The South Korea arrival card is the Ministry of Justice’s online declaration for foreign travelers who are subject to Korea’s immigration reporting requirement. This guide explains who needs to submit one, how to complete each stage for yourself or a companion, what address and travel purpose to enter, and how it differs from K-ETA.
Official Korea e-Arrival Card website: https://www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. The official service is free, and the government portal warns that a website requesting payment information is not the official service.
The e-Arrival Card does not replace a visa, K-ETA, or customs declaration. It is also not required from every foreign visitor, so use the official Navigator with the documents that will be valid on your entry date.
1. Who Needs a South Korea Arrival Card?
An arrival card records information used for immigration inspection, including passport details, arrival and departure information, purpose of entry, and the place where the traveler will stay in Korea. It is an arrival declaration, not an application for a visa or permission to travel.
The Ministry of Justice’s current declaration guide identifies Korean visa holders, K-ETA-exempt individuals, certain active service members covered by the U.S.–ROK Status of Forces Agreement, UN passport holders, APEC Business Travel Card holders, and specified seafarers as groups subject to the declaration.
The same official guide excludes Korean citizens, holders of valid Korean Residence Cards, and travelers entering with a valid K-ETA, among other case-specific categories. A traveler who holds K-ETA but enters using a Korean visa must still complete the arrival declaration. The applicable result depends on the documents and status valid when the traveler enters Korea.
Do not decide from nationality alone. Open the official e-Arrival Card portal, use its Navigator, and select every document that will be valid on your entry date. For an unusual visa, residence, military, crew, or transit situation, confirm the requirement through the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 or +82-2-1345 from overseas.
Electronic and paper arrival cards
The official guide states that an electronic arrival card has the same validity as a paper arrival card. A traveler who successfully submits the electronic version does not need to complete another paper card for the same entry.
The official FAQ also states that a traveler who arrives without an electronic submission may complete either the e-Arrival Card or a paper arrival card before immigration inspection. Korea’s current official guidance therefore does not support saying that paper arrival cards have been abolished for every traveler.
2. e-Arrival Card, K-ETA, Visa, and Customs
Several Korean entry documents use similar travel information but serve different legal and administrative purposes. Completing one does not automatically complete the others.
- e-Arrival Card: An arrival declaration used for immigration inspection by travelers who are subject to the declaration. It is free and submitted through www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr.
- K-ETA: A pre-travel electronic authorization for eligible visa-free travelers. A valid K-ETA holder is listed among those excluded from the arrival declaration. See TripKorea’s K-ETA Application Guide 2026.
- Korean visa: A document connected to an approved visa status and travel purpose. Holding a visa does not by itself complete the arrival declaration.
- Customs declaration: A separate declaration concerning goods, currency, and other items regulated by the Korea Customs Service.
A traveler should first determine the correct visa or visa-free route, then check whether K-ETA applies, and finally use the e-Arrival Card Navigator to check the arrival-declaration requirement. Approval of a visa or travel authorization does not remove immigration inspection on arrival.
3. How to Complete the Korea e-Arrival Card
Step 1: Open the official website
Enter www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr directly in your browser. The portal identifies itself as an official Korean e-government website and does not charge a submission fee.
There is no official e-Arrival Card mobile app. The Ministry of Justice provides the service through desktop and mobile web, so an app-store result with a similar name should not be treated as the government service. The current submission workflow also includes a verification-code step for user authentication.
Step 2: Choose Individual or Group submission
The official homepage provides an Individual route for one to nine people and a Group e-Arrival Card route for two to 1,000 people. A traveler completing the form for themselves and one companion can use the Individual route because it supports up to nine people.
Adding a companion does not turn two travelers into one shared identity record. Enter the passport and itinerary information accurately for each person included in the submission. The official workflow requires companions added under one representative to share that representative’s arrival date and flight number or ship name.
For larger parties or travel-agency processing, the group route is designed for bulk submission. The official guide states that a desktop computer can handle up to 1,000 people at once, while mobile web supports up to nine. Group members must also share the same arrival date and flight number or ship name.
Step 3: Prepare the required information
The official guide lists a valid passport and valid email address as preparation items. It also asks for the date of entry, entry flight number, place-of-stay information, date of departure, and an optional departure flight number.
Use the same passport that will be presented for travel. Copy names, passport numbers, dates, and flight details carefully rather than relying on memory. Keep the booking confirmation for the first place you will actually stay so that its name and address are available.
Step 4: Select the correct tourism purpose
The current form separates the purpose choices Tourism (individual) and Tourism (group). These purpose labels are different from the Individual and Group submission routes described above. Submitting two travelers together does not by itself turn an independent trip into group tourism.
If you and one companion are traveling as independent tourists, Tourism (individual) generally describes the purpose more accurately. Choose Tourism (group) only when the actual trip is organized as group tourism. Do not choose either tourism option when the real purpose is business, employment, study, medical care, visiting family or friends, or another listed activity; use the category that matches the traveler’s documents and trip. If the correct category remains unclear, contact 1345 instead of guessing.
Step 5: Enter arrival, departure, and stay details
Enter the expected arrival date and inbound flight number shown on the confirmed itinerary. The submission window is calculated using Korea Standard Time, so rely on the eligible dates displayed by the official portal instead of calculating only from your home time zone.
For the place of stay, enter the actual hotel, residence, or other accommodation where you will stay. If you have several stays, the official FAQ says to enter the representative place of stay; if there is no representative location, enter the first place where you will stay after entry. Use the address from the booking confirmation or accommodation’s official information, not an unrelated attraction or landmark.
The official FAQ provides airport-address guidance for certain same-day transit passengers who must pass immigration, but ordinary visitors staying in Korea should not copy that exception.
Step 6: Review and submit
The government portal describes five main stages: agree to the terms, enter passport information, enter itinerary and stay information, check the completed information, and submit. Review every traveler’s record before the final submission.
False information may lead to penalties or entry restrictions under Korean law. The official warning also applies when inaccurate information is submitted on behalf of another traveler.
Step 7: Keep the issue number
After submission, the issue number is sent to the email address used for the declaration. A printed e-Arrival Card is not normally required for immigration inspection when the information is accurate, but keep the issue number and email accessible because an inspector may request supporting documentation if information is inaccurate.
4. Timing, Editing, PDF Searches, and Warnings
Submit within three days before arrival
The official service opens three days before arrival based on Korea Standard Time. The homepage displays the dates currently available for submission.
The official FAQ permits submission after arrival if it is completed before immigration inspection. Submitting in advance can reduce the amount of information that must be entered at the inspection area, but it does not guarantee faster processing or admission.
Understand the 72-hour validity rule
The official guide states that an e-Arrival Card loses validity 72 hours after submission. Its validity also ends after the traveler completes immigration inspection in Korea.
A later entry requires a new declaration when the traveler is subject to the requirement. Do not reuse an issue number from an earlier trip.
Edit changed details before immigration inspection
The portal’s Check/Edit function uses the issue number or email verification. Before immigration inspection, the purpose of entry, place-of-stay information, occupation, and departure details can be changed. The arrival date may be corrected only within three days of the initial submission date.
If a flight or accommodation changes, review the submitted record directly. An airline, hotel, or booking-platform update does not automatically update the arrival declaration.
There is no required Korea arrival card PDF
Travelers searching for a “Korea arrival card PDF” may save or print the completed submission, but a PDF printout is not normally required after a successful online declaration. Keep the emailed issue number available in case you need to check or edit the record.
Use the official website rather than downloading an unofficial form from a third-party site. Travelers who use a paper arrival card should follow the current instructions provided at the port of entry.
🚨 Fraud Warning: The official e-Arrival Card service is free. Do not enter passport or payment information on a site that charges for the government declaration or imitates the official domain.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Korea e-Arrival Card mandatory in 2026?
Travelers who are subject to Korea’s arrival-declaration requirement must complete a declaration before immigration inspection. The e-Arrival Card is not required from every foreign visitor because the official guide lists several excluded groups, including valid K-ETA and Korean residence-card holders. Use the official Navigator for your documents and status.
Should I choose Individual if I am traveling with one other person?
Yes, the official portal’s Individual route supports submissions for one to nine people. You can use it for yourself and one companion when you share the same arrival date and flight number or ship name, but each person’s passport and travel information must be entered accurately.
Should two independent tourists select Tourism (individual)?
Generally, yes. The current form separates Tourism (individual) from Tourism (group), and filing for yourself plus one companion does not by itself make the trip group tourism. Choose the purpose that matches the actual trip and entry documents; contact 1345 if the category remains unclear.
What address should I enter on the South Korea entry card?
Enter the actual hotel, residence, or other place where you will stay in Korea. For several stays, use the representative place of stay or, if there is no representative location, the first place where you will stay after entry.
Can I still fill out a paper arrival card in South Korea?
Yes. The current official FAQ states that a traveler who did not submit electronically before arrival may complete either the e-Arrival Card or a paper arrival card before immigration inspection. A traveler who has already submitted electronically does not need to complete a second paper card for the same entry.
Do I need to download or print a Korea arrival card PDF?
No PDF printout is normally required after a successful online submission, although the completed submission can be saved or printed. Keep the emailed issue number available in case you need to check or edit the declaration.
Is the e-Arrival Card the same as K-ETA?
No. K-ETA is a pre-travel authorization for eligible visa-free travelers, while the e-Arrival Card is an arrival declaration for immigration inspection. A traveler entering with a valid K-ETA is generally excluded, but someone who holds K-ETA and enters using a Korean visa must complete the arrival declaration.
What is the official Korea e-Arrival Card website?
The official address is https://www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. The service is free, works through desktop and mobile browsers, and does not have an official mobile app.
Related Korea Entry Guide
Travelers who may need authorization before departure can review TripKorea’s K-ETA Application Guide 2026. Check K-ETA eligibility separately before using the e-Arrival Card Navigator.
Sources & References
Official Government Sources:
- Official Korea e-Arrival Card Portal
- Ministry of Justice e-Arrival Card Guide
- Individuals Subject to Declaration Guide
- Official e-Arrival Card FAQs
- User Authentication Procedure Notice
- Hi Korea
- Official K-ETA Portal
Official immigration help: 1345 in Korea or +82-2-1345 from overseas.
Last verified: September 29, 2026.
Image Credits: Incheon Airport Terminal 2 arrival hall: AirportTerminalGuy / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Incheon Airport Terminal 1 arrival hall: Arne Müseler / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE). Laptop: Kaitlyn Baker / Unsplash. Writing: Khoiru Abdan / Unsplash. Travelers with luggage: Alberto Biondi / Unsplash. Smartphone: NordWood Themes / Unsplash. In-flight phone: Imansyah Muhamad Putera / Unsplash. Email icon: CHUTTERSNAP / Unsplash.
Immigration procedures can change. Verify your current requirement and form instructions through the official Korean government portal before travel.
