Asia
South Korea visa
Seoul
Korea splits travellers in two. If your passport is on the visa-free list you do not need a visa at all — you need a K-ETA, applied for online, valid three years or until your passport expires, and usable for as many trips as you make in that time. It must be approved before you board, so the 72-hour assessment window is a hard floor rather than a guideline, and applying the night before a flight is how people miss them. Everyone else applies for a conventional visa. We establish which of the two you are before anything is booked.
- K-ETA usually assessed within 72 hoursTypical processing
- K-ETA valid 3 years, multiple useTypical validity
Indicative only — actual processing time and validity are set by the embassy and depend on your nationality, residency and travel history.
How the process works
Free eligibility check
We confirm which visa applies to your nationality and residency.
Document preparation
Your file is reviewed and corrected before anything is submitted.
Appointment & submission
We book the appointment and guide you through biometrics.
Tracking & collection
We track the application and hand back your passport.
Documents you'll usually need
- Passport valid for at least 6 months with blank pages
- UAE residence visa copy (valid at least 3 months)
- Emirates ID copy (front and back)
- Recent passport-size photographs to embassy specification
- Bank statements for the last 3-6 months
- Employment contract or NOC letter from your employer
- Confirmed flight and hotel reservations
- Travel medical insurance for the trip duration
Requirements vary. South Korea may ask for additional documents depending on your nationality and purpose of travel. Send us your details and we'll confirm the exact list before you start.
Guides for South Korea
Written by our visa desk in Dubai, and kept current.
