No, Australian citizens generally do not need a visa for short tourist or business trips to South Korea (up to 90 days), and are currently exempt from the K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) until December 31, 2026, though a valid passport with 6 months validity is needed. A visa is required for longer stays, work, study (over 90 days), or other specific purposes.
No, Australian passport holders do not need a visa for short tourist stays in South Korea (up to 90 days), and the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) is not required for them until the end of 2026, though it's optional for faster processing. For stays longer than 90 days or for purposes like work or study, a relevant visa or permit is necessary, and you should always check the latest official requirements before traveling.
All travellers to The Republic of Korea are required to apply for a mandatory Arrival Card within 3 days before arrival. The E-Arrival card can be applied for here free of charge. Please note that: The E-Arrival card is valid for 72 hours upon submission.
Applying for K-ETA after boarding or while already in Korea may result in disadvantages, such as refusal of K-ETA approval or entry restrictions. The K-ETA fee is 10,000 KRW (approximately USD $7~8, Online Payment Fee is Charged Separately) and is non-refundable, even if the application is denied.
Apply for ETA via Australian ETA App
Take a photo of yourself. Answer some questions, including whether you have any criminal convictions, any other names and contact details in Australia. Pay the service fee of AUD20.00 by credit card/ Google Pay/ Apple Pay.
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)
There is no Visa Application Charge (VAC) for an ETA, however there is an application service fee of AUD20 to use the Australian ETA app. European passport holders may be eligible for an eVisitor (subclass 651).
You usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you're from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries. Check if you need an ETA or visa to come to the UK. There are some people who do not need an ETA , for example if you have: a British or Irish passport.
Through December 31, 2025, TDY visitors traveling to South Korea for up to 90 days on diplomatic or official passports do not require South Korean visas and do not require a K-ETA.
If you do need one, you should complete the necessary application by at least 72 hours before you travel as a general rule.
Anyone eligible for visa-free entry to South Korea is usually required to get K-ETA approval before departure. However, British nationals travelling visa-free to South Korea are temporarily exempt from requiring a K-ETA until December 31, 2026.
The "3 date rule" in Korean dating refers to the common practice of establishing an official couple status (boyfriend/girlfriend) by the third date, moving from casual "talking" (sseom) to a defined relationship quickly, a faster pace than typical Western dating, allowing for deeper getting-to-know-you stages after becoming official, though it's becoming less strict with younger generations. It's about rapid commitment assessment, with the first few dates gauging chemistry before locking things down.
The best time of year to visit South Korea is generally considered to be the spring months of April, May & June, and the autumn months of September, October & November. During these two seasons days are typically sunny and dry with comfortable average temperatures.
But you can still use the paper arrival card for all of 2025. You don't need an arrival card if you already have a valid K-ETA or if you have a Korean residence card. But everyone else must fill either the online form or the paper card. The online process is easy and quick to finish on the official website.
South Korea's 52-hour work rule caps most employees' weekly working hours at 52, consisting of 40 standard hours plus 12 allowed overtime hours, aiming to reduce overwork, improve work-life balance, and boost productivity by ending excessively long workweeks previously common in the country. Implemented in phases for different company sizes, this law applies to a seven-day week, including weekends, and was a major revision to the Labor Standards Act, phasing in from 2018 to 2021 for most businesses.
Yes, Australian passport holders need visas for some countries but have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to many others, with around 184 destinations accessible without a pre-arranged visa, though new systems like the EU's ETIAS will soon require online authorization. Requirements vary greatly, with some nations needing eVisas (like Indonesia, Maldives) or visas on arrival (like Egypt, Jordan), while others like the Schengen Area (Europe) offer short visa-free stays but are introducing ETIAS. Always check the official embassy/consulate or Smartraveller for your specific destination and travel purpose well before you travel.
Visitors entering the Republic of Korea (ROK) must hold a valid passport and visa to enter the country. Nationals of visa waiver or visa-free countries may enter the country without a visa for tourism purposes only. For any other purposes, such as employmentor education, proper visasare required.
South Korea: Australians may require a K-ETA from 2026
Originally set to expire on 31 December 2024, this exemption was extended through to the end of 2025, but it is unclear what 2026 will bring at this stage. Australians should anticipate the need to apply for a K-ETA from 1 January 2026.
Please be informed that Australian Passport holders will temporarily be able to travel to Korea without K-ETA. This exemption will temporarily be in effect between 1/Apr/2023 and 31/Dec/2026.
The K-ETA fee is 10,000 KRW (approximately USD $7~8, Online Payment Fee is Charged Separately) and is non-refundable, even if the application is denied. 4. K-ETA approval will be refused or canceled if false or inaccurate information is submitted on the application.
Starting January 8, 2025, U.S. citizens traveling to the United Kingdom for short visits, tourism, or business, including those just passing through UK airports, will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) if they do not have a UK visa or legal residency in the UK or the Republic of Ireland.
Apply early: Don't wait until the last minute to apply for K-ETA, apply at least 72hrs prior to your departure. Most applications are expected to be processed within 72hrs in the order they are received, but in some cases, due to an unexpected increase in applications or other circumstances it may take more than 72hrs.
If you're a US citizen planning a trip to South Korea, you'll need a valid passport with at least 6 months left before it expires and one to two empty pages. Generally, you'll also need to obtain an approved K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) for short-term stays, whether for business or pleasure.
Australians who don't currently need a visa for short stays or don't already have a UK immigration status will need an ETA to travel to or transit through the UK. An ETA permits multiple visits to the UK for stays of up to 6 months at a time over 2 years or until the holder's passport expires, whichever is sooner.
If a person's ETA application is refused, they cannot appeal and instead need to apply for a visa if they still wish to seek permission to come to the UK.
The new Entry/Exit System (EES) started to be operational on 12 October 2025. European countries using the EES are introducing the system gradually at their external borders. This means that data collection will be gradually introduced at border crossing points with full implementation by 10 April 2026.