South Korean passport: where you can go visa-free

With a South Korean passport, you need no visa for 30 of the 40 destinations we check abroad, and only an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) for 5 more. Of the rest, 4 need eVisas you apply for online and 1 needs a visa on arrival.

At a glance

30No visa needed
5Visa-free with a travel authorisation (eTA)
1Visa on arrival
4eVisa: apply online before you go

South Korea is your own country, so it isn't counted here. Citizens have the right to enter and live here.

Visa365 checks 41 destinations: 40 countries and the Schengen Area, which counts as one. It isn't every country in the world, and the stay limits still apply.

Your longest stays without a visa

The longest single stays South Korean passport holders can make without applying for a visa in advance (no visa needed, or just an eTA), starting with no days used.

Georgia365 days365 days per visit
Canadaup to 180 daysUp to 180 days per visit · eTA needed
Costa Ricaup to 180 daysUp to 180 days per visit
Mexicoup to 180 daysUp to 180 days per visit
United Kingdomup to 180 daysUp to 180 days per visit · eTA needed

Where it says "up to", the officer at the border sets your stay. The officer can give you fewer days; the date on your stamp or entry record is what counts. A rolling limit (such as 90 days in any 180) also caps your time over the window, so leaving and coming back doesn't reset it. See every destination ranked.

Every destination for a South Korean passport

No visa needed (30)

You can travel there without applying for a visa. The stay limit still applies.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Albania	90 days in any 180 days	Visa-free visitors may stay 90 days within 180 days of entry. mb.gov.al
Argentina	90 days per visit	ctoro.cancilleria.gob.ar
Bosnia and Herzegovina	90 days in any 184 days	Up to 90 days in a six-month period starting from the day of entry (counted as 184 days). mvp.gov.ba
Brazil	90 days per visit and 180 days in any 366 days (both limits apply)	The Federal Police can extend a stay, up to 180 days a year (window of 366 days). gov.br
Chile	90 days per visit	Can be extended once by up to 90 days. serviciomigraciones.cl
Colombia	90 days per visit and 180 days per calendar year (both limits apply)	The 90-day permit can be extended, up to 180 days per calendar year. migracioncolombia.gov.co
Costa Rica	Up to 180 days per visit	The officer sets the stay, up to 180 days. migracion.go.cr
Cyprus	90 days in any 180 days	Visa-free stays of up to 90 days; Cyprus is not yet a full Schengen member. gov.cy
Ecuador	90 days in any 366 days	90 days in the year from first entry (counted as 366 days); can be extended once by up to 90 days. gob.ec
Georgia	365 days per visit	Citizens of listed countries may enter and stay for one full year without a visa. geoconsul.gov.ge
Ireland	Up to 90 days per visit	The border officer sets the permitted stay, up to 90 days; check the stamp. irishimmigration.ie
Japan	90 days per visit	mofa.go.jp
Malaysia	90 days per visit	Tourism or business visits; each passport's 90 days confirmed by its foreign ministry or a Malaysian mission (#92). kln.gov.my
Mexico	Up to 180 days per visit	The officer sets the number of days, up to 180. gob.mx
Montenegro	90 days in any 180 days	Up to 90 days within 180 days counted from the first entry. gov.me
Morocco	90 days per visit	An extension can be requested at a Moroccan police station. gov.uk
North Macedonia	90 days in any 180 days	Visa-free stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. portal.mdt.gov.mk
Panama	90 days per visit	Allowed stay is 3 months. embassyofpanama.org
Peru	Up to 90 days per visit and 183 days in any 366 days (both limits apply)	The officer sets the days on entry (window of 366 days). consulado.pe
Philippines	30 days per visit	Initial stay; needs a return or onward ticket. losangelespcg.org
Schengen Area	90 days in any 180 days	ETIAS is announced but not yet in operation, so no travel authorisation is needed yet. travel-europe.europa.eu
Serbia	90 days in any 184 days	Up to 90 days in a 6-month period starting from the first entry (counted as 184 days). mfa.gov.rs
Singapore	Length not confirmedLength set by the officer at entry and shown on your e-Pass, emailed after arrival; ICA publishes no fixed number.	ica.gov.sg
South Africa	30 days per visit	dirco.gov.za
Taiwan	90 days per visit	Not extendable. boca.gov.tw
Thailand	90 days per visit	Under a bilateral visa exemption agreement. rome.thaiembassy.org
Türkiye (Turkey)	90 days in any 180 days	Tourist stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. mfa.gov.tr
United Arab Emirates	90 days in any 180 days	Up to 90 days within the last 180 days (Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs). 0404.go.kr
Uruguay	90 days per visit	gub.uy
Vietnam	45 days per visit	Resolution 44/NQ-CP, in force until 14 March 2028. vnembassy-jp.org

Visa-free with a travel authorisation (eTA) (5)

No visa, but you need an electronic travel authorisation before you travel.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Australia	90 days per visit	Valid 12 months for stays of up to 3 months at a time; apply in the Australian ETA app. immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
Canada	Up to 180 days per visit	Usually up to 6 months, but the officer may set a shorter stay; the date stamped or recorded at entry is what counts. canada.ca
New Zealand	90 days per visit and 180 days in any 366 days (both limits apply)	No more than 6 months in any 12-month period (window of 366 days). immigration.govt.nz
United Kingdom	Up to 180 days per visit	Visitors can usually stay up to 6 months per visit and must not live in the UK through frequent visits. gov.ukOur guide to the UK ETA
United States	90 days per visit	Visa Waiver Program: ESTA required, no extension of stay. cbp.gov

Visa on arrival (1)

You get the visa when you arrive.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Indonesia	30 days per visit	Single-entry Visitor Visa, bought online in advance or on arrival. evisa.imigrasi.go.id

eVisa: apply online before you go (4)

You apply online for a visa before you go.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Cambodia	30 days per visit	Single-entry tourist visa, also available on arrival; extendable once. evisa.gov.kh
Egypt	30 days per visit	Single-entry tourist visa for 30 days; US and UK citizens can also buy it on arrival. travel.state.gov
India	30 days per visit	Pre-fill is the 30-day e-Tourist visa (valid 30 days from first arrival). 1- and 5-year e-Tourist visas: up to 90 days per visit, 180 per calendar year. indianvisaonline.gov.in
Sri Lanka	30 days per visit	Free tourist ETA with double entry; the 30 days run from first arrival. eta.gov.lk

Planning time in Europe

With a South Korean passport, the answer for the Schengen Area is no visa needed, for up to 90 days in any 180 days, and days in all its member states count together. Work out your own dates with the Schengen 90/180 calculator, and see where in Europe you can go when your Schengen days run out.

Digital nomad visas you can apply for

In our checked data, South Korean passport holders are among those who can apply for digital nomad visas in these 31 countries. Each is a national visa or permit with its own income and other requirements: open the official page before you apply.

AlbaniaOne-year single permit for digital mobile workers, applied for while legally in Albania. mb.gov.al
ArgentinaTransitory residence for 180 days, extendable once by 180; only for visa-exempt nationalities. argentina.gob.ar
BrazilTemporary visa (VITEM XIV) for 1 year, renewable once. gov.br
BulgariaOne-year residence permit, renewable once for one more year; average annual income of at least 50 Bulgarian minimum monthly wages. iisda.government.bg
ColombiaVisa V for digital nomads and remote workers, up to 2 years. cancilleria.gov.co
Costa RicaRemote worker stay of 1 year, renewable once; needs US$3,000 a month from abroad. migracion.go.cr
CroatiaTemporary stay for up to 18 months; a shorter grant can be extended by up to 6 months; needs at least 2.5 times Croatia's average net monthly salary. mup.gov.hr
CyprusResidence permit for 1 year, renewable for 2 more years; capped at 500 permits. gov.cy
CzechiaLong-stay visa of up to 1 year for IT and marketing professionals, extendable for employees; income at least 1.5 times the Czech average gross salary. mpo.gov.cz
EcuadorTemporary residence for remote work, up to 2 years. gob.ec
EstoniaLong-stay D visa for up to 1 year; needs income of at least €4,500 a month (gross) in the 6 months before applying. washington.mfa.ee
GreeceNational visa for up to 12 months, then a 2-year residence permit can be applied for in Greece; income of at least €3,500 a month (net for employees). migration.gov.gr
HungaryWhite Card valid up to 1 year, extendable once for another year; needs net income of at least €3,000 a month for 6 months before entry. oif.gov.hu
IndonesiaE33G remote worker visa: up to 1 year; needs at least US$60,000 a year from a foreign employer. evisa.imigrasi.go.id
ItalyResidence permit issued for 1 year, renewable in Italy; needs yearly income of at least three times the healthcare-contribution exemption level. consnewyork.esteri.it
Japan6 months, not extendable; needs annual income of at least 10 million yen. moj.go.jp
LatviaLong-stay visa for 1 year; employer or own business must be registered in an OECD country, earning at least 2.5 times Latvia's average gross wage. pmlp.gov.lv
MalaysiaDE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable for 12 more (24 in total); needs USD 24,000 a year (tech) or USD 60,000 (non-tech). mdec.my
MaltaPermit issued for 1 year, renewable at Residency Malta's discretion; needs gross income of at least €42,000 a year. nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt
MontenegroTemporary residence for up to 2 years, extendable once for up to 2 more years. digitalnomads.gov.me
PanamaShort-stay remote worker visa for 9 months, extendable once by 9; needs foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year. migracion.gob.pa
PortugalTemporary stay visa for less than a year, multiple entries; needs average monthly income of at least four times Portugal's minimum wage. vistos.mne.gov.ptResidence permit valid 2 years, renewable for 3-year periods; needs average monthly income of at least four times Portugal's minimum wage. aima.gov.pt
Romania90-day long-stay visa, then a 6-month residence permit that can be extended; income at least 3 times Romania's average gross monthly salary. igi.mai.gov.ro
SloveniaUp to 1 year and cannot be extended; reapply 6 months after expiry; monthly funds at least twice Slovenia's average net monthly salary. gov.si
South AfricaVisitor's visa endorsed for remote work for a foreign employer, for over 3 months up to 3 years; needs income of at least R650,976 a year. gov.za
SpainVisa for up to 1 year, then a 3-year residence permit applied for in Spain; needs monthly income of at least 200% of Spain's minimum wage. exteriores.gob.es
Sri Lanka1 year, renewable annually; needs at least USD 2,000 a month remitted to Sri Lanka. immigration.gov.lk
Taiwan6 months, extendable in 6-month steps up to 2 years in total. digitalnomad.ndc.gov.tw
ThailandDestination Thailand Visa: valid 5 years, up to 180 days per entry, extendable once by 180 days. london.thaiembassy.org
United Arab EmiratesVirtual work visa for 1 year, extendable; needs income of at least US$3,500 a month from work outside the UAE. gdrfad.gov.ae
UruguayProvisional identity card for digital nomads, 180 days, renewable once for 180. gub.uy

Compare every digital nomad visa

How these limits are counted

Days in any rolling window: On any day, the days you've spent there in the window up to that day must not go over the limit. Older days drop out as the window moves forward, so your days left change as you travel. Some countries count the period from your first entry instead; the notes say when.
Days per visit: Each stay is counted from the day you arrive until the day you leave. The notes list any extra conditions, such as how often you can enter.
Days per calendar year: Every day you spend there between 1 January and 31 December adds up, across all your visits, and the count starts again on 1 January.
90 days in any 180 days: On any day, look back over the last 180 days: you can have spent at most 90 of them in the Schengen Area. All 29 Schengen states count together as one area.

How days are counted. Visa365 counts any part of a day as a full day, so the day you travel counts for both countries. That way it leans towards counting more days, not fewer. Official rules can count differently, so check each country's sources.

Questions

How many countries can South Korean passport holders visit without a visa?

Of the 40 destinations we check abroad (39 countries and the Schengen Area, which counts as one), you need no visa for 30. In 5 more you need no visa but an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) before you travel: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. This covers only the destinations we check, not every country in the world, and stay limits still apply. Always check the official source before you travel.

Where can South Korean passport holders stay the longest without a visa?

Of the destinations we check, the longest single stays without applying for a visa in advance are: Georgia (no visa, 365 days per visit), Canada (eTA, up to 180 days per visit), Costa Rica (no visa, up to 180 days per visit), Mexico (no visa, up to 180 days per visit) and the United Kingdom (eTA, up to 180 days per visit). Where it says "up to", the officer can give you fewer days. A rolling limit also caps repeat visits, so check how each one is counted.

How long can South Korean passport holders stay in the Schengen Area?

With a South Korean passport, the answer is no visa needed, for up to 90 days in any 180 days. ETIAS is announced but not yet in operation, so no travel authorisation is needed yet. Official source: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias/about-etias/who-should-apply

Where do South Korean passport holders need a visa?

Of the destinations we check, you need an eVisa (applied for online) for Cambodia, Egypt, India and Sri Lanka; and a visa on arrival for Indonesia. Each country page has the details and the official source.

Which digital nomad visas can South Korean passport holders apply for?

South Korean passport holders are among those who can apply in 31 countries in our checked data: Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Ecuador, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Montenegro, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay. Each is a national visa or permit with its own income and other requirements, so check its official page before you apply.

Other passports

Compare all 44 passports or pick a passport and sort every destination.

This page is general information to help you plan, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules change and depend on your passport and circumstances: always check the official sources linked here before you travel.