Korea's electronic arrival declaration, the e-Arrival Card, is now the standard way many travelers, including most visitors from Japan, enter the country. It is free, takes a few minutes on your phone, and replaces the paper arrival card for anyone who submits it online. Here is who needs it, what to have ready, and exactly how to fill it out.
TL;DR — 3 things to know before you fly
- It's free, and there is only one official site: www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. You can submit starting 3 days before you land, measured in Korean time.
- Once submitted, it's valid for 72 hours — and it expires the moment you clear immigration, so you'll need a fresh one for your next entry (for example after a side trip).
- Most Japanese travelers need to fill this out. Japan currently falls under Korea's K-ETA temporary exemption, and K-ETA-exempt travelers submit the e-Arrival Card instead. If you already hold a valid K-ETA, you don't need this form too.
⚠️ It's Free — Only One Official Site
The only official site is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr. Always check for "go.kr" in the address before typing in any personal information.
• Korea's immigration authorities have publicly warned about copycat sites that charge for this free form
• Some Japan-based travel agencies sell paid "proxy submission" packages (reportedly around ¥2,200) for something that costs nothing to do yourself
• One traveler reported on Yahoo! Chiebukuro paying roughly ¥18,700 through a proxy site for a related Korean entry document that officially costs ₩10,300
• Korea's immigration authorities have publicly warned about copycat sites that charge for this free form
• Some Japan-based travel agencies sell paid "proxy submission" packages (reportedly around ¥2,200) for something that costs nothing to do yourself
• One traveler reported on Yahoo! Chiebukuro paying roughly ¥18,700 through a proxy site for a related Korean entry document that officially costs ₩10,300
Is This for You?
The e-Arrival Card and K-ETA are separate systems with similar-sounding names — don't mix them up.
✓ You need to submit it if you are...
A visa holder entering Korea, a traveler from a country with Korea's K-ETA temporary exemption (Japan is one of them), or a K-ETA-exempt traveler aged 17 or under, or 65 or over.
You do NOT need to submit it if you are...
A Korean citizen, a holder of a foreign registration card, permanent residency card, or residence report card, someone who already holds a valid K-ETA (unless entering on a visa), or part of a group-visa tour.
For most Japanese travelers, the answer is yes. Japan's K-ETA temporary exemption runs through December 31, 2026 (per a Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs notice), and travelers covered by that exemption are the ones who need to file the e-Arrival Card. Whether the exemption continues into 2027 has not been officially announced as of this writing — check k-eta.go.kr close to your departure date. If you've already applied for and received a valid K-ETA, you do not need to also submit the e-Arrival Card, unless you're entering on a visa.
What You Need Before You Start
Have these ready and the form takes just a few minutes.
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport | Photograph/upload the photo page, or type the details in manually |
| Email address | You'll enter it twice; your confirmation number is sent here |
| Arrival date & flight number | Required |
| Accommodation info | Where you're staying in Korea |
| Departure date & flight | Optional — leave blank if not booked yet |
A representative submitter must be 14 or older. Submitting from a smartphone covers up to 9 people at once; a PC can cover up to 1,000, but group submissions are only possible from a PC.
How to Fill It Out, Step by Step
Since filing online replaces the paper form, this is the only entry card most travelers need to deal with.
STEP 1 Agree to the terms, enter your email twice
You'll type your email address in twice to confirm it — your confirmation number is sent there later.
STEP 2 Enter your passport details
Photograph or upload the passport photo page, or type the details in manually if scanning doesn't work.
STEP 3 Enter your travel information
Arrival date and flight number, where you're staying in Korea, and, if you have it, your departure date and flight (optional).
STEP 4 Review the confirmation screen
Double-check your arrival date, flight number, and accommodation before submitting — these are the fields worth a second look.
STEP 5 Submit, save the PDF, check your email
When you submit, you'll also be asked to enter a verification code — this extra step was added on May 6, 2026 (announced April 29, 2026). Your confirmation number arrives by email. You're not required to print it out for immigration, but having it handy (saved PDF or email) makes the process smoother.
Made a Mistake, or Flying Again Soon?
Before your immigration inspection, you have some room to fix things.
Use the official site's Check/Edit menu to update your purpose of visit, stay information, or departure details any time before your immigration inspection. Your arrival date itself, however, can only be changed within 3 days of your original submission, so don't wait too long if that's what needs fixing.
Remember the 72-hour window. Your submission expires 72 hours after you file it, and it also expires once you clear immigration. If you leave Korea and come back later, for example on a side trip to Japan, submit a brand-new e-Arrival Card for the return leg.
Where Travelers Get Stuck
The usual points of confusion, and what actually happens.
The page is loading forever or won't submit
Travelers on Reddit have reported waits of 5 minutes or more and repeated retries, and the official site has occasionally gone offline for maintenance. Wait and try again rather than turning to a paid third-party site.
"I already have K-ETA, do I need this too?"
If your K-ETA is valid, no — you don't need to also submit the e-Arrival Card, unless you're entering on a visa. They are separate systems, and a lot of the confusion online comes from travelers assuming they're the same thing.
"My return flight isn't booked yet"
The departure date and flight fields are optional. Leave them blank and submit anyway.
Traveling with more than 9 people
A single smartphone submission covers up to 9 people. Split into multiple submissions, or have one person submit everyone from a PC instead (up to 1,000 people, PC only).
Hit an error partway through, and now your email won't go through
A traveler described exactly this on a Korea travel forum, and there's no officially confirmed fix yet. Before retrying from scratch, use the official site's lookup/inquiry menu to check whether your earlier attempt actually went through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The only official site is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr, and submitting through it costs nothing. Immigration authorities have warned that some copycat sites impersonate the official page and charge a fee, and some Japan-based travel agencies sell paid proxy-submission packages for a form that is free to fill out yourself. Always check that the address contains go.kr before entering any personal details.
Generally yes. Japanese travelers currently fall under Korea's K-ETA temporary exemption, and K-ETA-exempt travelers are required to submit the e-Arrival Card instead. The e-Arrival Card and K-ETA are separate systems. If you already hold a valid K-ETA, you do not need to also submit the e-Arrival Card, unless you are entering Korea on a visa.
You can submit starting 3 days before your arrival, measured in Korean Standard Time. Once submitted, it stays valid for 72 hours, and it also expires once you clear immigration. If you leave Korea and come back later, for example on a side trip, you need to submit a new e-Arrival Card for the return.
Yes. Your departure date and outbound flight number are optional fields on the form. Everything else, your passport details, email, arrival date and flight, and accommodation information, is required, but you can leave the departure section blank and submit anyway.
Yes, up until your immigration inspection. Use the official site's Check/Edit menu to update your purpose of visit, stay information, or departure details. Your arrival date itself can only be changed within 3 days of your original submission, so don't wait too long to correct it.
A single submission from a smartphone covers up to 9 people. A PC submission can cover up to 1,000 people, but group submissions are only possible from a PC, not a phone. A representative submitter must be 14 or older.
No, they are two separate systems, according to the official e-Arrival Card guide. K-ETA is a pre-travel authorization; the e-Arrival Card is the entry declaration you file close to your travel dates. If you hold a valid K-ETA, you do not need to submit the e-Arrival Card as well, unless you are entering on a visa.
The Bottom Line
Submit for free at www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr starting 3 days before you land, and keep your confirmation handy for 72 hours. Most Japanese travelers need to file it under the K-ETA temporary exemption, unless they already hold a valid K-ETA. For your next steps, browse more Must-Know Tips on innerkorea.com.