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Passport · data reviewed 2026-10

Visa-Free Countries for South Korea Passport Holders (2026)

South Korea passport holders can visit 199 of 245 destinations without arranging a visa in advance: 146 visa-free, 19 with an electronic travel authorization and 34 with a visa on arrival. 25 more offer an e-visa you apply for online. 15 require a visa before travel. That puts the South Korea passport at #4 of 208 in our ranking.

  • Visa-free 146
  • ETA 19
  • On arrival 34
  • E-visa 25
  • Visa 15
  • Special 6

Visa-free access

199

Visa-free, ETA or on arrival

Passport rank

#4 of 208

E-visa online

25

Visa required

15

Visa-free for South Korea passport holders

146 destinations. No visa or online approval needed. Show your passport at immigration.

Albania90 daysAndorra90 daysAngola30 daysAnguilla90 daysAntigua and Barbuda180 daysArgentina90 daysArmenia180 daysAruba90 daysAustria90 daysBahamas90 daysBarbados90 daysBelarus30 daysBelgium90 daysBelize30 daysBermuda180 daysBonaire90 daysBosnia and Herzegovina90 daysBotswana90 daysBrazil90 daysBritish Virgin Islands30 daysBrunei30 daysBulgaria90 daysChile90 daysChina30 daysColombia90 daysCook Islands31 daysCosta Rica180 daysCroatia90 daysCuraçao90 daysCyprus90 daysCzechia90 daysDenmark90 daysDominica180 daysDominican Republic30 daysEcuador90 daysEl Salvador180 daysEstonia90 daysEswatini30 daysFalkland Islands30 daysFaroe Islands90 daysFiji120 daysFinland90 daysFrance90 daysFrench Guiana90 daysFrench Polynesia90 daysGambia90 daysGeorgia360 daysGermany90 daysGibraltar180 daysGreece90 daysGreenland90 daysGrenada90 daysGuadeloupe90 daysGuatemala90 daysGuyana30 daysHaiti90 daysHonduras90 daysHong Kong90 daysHungary90 daysIceland90 daysIreland90 daysItaly90 daysJamaica90 daysJapan90 daysKazakhstan30 daysKiribati90 daysKosovo90 daysKyrgyzstan60 daysLaos30 daysLatvia90 daysLesotho60 daysLiechtenstein90 daysLithuania90 daysLuxembourg90 daysMacau90 daysMalta90 daysMartinique90 daysMauritius180 daysMayotte90 daysMexico180 daysMicronesia30 daysMoldova90 daysMonaco90 daysMongolia90 daysMontenegro90 daysMontserrat180 daysMorocco90 daysMozambique30 daysNetherlands90 daysNew Caledonia90 daysNicaragua90 daysNiue30 daysNorth Macedonia90 daysNorthern Cyprus90 daysNorway90 daysOman14 daysPalestinePanama90 daysParaguay30 daysPeru90 daysPhilippines30 daysPitcairn Islands14 daysPoland90 daysPortugal90 daysRéunion90 daysRomania90 daysRussia60 daysSaba90 daysSaint Barthélemy90 daysSaint Helena90 daysSaint Lucia42 daysSaint Martin90 daysSaint Pierre and Miquelon90 daysSaint Vincent and the Grenadines90 daysSamoa60 daysSan Marino30 daysSao Tome and Principe15 daysSenegal90 daysSerbia90 daysSingapore90 daysSint Eustatius90 daysSint Maarten90 daysSlovakia90 daysSlovenia90 daysSouth Africa30 daysSpain90 daysSuriname90 daysSvalbardFree movementSweden90 daysSwitzerland90 daysTaiwan90 daysTajikistan30 daysTransnistria45 daysTrinidad and Tobago90 daysTunisia90 daysTurkey90 daysTurks and Caicos Islands90 daysUkraine90 daysUnited Arab Emirates90 daysUruguay30 daysUzbekistan30 daysVatican City90 daysVenezuela90 daysVietnam45 daysWallis and Futuna90 daysZambia90 days

Online travel authorization (ETA) needed for South Korea passport holders

19 destinations. No visa, but you need an online approval before you board.

Visa on arrival for South Korea passport holders

34 destinations. Get the visa at the airport or border, usually for a fee.

E-visa for South Korea passport holders

25 destinations. Apply online and get approved before you travel.

Visa required for South Korea passport holders

15 destinations. Apply for a visa at an embassy, consulate or official visa center before you go.

Special permits and unconfirmed entry

6 destinations. A special permit is needed, or entry on this passport isn't confirmed. Contact the destination's embassy.

Home: Jeju Island, South Korea. South Korea passport holders don't need anything beyond their passport or ID to enter Jeju Island.

South Korea passport: common questions

How many countries can South Korea passport holders visit without a visa?

199 destinations: 146 visa-free, 19 with an online travel authorization (ETA) and 34 with a visa on arrival. Another 25 let you apply for an e-visa online.

Do South Korea passport holders need a visa for the United States?

No visa, but South Korea passport holders need an electronic travel authorization (ESTA, US$40.62 (from 2026-10-16; US$10.62 if denied)) before they travel to the United States, for stays of up to 90 days.

Do South Korea passport holders need a visa for the United Kingdom?

No visa, but South Korea passport holders need an electronic travel authorization (UK ETA, GBP 20 (from 2026-04-08)) before they travel to the United Kingdom, for stays of up to 180 days.

Do South Korea passport holders need a visa for France?

No. South Korea passport holders can visit France visa-free for up to 90 days.

Do South Korea passport holders need a visa for Italy?

No. South Korea passport holders can visit Italy visa-free for up to 90 days.

Do South Korea passport holders need a visa for Spain?

No. South Korea passport holders can visit Spain visa-free for up to 90 days.

Which countries need an ETA for South Korea passport holders?

American Samoa, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Guam, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands and Pakistan and 7 more. An ETA is an online approval, not a visa, but airlines check it before you board.

Which countries require a visa for South Korea passport holders?

15 destinations, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Republic of the Congo and Somaliland. Apply at the destination's embassy, consulate or official visa portal well before you travel.

Compare with nearby passports

Ranked by destinations you can enter visa-free, with an ETA or on arrival.

See the full passport ranking

Tourist visits only. Requirements come from a dataset compiled in October 2025, with changes since then checked against official government sources on 2026-10-31. Rules change, so confirm with the destination's official site before you book and again before you fly.