sightseeing outdoors. Whatever season you choose, try to avoid major national holidays like Chuseok and Lunar New Year unless planned well in advance, since intercity trains and buses sell out weeks in advance and many smaller restaurants and attractions close entirely during those windows.

Emergencies & safety

South Korea is a very safe destination with an efficient, English-accessible emergency system. The key numbers to save on your phone are:

• 112 – Police. Call 112 for immediate police response; English-speaking operators are available.
• 119 – Fire and ambulance. Dial 119 for fire and ambulance. Ambulance service is free of charge.
• 1330 – Korea Travel Hotline, run by the tourism board, for non-emergencies and interpretation help. For non-life threatening emergencies such as transportation inquiries or interpretation services, call the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline, operated by the Korea Tourism Organization, a one-stop helpline available as a public service for both local and international travelers. It can also bridge language gaps with 112 or 119: if you need an ambulance but the local 119 operator doesn’t speak English, you can call 1330, who will contact a nearby hospital and set up a conference call, since 1330 also acts as a tourist hotline.
• 1339 – Medical and disease-control information. For medical emergencies, you can call 1339, who will help connect you with the nearest hospital.
• 1345 – General immigration inquiries.

If you lose your passport or need consular help, contact your embassy directly. Report theft or crime to police at 112 as soon as possible, and keep a photo or copy of your passport and visa/K-ETA approval accessible on your phone.

Official sources

• K-ETA official portal (Korea Immigration Service)
• Official e-Arrival Card (Korea Immigration)
• HiKorea – Ministry of Justice immigration and visa portal
• Visit Korea – Korea Tourism Organization (official tourism board)
• Korail – national rail operator
• Seoul Metro / Visit Seoul transport information
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea