K-ETA is Korea’s electronic travel authorization. It is meant for travelers who are able to enter the Republic of Korea without a visa, so it sits alongside visa-free entry rather than replacing a visa.
Apply before you travel and allow time for the result. The official guidance puts assessment at generally within 72 hours, which makes an airport-day application a poor plan.
Apply in exactly one of two places
Applications are accepted only at www.k-eta.go.kr or through the official K-ETA mobile app.
That specificity is deliberate. The service warns about lookalike agency and phishing sites that charge high fees while claiming to submit applications on your behalf. The official fee is approximately 7 to 8 US dollars, so a much larger charge is a signal you are in the wrong place.
There is no phone line
The K-ETA Center states that it does not, in principle, provide telephone or face to face consultations. Questions go through the “Ask Us” enquiry form on the site.
Worth knowing before you go looking for a number on the morning of a flight.
Check the current entry notice
At the time this guide was checked, the official portal was carrying a special entry procedure notice requiring all foreigners wishing to enter to report their entry beforehand. Notices like this change, so read the site’s own announcements alongside this page rather than treating the date above as a guarantee.