South Korea Entry Requirements

Kids with both parents? Just their passport. That's it. Add K-ETA or visa if required, done. One parent traveling? Pack a notarized consent letter from the absent parent. Include their phone number and passport copy. Immigration won't always ask. They might. This stops child abduction concerns, standard procedure. Non-parent guardian? Same rule. Notarized letter, contact details, passport copy. Carry copies, not originals. Unaccompanied minors follow airline rules. Each carrier sets their own policy. They'll want extra paperwork from parents or guardians. Check before you book. Children under 17 skip biometric enrollment at immigration. No fingerprints, no photos. Just walk through.

South Korea will take your pets, if you do the paperwork right. Advance prep is non-negotiable. First, get an ISO-standard microchip implanted before any rabies vaccination. Second, the rabies shot itself must be given at least 30 days before travel. But not more than 12 months prior. Third, you need an official health certificate from a licensed veterinarian, endorsed by the USDA/CFIA/equivalent authority in your country, this must be done within 10 days of departure. Fourth, secure an import permit from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA). Apply at least 7 days before arrival at qia.go.kr. Pets arriving without proper documentation face quarantine, up to 10 days, at the owner's expense, or they may be refused entry entirely. Some breeds classified as dangerous under Korean law face additional restrictions.

You can't extend a visa-free or C-3 tourist visa inside Korea, end of story. Extensions are almost never granted and require documented medical emergencies, natural disasters, or similar justification. The smart move? Apply for the correct long-stay visa from a Korean embassy or consulate before you leave home. Your choices are straightforward: D-2 (student), E-series (employment), F-1 (visiting family), F-4 (overseas Korean heritage), or the H-1 Working Holiday Visa for eligible nationalities. Qualified professionals can use the D-10 Job Seeker Visa to stay while hunting for work. Visa runs, exiting to Japan to reset your tourist clock, are legal but risky. Do it repeatedly and immigration officers will notice. They can and will refuse re-entry to anyone they suspect of living in Korea on endless tourist stamps.

USFK runs a parallel legal system. If you're military, DoD civilian, or a dependent under SOFA in South Korea, you're living under rules most tourists never see. Keep your military ID and SOFA paperwork on you, always. Follow your unit's in-processing steps to the letter. Visiting a loved one near Camp Humphreys, Camp Casey, Osan Air Base, or any other installation? Call your sponsor first. Each base sets its own visitor rules, and those rules shift with the security level. No exceptions.

Drug conviction? Fraud? Violent crime? South Korea can turn you away, right at the gate. No blanket rule exists. Each case is judged by immigration officers, one traveler at a time. Anyone with a record who worries about getting in should call Korea Immigration Service (1345) or speak to a Korean immigration attorney before buying a ticket. Lie on the form or K-ETA application about your past and you'll be on the next plane out, plus you'll never be allowed back.