Since April 2023, Singaporeans and those holding 21 other nationalities have been exempt from the requirement to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation or K-ETA when visiting South Korea, as part of a tourism drive to encourage visitors in the post-COVID era, following many years of strict entry requirements.

That came around six months after the country basically ended all its pandemic-related entry restrictions, in October 2022, with a return to test-free and quarantine-free travel for all those normally eligible to enter as tourists.

Thankfully there’s good news to report, with the K-ETA exemption – originally due to come to an end on 31st December 2024 – now extended by a further year.

K-ETA waiver extended

South Korea’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) is an automated system first adopted in September 2021 to check entry eligibility for those able to travel to the country visa-free.

An application unfortunately carries a 10,000 KRW (~S$10) fee, but an approved ETA is then valid for multiple entries over two years using the same passport.

In many ways, this is not unlike the concept of the ESTA when you travel to the USA, Canada’s eTA system for foreign visitors, or the UK’s upcoming ETA scheme, all of which affect Singaporeans.

South Korea has now announced that “to stimulate the tourism industry”, there will be a one-year extension to the K-ETA waiver for nationals of 22 countries.

This temporary exemption is now valid for arrivals until 31st December 2025.

Nationals of the following countries are eligible for travel without a K-ETA during this period:

This will save travellers around S$10 each on a South Korea trip, plus the hassle of actually completing the application in advance for each family member.

Things to know

Here are a few things to know about this newly announced K-ETA exemption:

• If you are eligible for K-ETA exemption and opt to travel to South Korea without one, you will be required to complete an arrival card and present it to the immigration officer.
• If you already hold a K-ETA approval, you can continue to use it until its expiration date, and you will not be required to complete an arrival card.
• You can still apply for a K-ETA if you wish, even if you have one of the 22 nationalities listed above, at a cost of KRW 10,000 (~S$10 per person), but the only benefit during this period is that you will be exempt from completing the arrival card.
• If you have already submitted your K-ETA application, no refund will be provided, even if you are exempt and arriving within the waiver period.
• If you have an APEC Business Travel Card, there is already no requirement to apply for a K-ETA to travel to South Korea (this news doesn’t change anything for you).

Singapore – South Korea trip process

Here’s the latest process for Singapore citizens (and those from 21 other countries listed above) travelling to South Korea between now and 31st December 2025.

Eligibility & Process
Singapore South Korea

Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) (optional) in advance
Complete an arrival card (only for those without a K-ETA)
No further requirements or restrictions

South Korea thankfully also ditched its Q-code registration system back in July 2023, so travel is effectively 100% back to pre-pandemic norms, at least until Singaporeans require a K-ETA once again from 1st January 2026 onwards.

Singapore – South Korea flights now at 96 per week

Apart from this extended K-ETA waiver, getting to South Korea from Singapore has never been easier.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on December 2019 schedules, three airlines operated 56 weekly non-stop flights between Singapore and Seoul, while two airlines operated eight weekly non-stop flights between Singapore and Busan, for a total of 64 weekly flights linking the two countries.

This is one market that’s rebounded significantly from the pandemic, with 96 weekly non-stop flights to and from Changi currently offered – a 50% increase – operated by six different airlines.

Here’s how it looks, based on December 2024 schedules.

There is definitely no shortage of travel options between the two countries, which include full-service and low-cost carriers, redemption opportunities and even lie-flat ‘budget’ Business Class seats.

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If you cast your mind back to the original Vaccinated Travel Lane between Singapore and South Korea three years ago, you’ll no doubt recall it was a costly (S$600+) and testing process, quite literally, with an array of swabs and self-isolation requirements in both directions of the journey.

Thankfully those days are long behind us and since April 2023 the process has been entirely free of restrictions for most visitors, with the K-ETA application prior to departure axed for Singapore citizens and those with 21 other nationalities.

That benefit, originally due to end on 31st December 2024, has now been extended by a year to 31st December 2025, and that also means a cost saving of around S$10 per person – money that can surely be better spent on a Bibimbap!

With nearly 100 flights per week now running between Singapore and South Korea, a record high, it’s never been easier to take a trip there.

(Cover Photo: Korea Tourism)

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