Korea Trip From Australia: K-ETA and e-Arrival Card (Checked Oct. 29, 2026)

K-ETA waiver runs to year-end; the app shows if you are covered

Korea's Ministry of Justice extended the temporary K-ETA waiver from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026 (KST) for countries and regions currently exempt. When you scan your passport photo page in the K-ETA application, a pop-up tells you if you are exempt.

Australia appears on the K-ETA site's eligible list, with an allowed stay of 90 days.

If you apply anyway: KRW 10,000 and no arrival card

Exempt travellers can still apply for K-ETA and skip the arrival card. The fee is KRW 10,000 (about USD 7 to 8), non-refundable, and review usually takes 72 hours or less.

An approval lasts 3 years, or until your passport expires if that comes sooner. Get it before you board; K-ETA is not a visa and does not guarantee entry, because an immigration officer makes the final call.

Unblock your card's overseas payments first

You can pay by VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, DISCOVER, UnionPay or Alipay+. An online processing fee of about 3% is added, and payment can fail if your card's overseas option is blocked.

e-Arrival Card: open 3 days before you land

Without a K-ETA, you can submit the e-Arrival Card within 3 days before arrival. The official site says no fee is required. Look-alike paid agent sites show up in search results, so check that the address is e-arrivalcard.go.kr.

Korean sockets: 220 V, two round pins

Korea runs on 220 V with Type C and F sockets, two round pins. Check the input voltage and plug shape on your charger label first, and bring an adapter if the shape differs. Devices that don't support 220 V need a step-down transformer.