From this year 2021, South Korea is expected to develop the ETA system for visa-exempt travelers to cross its borders.
Usually (outside the COVID period), travelers from 112 countries, including those in the European Union for example, can travel to South Korea for up to 90 days without a visa.
At the start of 2020, government officials passed a new law allowing the entry into force of the ETA system in order to control the arrival of foreign travelers and prevent illegal stays. The term ETA stands for “Electronic Travel Authorization”, this authorization will exempt travelers from visa-exempt countries from presenting an arrival card, upon arrival in South Korea, this request will be made online before departure for the morning calm country.
This system will resemble the one already used by various countries such as the USA, Canada or Australia. This authorization request will include various basic information such as your name, first name, date of birth, … Information on your passport, number, expiration date … Professional information, information on your stay and other medical information , criminals …
This authorization request will not be free, the amount should be 10,000 won (around 8 euros), remember that ESTA (USA – 13 euros) or AVE (CANADA – 6 euros). As for these other authorizations, it will be valid for two years. For the moment the number of entries into the country, during these two years, has not been limited. Finally, this request must be made at least 24 hours before boarding (still to be confirmed)
Press release from the Ministry of Justice
The new ETA request is expected to officially enter into force in September 2021.
From this date the countries that will need this authorization (still without a visa) will be:
- AFRICA (8):
South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Morocco, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tunisia.
- AMERICA (32):
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, United States, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Salvador, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.
- ASIA (8):
Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
- EUROPE (43):
Albania, Germany, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, United Kingdom, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Vatican.
- MIDDLE EAST (7):
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
- OCEANIA (14):
Australia, Fiji, Guam, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu.
DEMANDE DE K-ETA
Please note, we invite travelers wishing to go to South Korea to check with the embassies of their respective countries, because currently the travel measures in South Korea depend on your country of origin, on obtaining visas or others because of the spread of Covid19.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: Action-visa / Ministère de la justice Sud coréen / Tourmag
