South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It extends over the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and includes the adjacent islands. Wikipedia
Cities
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Can I go? Entry and visas
From GOV.UK, for United Kingdom passports, updated 14 May 2026:
You can enter South Korea for up to 90 days for short-term business or tourism. You must have an onward or return ticket. It’s illegal to be employed in South Korea while visiting visa-free, whether as a teacher or in any other capacity.
South Korea operates an electronic travel authorisation system called K-ETA. Anyone eligible for visa-free entry to South Korea is usually required to get K-ETA approval before departure. However, British nationals travelling visa-free to South Korea are temporarily exempt from requiring a K-ETA until December 31, 2026. Further information about the K-ETA exemption can be found on the K-ETA notice board.
If you need to apply for a K-ETA, you should ensure that you apply through the Korean government’s official K-ETA website. Other sites offering K-ETA application services are generally scams. It can take up to 72 hours for K-ETA approval to be granted.
If you are travelling for any purpose other than short-term business or tourism, check visa requirements with the South Korean Embassy in the UK.
For those in South Korea on a work visa, all employment changes must be authorised by Korean Immigration.
Passport validity
To enter South Korea as a tourist for up to 90 days, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ after the date you are leaving South Korea.
To enter South Korea on a long-term visa, your passport should have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Your embassy in South Korea
Finding embassies…
For a lost passport, an arrest or an emergency.
South Korea's embassy in United Kingdom
Finding embassies…
For a visa before you go.
Entry rules change, sometimes overnight. Always confirm with the official source before you book or travel. This is a pointer, not legal advice.
Good to know
Emergency numbers in South Korea
- Currency
- South Korean Won (KRW)
- Time
- UTC+9
- Tue 23:55 there now
- Plugs and power
- Types C, F · 220 V
- Driving
- On the right
- Calling code
- +82
- Languages
- Korean
- Capital
- Seoul
From Wikidata, Unicode CLDR (currency, languages) and the IANA time zone database; checked 10 October 2026.