South Korea Visa Requirements for Japanese Citizens (2026)
No — Japanese citizens can enter South Korea without a visa. Maximum stay: 90 days. Every number on this page carries the date we last verified it.
Specifically for Japanese passport holders
- •Japan is one of the countries whose nationals may enter South Korea without a visa, and Japanese visitors are allowed to stay 90 days rather than the usual 30. [9]
- •The K-ETA eligibility page lists Japan with an allowed period of stay of 90 days. [1]
Required documents
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from your date of arrival.
- A return or onward ticket leaving South Korea.
- Q-Code health declaration, if applicable.
Fees & processing
| Processing | ~90 working days |
|---|
From official-portal extracts (captured ):
- •There is no visa fee for a Japanese passport holder entering visa-free for up to 90 days.
- •Once the K-ETA exemption ends, the K-ETA costs KRW 10,000 per person, approximately USD 7 to 8. [6]
- •A payment processing fee of about 3% may be added, and the K-ETA fee is non-refundable even if the application is refused. [6]
- •Payment can be made with Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay or Alipay+. [6]
How to apply
- No visa application is needed: as a Japanese passport holder you can enter for tourism, visiting relatives or friends, or simple meetings for up to 90 days.
- If the K-ETA exemption ends after 31 December 2026, apply at www.k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA mobile app only. [5]
- Complete the online K-ETA form: agree to the terms, verify your email, enter your passport and application details, then check the information and submit. [8]
Before you fly
- •When the K-ETA applies, applications are generally assessed within 72 hours. [5]
- •Apply only through the official K-ETA website or the official mobile app, as copycat agency sites charge inflated fees. [5]
Full South Korea entry guide — customs, health, long stays — on the destination page.
Watch out for
Japanese citizens can enter South Korea as a short term visit (e.g., tours, visiting relatives or friends, attending simple meetings) up to 90 days without a visa, though you should remain aware of the quarantine requirements. You must also have an onward or return ticket. It's illegal to work on a tourist visa, whether as a teacher or in any other capacity.
Overstay: 2009 saw concern raised over Chinese nationals who overstayed their visas.
The K-ETA fee is non-refundable once paid, whatever the outcome of the application. [6]
If your card has overseas payments blocked, the K-ETA fee may not go through; contact your card issuer if payment fails. [6]
Under Korea's visa-free and transit rules, an entry refusal within the last 3 years, or a past overstay, departure order or deportation, disqualifies you. [9]
Recent changes
- · upcomingOn 25 February 2026, South Korea announced that it will be expanding the tour group visa-free policy towards citizens of Indonesia in the future.
- · confirmedQatar
- · confirmedUnited Arab Emirates
- · confirmedKazakhstan
- · confirmedRussia
- · confirmedUruguay
- · confirmedVenezuela
- · confirmedJapan
- · confirmedChile
- · confirmedGuatemala
- · confirmedLatvia
- · confirmedBrazil
Policy updates affecting this route
- · confirmedE-9 workers were assigned to a specific site; transfer to another site permitted only in limited cases → Allowed to transfer to another site belonging to the same construction company (same employer) where the new site meets E-9 requirements — South Korea loosens E-9 worksite transfer rules
Frequently asked
How long can Japanese citizens stay in South Korea?
Up to 90 days visa-free.
What documents are required?
Passport valid for at least 6 months from your date of arrival.; A return or onward ticket leaving South Korea.; Q-Code health declaration, if applicable..
What happens if I overstay in South Korea?
2009 saw concern raised over Chinese nationals who overstayed their visas.
How much does a K-ETA cost?
KRW 10,000 per person, about USD 7 to 8, plus roughly 3% payment processing; the fee is non-refundable.
Where do I apply for a K-ETA?
Only at www.k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA mobile app; avoid third-party agency sites.
How long does K-ETA approval take?
Assessment generally takes within 72 hours.
Sources & last verified
Fact data cross-checked against English Wikipedia “Visa requirements for Japanese citizens” and “Visa policy of South Korea”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution, not copied text.
Official-source extracts captured : [1] k-eta.go.kr [2] visa.go.kr [3] visa.go.kr [4] visa.go.kr [5] k-eta.go.kr [6] k-eta.go.kr [7] visa.go.kr [8] k-eta.go.kr [9] visa.go.kr [10] k-eta.go.kr [11] visa.go.kr [12] visa.go.kr [13] k-eta.go.kr [14] visa.go.kr [15] visa.go.kr [16] visa.go.kr [17] visa.go.kr [18] visa.go.kr. Attribution to the publishing agencies; every bracketed number above points to its row here.
Last verified: . Entries, fees and rules change — confirm on the official portal before you travel.
This is general travel information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change and enforcement varies at the border — always confirm on the official portal before you travel.