Korea e-Arrival Card — There Is Only One Official Website
Hello, this is Administrative Agent Jean.
Scams and phishing attempts are everywhere these days.
Visa and entry procedures are no exception.
When preparing to enter Korea, some travelers search for terms like “e-Arrival Card application,” “Korea entry form,” or “fast arrival declaration.” They may then land on unofficial websites that ask for passport details, flight information, email addresses, and even credit card information.
The Ministry of Justice has officially warned travelers about fake e-Arrival Card websites.
The key point is simple.
The only official Korea e-Arrival Card website is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr.
Any website requesting payment information is not the official service.
The e-Arrival Card is one of the most commonly searched procedures right before entering Korea. But as of 2026, the most important issue is not just how to fill out the form. It is how to avoid fake websites.
This article explains what the e-Arrival Card is, how it differs from K-ETA, how to verify the official website, and what to check if you have already entered personal information on a suspicious site.
Key Summary
| Category | Details | |---|---| | System | Korea e-Arrival Card | | Official website | www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr | | Fee | Free of charge | | Submission period | From 3 days before arrival in Korea | | Required information | Valid passport, email address, arrival date, flight number, stay information | | Validity | Automatically expires 72 hours after submission | | Warning sign | Any site requesting payment information is not official | | Relation to K-ETA | e-Arrival Card and K-ETA are different systems | | K-ETA temporary exemption | Extended for certain countries and regions until December 31, 2026 |
What Is the Korea e-Arrival Card?
The Korea e-Arrival Card is an online version of the arrival card that foreign travelers traditionally filled out on paper before immigration inspection.
It allows foreign nationals entering Korea to submit arrival information online before arrival.
If you submit the e-Arrival Card, you do not need to fill out a separate paper arrival card. The electronic arrival card has the same effect as the paper arrival card.
However, this distinction is important:
The e-Arrival Card is not a visa application.
The e-Arrival Card is not a K-ETA application.
The e-Arrival Card is simply an online arrival declaration.
If you do not understand this difference, search terms such as “Korea entry form,” “Korea arrival card,” or “K-ETA entry card” can lead you to unofficial agency pages or impersonation websites.
There Is Only One Official Website
This is the most important sentence in the article.
The only official Korea e-Arrival Card website is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr.
The Ministry of Justice has warned that fake websites impersonating the official e-Arrival Card service have been discovered. The official site is only the domain above, and any website asking for payment information is not the official service.
So the first step is not filling out the form.
The first step is checking the domain.
Before entering any information, check:
- Is the address
e-arrivalcard.go.kr? - Does the site use the Korean government domain
go.kr? - Does it ask for payment information?
- Does it advertise “urgent processing,” “fast approval,” or “official agency service”?
- Did you enter through a search advertisement?
- Does it ask for passport information and card information together?
The e-Arrival Card is free of charge.
If a payment page appears, stop immediately.
What You Need to Prepare
According to the official e-Arrival Card site, travelers generally need the following information.
| Item | Details | |---|---| | Passport | Valid passport | | Email | Email address for confirmation and issue number | | Arrival information | Arrival date and flight number | | Stay information | Address or place of stay in Korea | | Departure information | Departure date and flight number, if applicable | | Other information | Purpose of entry and other declaration items |
You can submit the e-Arrival Card from 3 days before arrival in Korea.
If your purpose of entry, stay information, or departure date changes after submission, you may check or edit the declaration on the official website before immigration inspection.
The e-Arrival Card automatically expires 72 hours after submission. If you re-enter Korea later, you must submit a new arrival declaration.
K-ETA and e-Arrival Card Are Not the Same
This is where many travelers get confused.
K-ETA and e-Arrival Card are both online procedures, so they may look similar. But they serve different purposes.
| Category | e-Arrival Card | K-ETA |
|---|---|---|
| Basic nature | Online arrival declaration | Electronic Travel Authorization |
| Purpose | Replaces the paper arrival card | Pre-travel authorization for visa-free entry |
| Official website | www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr | www.k-eta.go.kr |
| Fee | Free | Application fee may apply |
| Recent issue | Fake website warnings | Temporary exemption for certain countries and regions |
| Common misunderstanding | Mistaking paid agency pages for the official site | Believing exempt travelers must still apply |
As of 2026, the temporary K-ETA exemption for certain countries and regions has been extended until December 31, 2026.
If you are from an exempt country or region, you may not be required to apply for K-ETA. However, travelers who still wish to receive the benefits of K-ETA approval, such as arrival card exemption, may apply voluntarily, and an application fee may be charged.
So before entering Korea, check the following in order:
- Whether your nationality is subject to K-ETA
- Whether you are covered by the temporary K-ETA exemption
- Whether you need a visa
- Whether you need to submit an e-Arrival Card
- Whether the website you are using is official
How Fake Websites Usually Trap Travelers
Fake e-Arrival Card websites often look like government or official service pages.
This is especially risky because many travelers search in a hurry shortly before departure, or family members and travel agencies send links on their behalf.
1. Search Advertisement Links
A person searches “Korea e-Arrival Card” or “Korea entry form” and clicks one of the top results.
But top placement in search results does not mean the site is official.
Always verify the domain through an official government source.
2. Paid Agency-Style Phrases
Be cautious if a website uses phrases such as:
- Fast arrival declaration
- Urgent processing
- Official代理 service
- Guaranteed approval
- Error-free submission
- Premium application
- Processing fee
- Required card payment
The official Korea e-Arrival Card service is free of charge.
The word “agency” does not automatically mean a site is illegal, but if the site creates the impression that it is official and asks for payment information, the risk is high.
3. Mixing K-ETA, e-Arrival Card, and Visa Information
Some pages mix K-ETA, e-Arrival Card, arrival card replacement, and visa application into one confusing explanation.
For first-time visitors, this makes it difficult to distinguish the procedures.
In 2026, this is especially confusing because K-ETA temporary exemption has been extended for certain countries and regions. If a traveler is exempt but a site says “you must pay now to enter Korea,” that should be treated with caution.
Break the process into separate questions:
- Do I need a visa?
- Do I need K-ETA?
- Am I exempt from K-ETA?
- Do I need an e-Arrival Card?
- Is this the official website?
Stop If the Website Asks for Payment Information
The Ministry of Justice’s warning gives a very clear standard.
Any website requesting payment information is not the official e-Arrival Card service.
Stop immediately if a site asks for:
- Credit card number
- CVC code
- Card expiration date
- Card password
- Overseas payment authentication information
- Extra processing fee
- Urgent processing fee
- Agency service fee
Passport and travel information may be needed to complete the official e-Arrival Card.
But because the official service is free, payment information is not required.
What If You Already Entered Your Information?
Prevention is the best protection.
But if you have already entered information on a suspicious site, first identify what information you provided.
If You Entered Passport Information Only
Check whether you entered:
- Passport number
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Name
- Email address
- Flight information
- Address in Korea
This may not cause immediate financial loss, but the information could be used for later impersonation or phishing attempts.
If You Entered Card Information
If you entered payment information, respond quickly.
Consider checking:
- Recent card authorization history
- Overseas transaction block settings
- Whether card suspension is necessary
- Whether card reissuance is necessary
- Small test transactions
- Suspicious emails or text messages
- Security of accounts linked to the same email
For actual financial action, follow the guidance of your card issuer or financial institution.
If You Entered Email and Password
If you entered an email account or reused password, also consider:
- Changing your email password
- Enabling two-factor authentication
- Changing the same password on other services
- Checking login history
- Avoiding suspicious follow-up emails or links
Phishing often does not end with one website. It can lead to additional scam messages later.
Checklist for Helping Family or Friends Enter Korea
If you are helping a family member or foreign visitor prepare for entry into Korea, check the website address before the application details.
You can simply send them this sentence:
The official Korea e-Arrival Card website is
www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr, and the service is free. If a website asks for payment information, it is not the official site.
The following travelers may be especially vulnerable:
- First-time visitors to Korea
- Family members who do not read Korean
- Elderly parents
- Short-term visitors
- Travelers searching at the last minute
- People who trust links sent by others without checking the domain
Right before departure, people are busy and more likely to make mistakes.
Sharing the official address in advance is one of the best protections.
Official Website Verification Checklist
Before submitting an e-Arrival Card, check:
- Is the address
www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr? - Is it a Korean government
go.krdomain? - Does it state that the e-Arrival Card is free?
- Does it avoid asking for payment information?
- Does it avoid phrases like “urgent processing” or “fast approval”?
- Does it clearly distinguish K-ETA from e-Arrival Card?
- Did you re-check the official site before entering passport details?
- Did you verify the address even if someone else sent you the link?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is the e-Arrival Card mandatory for everyone?
It depends on your status, K-ETA approval, foreign registration card, visa, and other entry conditions.
The official e-Arrival Card website has a navigator that helps travelers check whether they are required to submit an electronic arrival declaration based on what they hold at the time of entry.
Q. Is the e-Arrival Card paid?
No.
The Korea e-Arrival Card is free of charge.
Any website requesting payment information is not the official service.
Q. If I have K-ETA, do I still need an e-Arrival Card?
K-ETA approval may provide benefits such as exemption from arrival card submission.
However, the actual requirement depends on nationality, purpose of entry, validity of K-ETA, and entry conditions. K-ETA and e-Arrival Card are different systems, so they should not be confused.
Q. If I am exempt from K-ETA, does that mean I do not need anything else?
No.
Even if you are exempt from K-ETA, you still need to check whether a visa is required, whether your purpose of entry is allowed, and whether you must submit an e-Arrival Card.
Q. Can I use an agency website?
The issue is not merely whether a site provides assistance.
The risk is whether the site makes itself look like the official service, asks for unnecessary payment information, or handles personal information unsafely.
The official e-Arrival Card service is free, and there is only one official website. If payment information is requested, treat it as a warning sign.
In Short, the Most Important Part of e-Arrival Card Is Not the Form. It Is the Website Address.
The e-Arrival Card itself is not complicated.
But in 2026, fake website warnings matter more than the form-writing procedure.
The Ministry of Justice has officially warned that fake e-Arrival Card websites have been found. The only official website is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr, and any site asking for payment information is not the official service.
K-ETA temporary exemption has also been extended for certain countries and regions until December 31, 2026, so travelers should first check their nationality and purpose of entry before applying for anything.
If a family member or friend is preparing to enter Korea, share this sentence before anything else:
The e-Arrival Card is free, and the official website is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr.