Korea · money + entry
Get a transit card on day one. The KTX needs its own ticket.
Read about Korea first, its jeong, its well-used mountain, its table that keeps filling, and then use this page. It covers the official K-ETA fee and exemption window, the current KORAIL PASS FX names and Korail’s table in won. Checked 17 August 2026. No invented KTX seat prices.
This page comes later in the trip
The culture desk is the Korea hub. This page covers only the official entry portal and the rail table, for after you know what you came to see.
Entry: K-ETA is the government’s system
Visa-free short stays still follow Korean government rules. For most visa-exempt nationalities the electronic travel authorization is K-ETA. Apply only on the official site or the official app, never on a lookalike such as “korea-eta.com”.
- Official portal: www.k-eta.go.kr
- Application guide (English fee wording): K-ETA Application Guide
- Visas / other cases: visa.go.kr
What the official guide said when we checked (17 Aug 2026)
- Fee: ₩10,000 KRW (the guide also says approximately USD $7 to $8). An online payment fee is charged separately. The fee is non-refundable, even if the application is denied.
- Processing: typically 72 hours or less, though it can take longer at busy times. There is no official expedited service.
- Validity after approval: up to 3 years, or until your passport expires if that comes sooner. The length of each stay is still the visa-free period for your nationality; K-ETA validity is not the same as length of stay.
- Apply before boarding. Approval does not guarantee entry; the immigration officer at the port decides.
Temporary K-ETA exemption (dated government notice)
On 23 Dec 2025 the Ministry of Justice announced that the temporary K-ETA exemption for currently exempt countries and regions is extended from 1 Jan 2026 through 31 Dec 2026 (KST). Exempt travelers see a pop-up when they scan their passport in the application. You may still apply voluntarily, and pay the fee, for the convenience benefits on the arrival card.
Official notice: extension of the K-ETA temporary exemption
Yomu does not publish a full world list of who is exempt. Check your passport on k-eta.go.kr. If a middleman site is not on that domain, treat every won it charges as a private service fee.
Confidence: high on the ₩10,000 fee, the 72-hour wording and the 2026 exemption end date from the Ministry of Justice notice. Medium on whether your nationality is still on the temporary exemption list without checking the live pop-up, because lists change.
KORAIL PASS FX: official products and prices in won
The source of truth for foreign visitors is the Korail global KORAIL PASS guide and the live purchase flow on korail.com/global. On 17 Aug 2026 the live pass-types API still offered only four flexible products:
| Product | Code | Adult (13+) | Child (6–12) |
|---|---|---|---|
| KORAIL PASS FX (2 day use) | F002 | ₩131,000 | ₩66,000 |
| KORAIL PASS FX (3 day use) | F003 | ₩186,000 | ₩93,000 |
| KORAIL PASS FX (4 day use) | F004 | ₩234,000 | ₩117,000 |
| KORAIL PASS FX (5 day use) | F005 | ₩275,000 | ₩138,000 |
How the days work (in the guide’s wording)
- These are select, or FX, products: from the start of the validity window you choose your travel days (the guide says to choose the pass days within 10 days).
- Age bands on the guide table we cite: Adult from age 13; Child 6 to 12. Rules for children under 6 are on the official page (often free without a seat when traveling with an adult; reread before you buy).
- The pass is for foreign visitors riding Korail passenger trains, including the KTX where the product allows. Seat reservations still matter on busy trains: “unlimited” does not mean a guaranteed empty seat at 18:00 on a Friday.
- Recheck the total in won at the official checkout before you pay. We label this table dated because Korail can change its products; it has already folded older consecutive-day passes into the FX codes F002 to F005 on the live API.
One week in Seoul on the metro plus one Busan KTX round trip usually means single tickets. Three long rail days across the peninsula is when to open the FX calculator.
When to skip the pass
- Seoul only, 4 to 7 days: a T-money or climate card, plus walking. No national pass.
- One Seoul to Busan round trip: price the real KTX seats on Korail before you buy multi-day unlimited travel. We do not invent seat fares here.
- Adding Jeju: flights and ferries to the island fall outside Korail’s math. A pass will not fix a crowded calendar.
- Two or more long rail days (Seoul, Busan, Gyeongju and back to Seoul, for example): then compare the 2-day and 3-day FX passes against the sum of the trains you actually want.
Getting around the cities (not the KTX)
Inside Seoul and Busan, daily travel means metro, bus and the occasional taxi. T-money and similar cards are the local habit; buy and top them up at stations and convenience stores. We do not invent deposits or fare scales, because they change. Airport rail and limousine buses are separate from the KORAIL PASS.
A booking order that keeps you focused
- Confirm K-ETA, temporary exemption or visa for your passport on k-eta.go.kr or visa.go.kr.
- Fix your nights along one route: a Seoul base; Seoul and Busan; an optional overnight in Gyeongju; Jeju only with spare days.
- Decide between the pass and single KTX tickets only once your city order is realistic.
- A gentle check on the season: events and blossoms.
- More than one country: the Japan to Korea corridor if you arrive from Fukuoka by sea or air, the Korea to Vietnam corridor and the Korea to Taiwan corridor.
Sources for this page
- Official K-ETA portal, checked 2026-08-17
- K-ETA Application Guide: ₩10,000, about 72 hours, 3-year validity wording
- Ministry of Justice notice: K-ETA temporary exemption through 31 Dec 2026 (KST)
- Korea Visa Portal
- Korail global KORAIL PASS guide (select-pass table in won)
- Korail global English main page and purchase flow: live products F002 to F005, “KORAIL PASS FX (N day use)”, via the pass-types API, 2026-08-17
More on Korea: the hub, Seoul, Busan, top 10, plan and kits.