K-ETA One-Time Exemption
The Ministry of Justice announced plans to improve the current visa system as a support measure to revitalize the domestic economy.
On the 29th, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon presented these measures after attending the 15th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting chaired by President Yoon Seok-yeol at the Yongsan Presidential Office.
The Ministry of Justice decided to implement measures to attract many foreign tourists in line with the government's policy to revive the domestic economy, which has been affected by external economic conditions.
In particular, the visa system will be improved. The accessibility of the electronic travel authorization (K-ETA) will be expanded, and for 22 countries including the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and Canada?countries with many arrivals but low refusal rates?the K-ETA requirement will be waived until next year. Starting next month, the three types of transit visa-free programs, which were suspended due to the spread of COVID-19, will be reinstated, and related regulations will be revised to increase the influx of transit tourists from Europe, the United States, China, and Southeast Asia.
Accordingly, holders of entry visas from 34 countries, including Europe and the United States, will be able to stay in Korea for up to 30 days without regional restrictions when transiting. Additionally, passengers using Incheon Airport will be allowed to stay in the metropolitan area for up to 3 days. When Chinese group tourists enter Korea through an airport and transfer to Jeju Airport, they can stay for up to 5 days.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Justice will establish an online immigration civil service center, significantly reducing the time required for electronic visa issuance from the current 7 days to one or two days, and will relax the requirements for issuing group electronic visas for countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
To encourage foreigners to stay in Korea, new visas such as the Digital Nomad Visa (Workation Visa) and K-Culture Training Visa will also be introduced. The Digital Nomad Visa allows high-income foreigners employed and working overseas to reside in Korea for 1 to 2 years even without income-generating activities in Korea. The K-Culture Training Visa targets foreign youth interested in Korean culture, providing opportunities to visit Korea and receive training at specialized educational institutions, available as short-term (C-3-K) and training visas (D-4-K).
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