The Korea e-Arrival Card is the Ministry of Justice’s online version of the arrival declaration that eligible foreign travelers submit for immigration inspection. This Korea e-Arrival Card guide explains who should check the requirement, when to submit, what information to prepare, how to edit a declaration, and how to avoid unofficial payment sites.
The electronic form does not replace a visa or K-ETA, and it is separate from a customs declaration. Entry rules can change, so travelers should confirm their own status through the official portal before departure.
1. The Problem: Several Korea Entry Documents Look Similar
An arrival card records information used during immigration inspection, including passport details, travel dates, flight information, the purpose of entry, and the place of stay. The electronic service replaces the paper arrival card for travelers who choose to submit online.
It is not an application for permission to travel. A visa and K-ETA concern eligibility or authorization before travel, while the e-Arrival Card is an arrival declaration presented for immigration inspection.
A customs declaration serves another purpose. It concerns goods, currency, and other items that may need to be declared to the Korea Customs Service. Completing one document does not automatically complete the others.
Who is generally subject to the arrival declaration?
The official FAQ states that the electronic declaration applies to the same people who were subject to the existing paper arrival card. Its examples include visa holders, travelers exempt from K-ETA, and sailors.
The same FAQ lists Korean citizens, holders of valid residence cards, group e-Visa holders, and K-ETA holders among those excluded from the declaration. Because the official wording includes “etc.,” this is not a complete list for every traveler or document type.
Use the official e-Arrival Card Navigator and select every document that will be valid when you enter Korea. Do not decide solely from nationality, an expired document, or another traveler’s situation.
💡 Practical Check: If the Navigator does not resolve your situation, use Hi Korea, the Korea Visa Portal, or the nearest Korean embassy or consulate. An airline can confirm its boarding-document process, but official Korean authorities determine immigration requirements.
2. The Solution: Use Only the Official Electronic Arrival Card
The only official service address is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. The Ministry of Justice portal identifies itself as a Korean e-government website and states that the service is free.
The portal currently displays a warning about fake websites. It states that a website requesting payment information is not the official service. No card payment should be required to submit the genuine form.
🚨 Important Warning: Check the full domain before entering passport details. Similar names, advertisements, paid submission offers, and websites that request payment should not be treated as the government portal.
Electronic and paper forms have the same effect
According to the official guide, an electronic arrival card has the same validity as the existing paper arrival card. A traveler who has successfully submitted the electronic version does not need to complete a second paper version for the same entry.
If you arrive without submitting electronically, the official FAQ says you may still complete the electronic form or a paper arrival card before immigration inspection. This does not remove the requirement to hold the correct visa, K-ETA, or other entry documentation for your situation.
There is no official mobile app
The service works through PC and mobile web. The Ministry of Justice FAQ specifically states that there is no mobile app for the e-Arrival Card.
Use the official website in a browser rather than searching an app store for a similarly named product. This distinction also helps prevent confusion with the separate official K-ETA system.
3. Step-by-Step Korea e-Arrival Card Guide
Step 1: Confirm that you should submit
Open the official portal and use its Navigator before starting. The Navigator asks whether you will enter with a visa, K-ETA, residence card, or none of those documents.
Select all documents that will be valid on the date of entry. If your status is uncertain, confirm it through the linked immigration authorities instead of submitting information based on an assumption.
Step 2: Prepare the required information
The official guide lists a valid passport and valid email address as preparation items. It also asks for the expected date of entry, entry flight number, information about the place of stay, and the expected date of departure.
A departure flight number may be entered when available, but the official guide marks that flight-number field as optional. Copy passport information exactly and keep your accommodation address or other stay information accessible before opening the form.
Step 3: Follow the five-part submission sequence
The government portal presents the process in this order: agree to the terms and conditions, enter passport information, enter the travel itinerary and stay information, check the entered information, and submit.
Review passport numbers, names, dates, and flight details before the final submission. The official guide warns that false information may lead to penalties or entry restrictions under Korean law, including when inaccurate information is submitted on another person’s behalf.
Step 4: Choose individual or group submission
The official homepage provides an individual route for one to nine people and a group or travel-agency route for two to 1,000 people. Its detailed guide states that a PC can handle up to 1,000 people at once, while mobile web is limited to nine people at once.
For a large group, use a PC and the group route. The person submitting on behalf of others remains responsible for entering accurate information for each traveler.
Step 5: Submit within the official time window
Submission opens three days before arrival, calculated using Korea Standard Time. The portal displays the currently eligible calendar dates, which is safer than calculating the window from your home time zone.
The official FAQ also states that submission remains possible after arrival, provided it is completed before immigration inspection. Completing it earlier may reduce the need to enter travel details at the inspection area, but it does not create a right to faster processing or guaranteed entry.
Step 6: Keep the issue number
After submission, the portal sends an issue number to the declarant’s email address. The official guide says that carrying a printed electronic card is not required for entry inspection, although knowing the issue number may be helpful.
The homepage allows a submitted record to be checked or edited with the issue number or email verification. Keep access to the email account used for the declaration until immigration inspection is complete.
4. Pro Tips, Corrections, and Warnings
Understand the 72-hour validity rule
The official guide states that validity ends automatically 72 hours after submission. It also ends once the traveler has completed immigration inspection in Korea.
A new arrival card is required for a later re-entry. Do not reuse the issue number from a previous trip or assume that an old submission remains active.
Edit changed travel details before immigration
Before immigration inspection, the official portal permits changes to the purpose of entry, stay information, and departure date. The arrival date may be corrected only within three days from the initial submission date.
If a flight or accommodation changes, open the Check/Edit section and review the complete record. Do not assume that changing one booking elsewhere automatically updates the arrival declaration.
Use accurate stay information
Prepare the name and address of the place where you will stay. For multiple accommodations, follow the current instructions shown inside the official form rather than inventing an address or entering an unrelated landmark.
The official FAQ gives airport addresses for same-day transit passengers who must pass immigration, such as travelers collecting baggage. That exception should not be copied by ordinary visitors who are staying at a hotel, residence, or another address in Korea.
Check email delivery without creating a second record immediately
If the issue email does not appear, check spam and filtered folders and use the portal’s email-verification option. The official homepage also publishes notices about service maintenance and email-delivery issues.
Check current notices before repeating a submission. A maintenance notice or delayed message does not justify using a paid third-party website.
📞 Official Help in Korea: Immigration questions: 1345 or +82-2-1345 from overseas. Tourist interpretation: 1330. BBB Korea interpretation: 1588-5644. Government inquiries: 110. Police: 112. Fire and medical emergencies: 119.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Korea e-Arrival Card free?
Yes. The official Ministry of Justice portal states that the service is free. A website requesting payment information is not the official e-Arrival Card service.
When can I submit the electronic arrival card?
You can submit it from three days before arrival in Korea, based on Korea Standard Time. The official FAQ also permits submission after arrival as long as it is completed before immigration inspection.
Do K-ETA holders need to submit it?
The official FAQ lists K-ETA holders among those excluded from the declaration. Because individual circumstances and policies can change, confirm your current status through the portal’s Navigator using the documents valid for your entry.
Do I need to print the completed card?
No. The official guide says the electronic card does not have to be carried for entry inspection. Keep the emailed issue number available because it may help when checking or editing the submission.
Can I edit the form after submitting it?
Yes, before immigration inspection. Purpose of entry, stay information, and departure date can be edited through the official website; the arrival date can be corrected only within three days of the initial submission.
Sources & References
Official Government Sources:
Official Korea e-Arrival Card Portal — guide, Navigator, submission, check/edit, notices, and FAQ
Hi Korea — immigration and stay information
Korea Visa Portal — visa information
K-ETA Application Portal — separate electronic travel authorization
Last verified: September 9, 2026.
Image Credits: Passport and laptop: Oxana Melis / Unsplash. Passport and boarding pass: Nicole Geri / Unsplash. Smartphone at an aircraft window: Jonathan Kemper / Unsplash. Process graphics: TripKorea, based on the official Korea e-Arrival Card portal.
Immigration policies and entry procedures are subject to change. Always verify the Korea e-Arrival Card requirement and current instructions through official government sources before travel.
