South Korea Visa Requirements for Vietnamese Citizens (2026)
Yes — Vietnamese passport holders need a visa to enter South Korea. Every number on this page carries the date we last verified it.
⚠ Official-source material indicates “Transit visa-free entry temporarily suspended since 4 February 2020 because of COVID-19” — this value is being re-verified. Follow the official portal.
Specifically for Vietnamese passport holders
- •Korean visa categories listed for Vietnamese travellers are short-stay tourist and transit types such as B-2-1 general, B-2-2 Jeju and C-3-1 short-term general, all covering stays of under 90 days. [10]
- •Foreign nationals arriving at Jeju's ports and airports for tourism or transit may enter without a visa unless their nationality is excluded by the Minister of Justice. [10]
Required documents
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from date of arrival
- K-ETA approval (KRW 10,000, apply at k-eta.go.kr)
- Q-Code (quarantine) submitted online before arrival
- Return or onward ticket from South Korea
- Proof of sufficient funds for stay
- A digital photograph in natural colour, 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, if you are applying for a visa instead of a K-ETA. [2]
- A visa application form with a bar code, if you apply in person at a Korean diplomatic mission. [2]
- Scanned images of your passport pages, uploaded with an online visa application. [1]
Fees & processing
| Processing | ~30 working days |
|---|
From official-portal extracts (captured ):
- •The K-ETA application fee is KRW 10,000 per person, about USD 7 to 8. [5]
- •An additional online payment processing fee, generally about 3%, may be added when you pay. [5]
- •The fee covers the application and examination and is non-refundable once paid, whatever the outcome. [5]
- •Korea's visa fee schedule lists a C-3 single-entry visa for Vietnamese applicants at approximately USD 30, in case you are routed to a visa instead of the K-ETA. [6]
How to apply
- Apply only at k-eta.go.kr or through the official K-ETA mobile app, and beware lookalike agency sites that charge high fees. [4]
- Agree to the terms and conditions to open the application form. [7]
- Verify your email address. [7]
- Enter your passport information as it appears in your passport. [7]
- Enter the rest of your application information, then check everything you typed before submitting. [7]
- Complete the application; most assessments finish within 72 hours and you can check the result online. [4] [7]
Before you fly
- •A K-ETA approval is valid for three years, so one approval covers trips taken within that period.
- •Most K-ETA applications are assessed within 72 hours. [4]
Full South Korea entry guide — customs, health, long stays — on the destination page.
Conditions & fine print
- •Visa free transit (up to 30 days) provided holding a valid U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand visa, and arriving from or departing to those countries.
Watch out for
Overstay: 2009 saw concern raised over Chinese nationals who overstayed their visas.
Only k-eta.go.kr and the official K-ETA app are legitimate application channels; similar sites charge high fees for the same service. [4]
The K-ETA fee is not refunded if your application is refused. [5]
If your card's overseas payment option is blocked the fee will not go through, and a 3DS authentication error means you should contact your card issuer. [5] [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
What documents are required?
Passport valid for at least 6 months from date of arrival; K-ETA approval (KRW 10,000, apply at k-eta.go.kr); Q-Code (quarantine) submitted online before arrival; Return or onward ticket from South Korea; Proof of sufficient funds for stay.
What happens if I overstay in South Korea?
2009 saw concern raised over Chinese nationals who overstayed their visas.
Who does not need a K-ETA?
Korean passport holders and dual nationals, US armed forces under SOFA, flight attendants and seafarers, ABTC (APEC) card holders and certain transfer passengers.
Can I use an agency for my K-ETA?
Apply only through k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app; lookalike agency and phishing sites charge high fees for the same service.
Which cards can pay the K-ETA fee?
Visa, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay or Alipay+; cards with overseas payments blocked may not go through.
Sources & last verified
Fact data cross-checked against English Wikipedia “Visa requirements for Vietnamese citizens” and “Visa policy of South Korea”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution, not copied text.
Official-source extracts captured : [1] visa.go.kr [2] visa.go.kr [3] visa.go.kr [4] k-eta.go.kr [5] k-eta.go.kr [6] visa.go.kr [7] k-eta.go.kr [8] visa.go.kr [9] k-eta.go.kr [10] visa.go.kr [11] visa.go.kr [12] k-eta.go.kr [13] visa.go.kr [14] visa.go.kr [15] visa.go.kr [16] visa.go.kr [17] 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.