South Korea Exempts Citizens of 22 Countries From K-ETA Requirement, Sets Deadline

• South Korea announced a temporary exemption from its K-ETA requirement for travellers from 22 countries throughout 2026
• The exempted countries span Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania, covering some of the world's most travelled nationalities
• The K-ETA is an electronic travel authorisation that eligible nationals normally need before entering South Korea without a visa

South Korea has announced a temporary exemption from its Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) requirement for citizens of 22 countries, covering the full calendar year from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026.

The K-ETA is an online pre-travel authorisation that nationals of visa-exempt countries are ordinarily required to obtain before entering South Korea. For the duration of this year, however, travellers from the listed nations can enter the country without going through that process.

South Korea: 22 K-ETA-exempt countries in 2026

According to the official notice published on the South Korean government website, the following countries and regions are currently covered by the exemption:

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1. Hong Kong
2. Japan
3. Macao
4. Singapore
5. Taiwan
6. Canada
7. United States
8. Austria
9. Belgium
10. Denmark
11. Finland
12. France
13. Germany
14. Italy
15. Netherlands
16. Norway
17. Poland
18. Spain
19. Sweden
20. United Kingdom
21. Australia
22. New Zealand

What the South Korea exemption means for travellers

The exemption covers a broad spread of nationalities across Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe. Citizens from these countries who previously had to complete the K-ETA application before booking their travel to South Korea no longer need to do so for trips taken within 2026.

The government notice stated:

"Travelers from the 22 countries/regions listed below are currently exempt from the K-ETA requirement during the period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026."

It is worth noting that the exemption is temporary and tied specifically to the 2026 calendar year. Travellers planning visits that extend beyond or fall outside this window should verify the latest entry requirements before making travel arrangements.

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Canada lists 17 countries eligible for eTA

Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that Canada listed 17 countries whose citizens may be eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) instead of a traditional visa for air travel.

The list includes two African countries, Morocco and Seychelles, while Indonesia and Malaysia were added to the programme.

Source: Legit.ng