Starting Feb. 24, foreign travelers to South Korea will be able to submit their arrival cards online up to three days before their scheduled arrival, the Ministry of Justice announced. This new electronic arrival card system replaces the previous paper-based entry declaration, allowing travelers to submit key information such as their name, gender, birth date, and address in South Korea in advance. Before this system, foreign visitors were unable to submit their arrival forms ahead of time.
With the new process, travelers can complete their forms online and avoid filling out paper forms upon arrival at airports or ports. For families or groups traveling together, one representative can submit the forms for the entire party. According to the Ministry of Justice, this will help shorten immigration wait times, reduce congestion in arrival halls, and support the growth of foreign tourism. Previously, immigration officers had to manually scan paper forms, which contributed to longer processing times.
The e-arrival card applies to the same group of travelers who were previously required to submit the paper entry declaration, mostly short-term visitors staying for less than 90 days. Travelers planning to stay longer than 90 days still need to submit the arrival form unless they have completed foreign registration in South Korea. Travelers with valid electronic travel authorizations, those who have already completed foreign registration, group visa holders, and airline crew members are exempt from the new requirement.
To complete the e-arrival card, travelers can access the electronic arrival card website (www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr) on either a PC or smartphone. By uploading a photo of their passport’s personal details page, their name, birth date, and passport number will be automatically filled in. After entering travel details, such as arrival and departure times and accommodation address, travelers will receive an email with a confirmation number and expiration date for their e-arrival card.
To ease the transition, the Ministry of Justice will accept both paper and electronic arrival forms this year. A Ministry spokesperson emphasized that electronically collecting the data will enhance accuracy, streamline operations, and improve border management efficiency, contributing to safer and more organized immigration procedures.
