South Korea has officially published the complete list of 116 countries and territories whose citizens are eligible to enter the country using the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) system, bypassing the traditional visa application process. The announcement, made on 11 September 2026, covers nations across Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific.
Eight African Nations Included in K-ETA Eligibility
Eight African countries feature on the K-ETA list: South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Citizens of these nations can now apply for pre-travel authorization electronically, avoiding the need to go through standard consular visa channels when visiting South Korea.
The K-ETA system is designed to streamline entry procedures for travellers from qualifying countries, allowing them to obtain authorization online before departure. This move is expected to ease travel logistics for citizens of these nations, particularly those from South Africa and Morocco, which are among the continent's most frequent travellers to South Korea.
Full List of 116 K-ETA Eligible Countries and Territories
The complete list, as released by South Korean authorities, includes major travel nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Japan, alongside smaller territories. The full enumeration is as follows:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Hong Kong
- Macao
- Colombia
- Dominica
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Holy See
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Oman
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Serbia
- Romania
- Russia
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Spain
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Tuvalu
- United Arab Emirates
- UK — British Citizen
- UK — British Dependent Territories Citizen
- UK — British National Overseas
- UK — British Overseas Citizen
- UK — British Protected Person
- UK — British Subject
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Impact on Travel and Comparison with UK ETA
Citizens from nations not featured on this list would need to apply for a standard South Korean visa through the appropriate consular channels before travelling. This means that for the 116 listed countries, the K-ETA system significantly reduces administrative hurdles, potentially increasing tourism and business travel to South Korea.
In a related development, the United Kingdom has also published its own list of 82 countries whose citizens can travel to Britain using an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). That list includes several Gulf and Asian countries, as well as Mauritius and Seychelles, making them among the few African nations eligible for the UK ETA. The South Korean list, by contrast, includes a broader range of African countries, reflecting differing bilateral agreements.
