Living in Korea

Arriving in Korea: immigration, biometrics, Q-CODE and customs

What happens between landing and the arrivals hall: the documents you need, fingerprints and photo, automated gates, health declarations and customs — step by step.

Updated 3 October 2026 · 7 min read

Fingerprints and photo: Visitors aged 17 and over
Arrival card: Not needed with a K-ETA
Health declaration: Q-CODE, if you come from a listed area
Customs form: Only with goods to declare

Before landing

K-ETA or visa: approved before boarding. Exempt travellers fill in the arrival card instead — online from three days before arrival, or on paper at the airport.
Q-CODE: if you have stayed in or transited through an area on Korea’s quarantine watch list, complete the Q-CODE health declaration. The list is updated every quarter.
Accommodation address: keep it handy — immigration officers may ask.

If your passport is visa-exempt and you are not exempt from the K-ETA, apply at least 72 hours before departure.

At immigration

Follow the signs for foreign passport holders. Visitors aged 17 and over have their fingerprints scanned and a facial photo taken. The officer may ask about the purpose of your trip, how long you will stay and where — answers consistent with your K-ETA application make it quick. Your permitted length of stay is granted at this point.

The smoothest arrival starts before departure

An approved K-ETA means no arrival card to fill in. Apply with our guided form — checked by our team before submission.

Start my K-ETA application

Smart Entry Service: automated gates

Korea has opened its automated immigration gates to visitors from a growing list of countries — 42 countries and regions since March 2026, including several European countries and Canada. Travellers aged 17 and over must pre-register their passport, fingerprints and face. U.S. citizens can access the service through the Global Entry arrangement. Registered foreign residents can use the gates too.

Health checks and Q-CODE

Thermal cameras screen arriving passengers. Travellers from areas on the quarantine watch list must submit a Q-CODE declaration whatever their symptoms; others only if they have symptoms such as fever or cough. Q-CODE can be completed online before your flight, which saves time at the airport.

Customs

Since May 2023, travellers with nothing to declare no longer fill in a customs form: take the green lane. If you carry goods above the duty-free allowances, large sums of money, or restricted items, complete the declaration on paper or with the mobile customs app and use the red lane. Fresh fruit, meat products and plants are strictly controlled, and some medicines require a prescription.

After the airport

Pick up a T-money card and a SIM or eSIM, then take the AREX train or an airport bus into the city. Our first-trip checklist covers everything else.

If something goes wrong

Entry refusals are rare for travellers with valid documents and a clear purpose. If you have a problem, ask for an interpreter, contact your embassy, or call the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline for help in your language.