UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) — South Korea
The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a simple online permission required for
passport holders from
eligible countries before they travel to or transit through the United Kingdom for short
visits. It is intended
to speed up low-risk travel while improving security checks prior to arrival.
From 8 January 2025, South Korean passport holders must hold a valid UK
ETA to enter or transit
the United Kingdom for short stays. Applications opened online from 27 November
2024.
This system complements existing visas — it is for short visits only and does not
replace long-term visas.
ETA applications are completed online and screened against UK immigration and security
records. Most straightforward
applications are approved automatically, but some may need manual review by immigration
officials.
The ETA rollout began in 2023 and has progressively included additional countries. South
Korean travellers should
confirm their ETA status before booking travel to avoid boarding or border delays.
An approved UK ETA generally allows multiple short visits — each up to 6
months — for purposes such as:
- Tourism and holidays.
- Visiting friends or family.
- Business meetings and short professional visits.
- Short-term study (courses up to six months).
- Permitted paid engagements and Creative Worker concessions (up to 3 months in
specific cases).
- Transit through the UK (airside or landside).
How many South Koreans visit the UK?
The UK remains a popular long-haul destination for South Koreans. In recent official
figures (2023) visits
from South Korea numbered in the low hundreds of thousands — making the UK a key
destination for tourism,
culture and education from Korea.
These flows are steadily recovering post-pandemic, and the ETA aims to make short trips
simpler to arrange.
