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Requirements and Planning

All necessary procedures for traveling to South Korea, including K-ETA and entry requirements.

Travel Requirements

Information updated on 16 October 2026 about the documents and procedures needed to enter South Korea. Requirements depend on your nationality, the purpose of your trip and the length of your stay.

🇪🇸 Travelling with a Spanish passport?

Updated: 16/10/2026
  • For stays of up to 90 days for tourism or short-term study, you normally do not need a visa.
  • K-ETA: not mandatory for Spanish citizens until 31 December 2026.
  • e-Arrival Card: if you travel without a valid K-ETA and you are subject to an entry declaration, you must complete it free of charge from 3 days before arriving in Korea.
  • To study for more than 90 days you will need a suitable residence status. In Korean language programmes the D-4-1 visa may be used, but not every academy or programme allows you to apply for it.
  • The Korean authorities may introduce additional temporary requirements. Check the official notices before you travel.

Step-by-step for Spanish citizens: If you travel with a Spanish passport before 31 December 2026 and meet the requirements to enter visa-free, you do not need to apply for K-ETA. If you do not hold a valid K-ETA and you are subject to an entry declaration, you will need to submit the e-Arrival Card.

Find out your requirements

Select your profile and we will show you the procedures that apply to your case.

1. What is your nationality?

2. How long will you stay in Korea?

3. What is the purpose of your trip?

Requirements that apply to your profile

  • Not requiredEntry visa: For stays of up to 90 days for tourism, short-term study, visits or certain non-profit activities a visa is normally not required.
  • Not requiredK-ETA: Spanish citizens are temporarily exempt from applying for K-ETA until 31 December 2026. If you wish, you can still apply voluntarily.
  • Requirede-Arrival Card: If you do not hold a valid K-ETA and you are subject to an entry declaration, you must submit it free of charge from 3 days before arrival. Once submitted it is valid for 72 hours.

This summary is for guidance only and is based on the information available on 16 October 2026. The final requirements depend on your personal situation and on the Korean authorities.

K-ETA System

Korean Electronic Travel Authorization

What is K-ETA?

K-ETA is an electronic authorisation that applies to certain travellers who can enter South Korea without a visa. Requirements depend on nationality. Spanish citizens are temporarily exempt from applying for K-ETA until 31 December 2026.

🇪🇸Spanish citizens: For trips of up to 90 days for tourism, short-term study, visits or certain non-profit activities, a visa is normally not required. In addition, K-ETA is temporarily exempt until 31 December 2026.

Applying for K-ETA

  1. 1If your nationality requires K-ETA — or you wish to apply voluntarily even though you are temporarily exempt — you must apply only through the official website or app: k-eta.go.kr
  2. 2Complete the form in English with your personal and travel details
  3. 3Pay the official fee of 10,000 KRW
  4. 4One applicant can include up to 50 people (for example, family members) in a single application and pay for all the K-ETAs
  5. 5Assessment is usually completed in less than 72 hours

Voluntary K-ETA: Even if you are exempt from K-ETA, you may apply voluntarily. One of its advantages is that holders of a valid K-ETA are exempt from submitting the e-Arrival Card. The fee is non-refundable.

Required Documents

  • For Spanish citizens entering visa-free for a stay of up to 90 days, the passport must be valid. To apply for certain visas, such as D-2 or D-4, a minimum validity of 6 months may be required.
  • Flight information (dates and numbers)
  • Accommodation details in Korea
  • Credit card for fee payment

Important: Apply for K-ETA at least 72 hours before your trip if your nationality requires it. An approved K-ETA is valid for up to 3 years or until the expiry date of the passport used in the application, if that comes first. Its validity is independent from the length of stay you are allowed in Korea. Once submitted you cannot edit your passport number, nationality, gender or other personal details; if you made a mistake you must apply again. As a general rule, people aged 17 or under and 65 or over are exempt from applying for K-ETA. This exemption is independent from the temporary exemptions that apply to certain nationalities.

e-Arrival System

Electronic Entry Declaration

What is the e-Arrival Card?

The e-Arrival Card is the electronic entry declaration for South Korea. It is free of charge and, in principle, it must be submitted by foreign nationals subject to an entry declaration who are not included in an exempt category.

System Advantages

  • Lets you complete the entry declaration before you arrive and simplifies the immigration process
  • Reduces waiting time at immigration control
  • Avoids having to fill out paper forms during the flight

How to complete the e-Arrival Card

  1. 1Go directly to the official e-Arrival Card portal from a computer or smartphone: e-arrivalcard.go.kr. You do not need to download Q-Code to submit the e-Arrival Card.
  2. 2Complete the form with your personal and travel details, and submit it
  3. 3After submitting it you will receive a confirmation. You can save or download a copy for your records, but you normally do not need to physically show the confirmation at immigration control.

When to submit it: You can submit the e-Arrival Card from 3 days before your arrival in Korea. Once submitted, it is valid for 72 hours. If you do not enter Korea within that period, you will have to submit a new one.

e-Arrival Card exemptions

Those who do not need to submit an e-Arrival Card include, among others, foreign nationals registered as residents in Korea and holders of a valid K-ETA. If you travel with a visa, check whether your specific situation is exempt; holding a visa does not by itself imply a general exemption.

Visit the official e-Arrival portal

Tip: The official e-Arrival Card is completely free. Use only the official portal of the Korean Government. If a website asks you to pay to submit the e-Arrival Card, it is not the official service.

Studying in Korea for more than 90 days

To study in Korea for more than 90 days you will need a suitable residence status. For Korean language programmes, one of the usual visas is the D-4-1 (Korean Language Training), but its availability depends on the institution, the programme and your personal situation.

D-4-1 documentation

To apply for a D-4-1 you will need documentation issued by an eligible institution, plus other personal, academic and financial documents. The exact requirements depend on your nationality and the programme.

Short-term courses

For short-term courses, entry conditions depend on your nationality. Spanish citizens can undertake certain non-profit study stays of up to 90 days visa-free and are exempt from K-ETA until 31 December 2026.

Working with a D-4-1 visa

D-4-1 holders may apply for authorisation to work part-time once 6 months have passed since their entry or change of status. Prior authorisation is required and the permitted number of hours depends on your Korean level and other academic and immigration conditions.

Permitted types of work

Permitted jobs are subject to the conditions of the authorisation. Some professional activities, language teaching and private tutoring may be subject to additional requirements or restrictions.

⚠️ Temporary notices: The Korean authorities may activate extraordinary entry procedures. If you are travelling soon, check the official notices shortly before departure to see whether any additional requirement applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most common questions about studying and traveling to South Korea.

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