South Korea: visa and entry rules
What you need to get in, how long you may stay, and what an overstay costs
South Korea's borders: every crossing point
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South Korea's only land neighbour is North Korea, and the border with it is closed. The demilitarised zone is not a border crossing, and it cannot be crossed as a tourist.
In practice the country works like an island: all entry is by air and by sea.
The main flow goes through Incheon airport, the largest hub in the region.
By sea there are ferries to China and Japan — from Incheon to Qingdao and Weihai, from Busan to Fukuoka and Osaka. This is the only way into the country other than by plane.
DMZ tours exist, but that is a trip to the border, not across it.
Bringing a car into South Korea
You cannot reach the country overland under your own steam — its only land border is closed.
Cars are brought in by ferry from China or Japan, and that is a separate customs procedure rather than a tourist scenario.
Ask the local customs service about the conditions for importing a car into South Korea. The rules of the neighbouring countries do not work here.
An International Driving Permit is required for renting.
Travelling to South Korea with a pet
An international-standard microchip is compulsory.
The rabies vaccination must be given well ahead of time and be valid on the date of entry.
A rabies antibody test is required, and the result must be obtained in advance.
An international veterinary certificate is required.
Quarantine applies when the set of documents is incomplete.
Check the timings for South Korea with the national veterinary service before buying tickets.
Overstaying your visa in South Korea
A fine is charged for exceeding the permitted period and is paid on departure.
The officer names the exact sum as you leave. The rates in South Korea have changed more than once and figures from reference sources cannot be relied on — take plenty of cash to the border.
An entry ban is applied and recorded in the database, and after a violation K-ETA stops being approved.
Both limits have to be counted: you can overstay the 60 days per entry as well as the 90 days per half-year.
What else to check before you go
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Entry rules change faster than anything else on this site, and they change without notice. We cross-check every page against several sources and state the date it was verified, but that does not replace the main step: before you travel, check an official source — the country’s consulate, its immigration service or its e-visa portal. Especially if more than a couple of months have passed since our check.