Australians, UK, and Canadian passport holders do not need a visa for tourist trips to Korea, and all three are exempt from K-ETA only until December 31, 2026.
Contents
- Do I need a visa for Korea from Australia?
- Do I need a visa for Korea from UK or Canada?
- Does the K-ETA exemption cover me, and until when?
- Who still needs a visa for Korea?
- Heading the other way? Korea-to-Australia rules
- Where to check the official visa-waiver list before you fly
Do I need a visa for Korea from Australia?
No visa is needed for tourism or transit.
Australia sits on Korea’s visa-waiver list, so you enter on a B-2 tourist stamp instead of applying for a visa.
By default, visa-free entrants get 30 days, but Korea sets longer periods for some countries by reciprocity, and Australia is one of the countries granted longer.
Immigration stamps your passport with the B-2 status and the exact stay period when you land, so the date you must leave is written on the stamp.
Check the stamp as you leave the counter, because it shows your last day in Korea.
Plan your flights around that date rather than an assumption.
If my trip falls before December 31, 2026, I would travel on the exemption and skip the K-ETA fee.
If there is any chance of sliding past that date, I would just pay for the K-ETA, since one approval lasts two years and covers multiple entries.
| Tourism before Dec 31, 2026 | No visa, no K-ETA |
|---|---|
| Tourism after Dec 31, 2026 | No visa, but K-ETA required |
| Work, study, or long stay | C-3, D, or E visa required |
| Koreans visiting Australia | ETA (subclass 601) required |
Do I need a visa for Korea from UK or Canada?
UK and Canadian passport holders also enter Korea without a visa for tourism.
Both countries are on the same visa-waiver list, so the B-2 entry stamp applies to you as well.
The exact stay length differs by country, because Korea’s Justice Ministry sets each country’s period under the reciprocity rules.
UK and Canadian passport holders are commonly granted longer than the 30-day default, but the per-country figures for the UK and Canada were not confirmed against the official table in this write-up.
Check your country’s row on the Hi Korea visa-free entry list before booking, because the stay period printed on your entry stamp is what counts.
If your trip runs longer than that, you need a different visa rather than an extension.
👉 Do I need a visa for Korea from us? No, 90 days till 2026
Does the K-ETA exemption cover me, and until when?
Yes — Korea’s K-ETA exemption for 22 countries, including Australia, the UK, and Canada, runs only through December 31, 2026.
If your trip starts before that date, you enter without K-ETA.
After December 31, 2026, nationals of those 22 countries must apply for K-ETA again before traveling.
K-ETA is an electronic travel authorization, not a visa: it lets you board and stay short-term, but it does not change your stay status.
The official K-ETA site lists the fee at 10,000 KRW (about $7–8) plus card fees, and an approval is valid for two years of multiple entries or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
Apply at least 72 hours before boarding, and earlier in peak season, because approval is not issued at the gate.
Two dates belong on your calendar.
June 30, 2026 was when the Australian Embassy’s Seoul visa office closed, and December 31, 2026 is when the K-ETA exemption ends.
If any trip could push past the end of 2026, apply for K-ETA before boarding that trip.
Who still needs a visa for Korea?
K-ETA will not help you if you are going to Korea to work, to study, or to stay beyond the visa-free period.
Those trips need a C-3, D, or E series visa regardless of the exemption.
A visa application asks for a passport, the application form, and documents proving your purpose of entry under Korea’s stay-qualification table.
False statements or forged documents lead to refusal and an entry ban, so the paperwork has to match what you will actually do.
Visa-free (B-2) entrants normally cannot change status or extend, except for unavoidable reasons, and any extension is only possible within 90 days of the day you entered.
If your plans include paid work, a semester, or a stay longer than the period on your stamp, sort the right visa before you fly.
K-ETA does not cover those cases.
Heading the other way? Korea-to-Australia rules
These rules concern the reverse trip — and the Seoul embassy visa office closure belongs to this side, not to your Korea trip.
Korean passport holders cannot enter Australia visa-free.
An ETA (subclass 601) must be approved before airport check-in, and applications are accepted only through the official Australian ETA mobile app.
The ETA costs AUD 20 (about 18,000 KRW), stays valid for 12 months with multiple entries, and allows a maximum of 3 months per visit.
EU passports, including the UK, can use the eVisitor (subclass 651) instead, but eVisitor holders cannot work, sell goods or services to the public, or register for study longer than 3 months.
Australian visa inquiries from Korea are now handled through ImmiAccount since the Seoul visa office closed on June 30, 2026.
So the two directions are easy to keep apart: K-ETA and the B-2 stamp are about your trip to Korea, while the ETA and ImmiAccount are about Koreans going to Australia.
Confusing them sends you to the wrong application.
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Where to check the official visa-waiver list before you fly
The official visa-waiver country list is published on Hi Korea, under Visa/Stay Info, then Immigration Review, then Visa-free entry.
Korea designates the list by international custom, reciprocity, and national interest, so entries can change.
A short pre-departure check works like this.
- Find your country on the Hi Korea visa-free list and note your stay period.
- If your trip starts after December 31, 2026, apply for K-ETA at k-eta.go.kr at least 72 hours before boarding.
- Match your return flight to the stay period printed on your entry stamp.
I check the traveler’s passport first, then the trip dates against December 31, 2026 — whether the K-ETA exemption still covers you is the whole answer.
If the exemption still applies on your travel date, you skip the fee; if not, one two-year K-ETA covers repeat trips.
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Sources
- 30-day tourism/transit visa-free entry, B-2 status, no statu (easylaw.go.kr)
- Covered in existing facts; expiry drives urgency (comeonkorea.com)
- K-ETA application fee (k-eta.go.kr)
Korea trip checklist for Australians, UK, and Canadian travelers
- No visa and no K-ETA for tourism until December 31, 2026, for Australia, the UK, and Canada.
- From 2027, K-ETA is required again — apply at k-eta.go.kr at least 72 hours before boarding.
- Work, study, or long stays need a C-3, D, or E visa; K-ETA does not change your stay status.
- The Australian ETA (AUD 20, app only) is for Koreans flying to Australia, not for your Korea trip.
FAQ
Q. Do I need a visa for Korea from Australia if I’m just going for a holiday?
No. Australia is on Korea’s visa-waiver list, so tourists receive a B-2 entry stamp with the stay period set for Australia by reciprocity.
Q. Does the K-ETA exemption cover me, and until when?
Yes, if you hold an Australian, UK, or Canadian passport — the exemption runs through December 31, 2026, and K-ETA is required again after that date.
Q. Do I need a visa for Korea from UK or Canada?
No visa is needed for tourism. Both countries are on the visa-waiver list; check your country’s stay length on the Hi Korea visa-free entry table before booking.
Q. How much is K-ETA and how long is it valid?
The official K-ETA site lists 10,000 KRW plus card fees, and an approval is valid for two years of multiple entries or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
Q. Do Koreans need a visa for Australia?
Yes. Korean passport holders need an ETA (subclass 601) approved before check-in, applied for through the official Australian ETA app.
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