Official pages checked on Oct. 25, 2026: visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups is extended to Dec. 31, 2026, and the e-Arrival Card is free and opens 3 days before you land. Rules change, so re-check the official sites before you fly.
Group visa-free entry runs to Dec. 31
In a June 23 notice, the Korean Consulate General in Qingdao said the visa-free entry permit system for Chinese group tourists is extended from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2026.
The notice page does not spell out group size, travel agency or length of stay; it says those are in an attached PDF. Ask your travel agency or the consulate for the exact conditions.
Mainland China is not on the K-ETA list
On the K-ETA site's list of eligible countries, China appears only as Hong Kong and Macao, 90 days each. Mainland passports are not on it, so the first decision is whether you enter on a visa or under the group visa-free scheme.
e-Arrival Card: free, 3 days ahead, with a group form
The official Korea e-Arrival Card site says there is no fee and you can submit within 3 days before arrival. The individual form covers 1 to 9 people; the group or travel-agency form covers 2 to 1,000.
The site is available in simplified Chinese. Check that the address is e-arrivalcard.go.kr, and skip look-alike paid agent sites. The on-site navigator tells you whether you need to file at all.
