Before you fly to Korea: the short checklist
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Most international visitors to Korea need an arrival card, and you can submit it online before you land. A few other small jobs are also easier at home than at the airport. Here is the short list, with where each part comes from.
The online arrival card
Korea uses an online e-Arrival card. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says you can submit it on the official e-Arrival card website from a few days before you enter, on a computer, a phone browser or by scanning a QR code. Have an email address, your travel dates, your flight number, and an address and contact in Korea ready.
K-ETA and the exemption
Many visitors do not need a K-ETA at the moment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the temporary exemption for certain countries, Canada among them, runs until December 31, 2026, and other countries should check the K-ETA website. An exemption does not remove the arrival card. The ministry says travelers from exempt countries may apply for a K-ETA if they want one, including to be excused from the card. If you travel after this year ends, check the K-ETA site again before you book.
T-money on an iPhone
Tmoney's own blog says that inside the Apple Wallet app you can only top up with a Hyundai Card registered to Apple Pay, and that other ways to top up go through the Mobile Tmoney app. News reports and travelers say the app has a "Foreigner" option that skips the Korean sign in, and that some overseas cards work there while Visa did not. Travelers also report that this changes, so test it at home with the card you plan to use.
Carry two cards
Bring two cards on different networks, for example one Visa and one Mastercard. If a terminal or an app declines one, you have another. Our guide “Paying: foreign cards, cash and the small places” covers cards, cash and transit.
Save places before you fly
Add SeoulSearch to your home screen and save the places you like before you leave, so your saved places are one tap away when you land. Our guide “Luggage, layovers and landing at dawn” helps if you land early, and “Help and safety in Seoul: the numbers to know” lists the numbers to know.
Sources
- Korea Tourism Organization, Immigration page (updated 2025-03-07): an arrival card is required for most international visitors entering Korea; holders of a residence card, K-ETA or e-Group visa are exempt
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, e-Arrival card guide: starting from 3 days before entry travelers can submit the e-Arrival card on www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr by PC, mobile web or QR code; you need an e-mail address, travel dates and flight or vessel number, and an address and contact in Korea
- Official e-Arrival card site: complete and submit within 3 days before arrival in Korea
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs notice (2025-12-18): the K-ETA temporary exemption for certain countries, including Canada, is extended by one year until December 31, 2026; check the K-ETA website for other countries; nationals of exempt countries may still apply for K-ETA, including to be exempt from the arrival card
- Official K-ETA site: notice of the extension of the K-ETA temporary exemption period (2026-03-20); the page itself gives no end date or country list, so the date comes from the MOFA notice. No later extension found as of 2026-10-06
- Tmoney official blog (published 2026-08-25, updated 2026-09-14): in the Apple Wallet app itself you need a Hyundai Card registered to Apple Pay; other top-up methods go through the Mobile Tmoney app. The page does not say whether overseas cards work
- Korea Tourism Organization, Helpful Apps and Resources: Mobile Tmoney pays transit from a phone