Korea Tourist Visa: Types, Documents, Fees and Jeju Visa-Free (2026)

Visa-free stays also differ. The K-ETA site lists 90 days for the US, Japan and Thailand, 6 months for Canada, 60 days at a time (up to 90 days in 180) for Russia, and 30 days for countries such as Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Oman and Brunei. Check yours in the entry checker or the Visa Navigator on the Korea Visa Portal.

Short-term visits use the C-3 visa family. The ones tourists usually meet:

• C-3-9 (ordinary tourist). The standard tourist visa. The Korean mission in Canada describes it as a single-entry visa valid for 3 months, allowing a stay of up to 90 days from entry. Some missions issue shorter stays. For example, the Korean Embassy in Vietnam lists 30 days for a single-entry C-3-9.
• Multiple-entry C-3 visas. Offered to some nationalities who meet conditions such as past visits or income. A 2024 notice for 11 Asian countries describes validity of 1 to 5 years with stays of up to 30 days per visit. Conditions vary by embassy.
• C-3-2 (group tourist). For organized tour groups handled by designated travel agencies. Your agency applies, not you.

The stay length and number of entries are printed on the visa. That is the rule that counts.

• Korean embassy or consulate that covers where you live.
• Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC). Korea uses KVACs in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, Germany, France (Paris), the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Philippines, India, Nigeria and Libya, according to the Visa Portal. In those countries, check whether your visa type goes to the KVAC or to the embassy.
• Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr). Run by the Ministry of Justice. You use it to fill in the application form and to check application status. Individual e-visas cover only certain categories and repeat visitors. Ordinary tourists usually apply in person or through an agency.

The Korean mission in Canada lists this set for a C-3-9 tourist visa. Your embassy's list may be shorter or longer:

• application form completed on the Visa Portal and printed
• passport valid for at least 6 months, plus a copy of the photo page
• one passport photo, 3.5 × 4.5 cm
• proof of employment or study, issued within the last 3 months
• day-by-day itinerary, hotel booking and flight itinerary
• bank statements for the last 3 months
• the visa fee

Jeju Island has its own rule. According to HiKorea, citizens of all countries except 23 can stay up to 30 days without a visa if they:

• arrive in Jeju by a direct international flight or ferry, and
• stay on Jeju only. You cannot travel on to the mainland under this rule.

The 23 excluded nationalities are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cuba, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

Citizens of K-ETA countries flying directly to 제주국제공항Jeju Gukje GonghangJeju International Airport have needed K-ETA since 1 September 2022, unless they are exempt. Officers can still refuse entry. Read our Jeju guide for the island itself.

HiKorea lists a 30-day visa-free transit stay for some visa-required travelers. It applies to travelers who hold a valid visa for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or one of 32 European countries and are flying on to a third country. Conditions include a confirmed onward ticket. Citizens of the 23 countries excluded from Jeju visa-free entry cannot use it. Check the HiKorea page before relying on it.

• Using a checklist from another country. Each mission sets its own document list.
• Booking non-refundable travel first. Wait for the visa, or book flexible fares.
• Going to the mainland on a Jeju visa-free entry. This is not allowed. Leaving Jeju for the mainland needs a regular visa.
• Confusing visa and K-ETA. K-ETA is only for visa-free nationalities. It cannot replace a visa.
• Miscounting your stay. Your permitted stay is on the visa or your entry record. Leave by that date.