South Korea Passport Visa-Free Countries
Visa-free travel with a South Korean passport
South Korean passport allows access to 152 visa-free countries. According to the Henley Passport Index, this result ranks South Korea the 2nd in the world in terms of mobility scores.
A South Korea passport opens its holders' new travel possibilities without long and stressful visa application procedures, stay duration limits, and stressful border controls.
Read the article to learn which countries offer visa-free entry to visitors who possess a South Korea passport and how to prepare for a journey to non-visa-free countries.
Check the list of destinations where an electronic visa is available and discover what advantages of traveling with visa-free entry.
Visa-free travel is an easy way for South Korean citizens to explore new destinations
Exploring new places is a great opportunity that every traveler experiences when he crosses the border of a foreign destination.
The visa entry requirement makes traveling more difficult and time-consuming. Visits to embassies, gathering necessary documents, paying a fee, and waiting for approval elongate travel preparation. Thus every person should check if he is eligible for visa-free entry to other countries.
If you are lucky and do not need to apply for a visa, you can buy a ticket and book a room without waiting for a travel permit. Such spontaneous trips ease to meet new people and explore their homelands. Staying abroad is allowed as long as our passport is valid.
How to obtain a South Korean passport
To get a South Korea passport, you must be a citizen of the country. The South Korean government offers a few ways of obtaining citizenship:
- through general naturalization (after five years of living in South Korea
- through family (your parents or you are born in South Korea, marriage)
- through investment (approximately 79,000 USD of investment into your business in South Korea)
If you are already a citizen of South Korea, you may start your passport application procedure. The process includes a few steps:
- make an appointment at an embassy
- gather necessary documents and take them to the meeting
- cover a fee
- wait for the passport release
The passport approval usually takes a few weeks (approximately 3-4 weeks).
Reasons for South Koreans to choose visa-free countries
Visa exemption makes traveling more convenient. You do not have to spend time on visits to embassies. You save money on visa fees and are not limited by a specified number of entries or a maximum stay duration. Just check if your country of origin is eligible for visa-free traveling and what destinations you can choose.
If you have a valid passport and intend to visit a country with visa-free entry, you need nothing but a room and a flight booked. You may adjust the travel to your needs. Enjoy this flexibility. Stay as long as you wish and return to your favorite places as often as you want.
152 visa-free countries where South Korean passport holders don't need a visa
South Korean passport visa-free countries
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Brest and Grodno
- Crimea
- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
- Guernsey
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Kosovo
- South Ossetia
- Transnistria
- Mayotte
- Réunion
- Hainan
- Hong Kong
- Kish Island
- Macao
- Sabah and Sarawak
- Palestine
- Anguilla
- Aruba
- Bermuda
- Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba
- British Virgin Islands
- Curaçao
- French Guiana
- French West Indies
- Greenland
- Margarita Island
- Montserrat
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Sint Maarten
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Cook Islands
- French Polynesia
- Guam
- New Caledonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Pitcairn Islands
- Wallis and Futuna
- Falkland Islands
There are also countries that South Korean passport holders can visit with a visa on arrival and an electronic visa.
Visa on arrival countries
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Myanmar
- Kuwait
- Palau
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Seychelles
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Cape Verde
- Comoros
- Iran
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Sierra Leone
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Solomon Islands
- Niue
Electronic visa countries
- Australia
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- South Sudan
- Angola
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Djibouti
- Guinea
- Kenya
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Myanmar
- Ascension Island
- American Samoa
- Oman
- Tajikistan
FAQ
How to know if you have visa-free access to your travel destination?
To check if your destination offers visa-free access, you can go to an embassy or look for information on the internet. Visa requirements have constantly been changing, so the embassy's website is the most reliable source of information. It is crucial to make sure that the information we found was valid.
What if your destination is not a visa-free country?
Get prepared for dealing with formalities. You will have to go through a visa application process, like filling in a form, providing necessary documents, and covering a fee.
Be also ready for border control when the valid visa and the passport are verified. Remember that the online visa must be printed out. The border officer will not accept the electronic version.
Information for traveling to non-visa-free countries
Before visiting a foreign non-visa-free destination, ensure your passport is valid and will not expire in less than 6 months after your arrival.
When you obtain a visa, print it and keep it for your entire stay abroad. Both the visa and the passport will be controlled at the border. The information in the application form must be correct to avoid rejection or delays in visa approval.
Is it necessary to research the different visa requirements of each country?
It is very important to look for visa requirements before visiting a foreign destination. You can avoid time-consuming application procedures and save money on visa fees.
On the other hand, if a chosen country requires a visa, you must then apply for a travel permit earlier to get the document before your trip. There is no possibility to cross a border without a valid visa and a passport.
