South Korea Passport:
Visa-Free Countries & Entry Rules
Abroad Travel Guide – 182 destinations open to South Korea passport holders without a visa arranged in advance.
South Korea passport holders can currently enter 125 destinations visa-free (including simple eTA authorisations), receive a visa on arrival in 40 countries and apply online for an e-Visa in 17. An embassy visa is still required for 15 destinations. The full breakdown by category is below, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26. Select another passport to compare, and wherever a second citizenship or residency could strengthen your passport, we will show you the way.
How It Works
Select the passport you actually travel with – your citizenship, or the country of your current residence permit. Your passport check will instantly sort every destination into five entry categories. Countries marked with the green icon have citizenship or residency programs available through Abroad Mobility.
without arranging
a visa in advance
Albania90 days
Andorra90 days
Angola30 days
Antigua and Barbuda180 days
Argentina90 days
Armenia180 days
AustraliaeTA
Austria90 days
Azerbaijan30 days
Bahamas90 days
Barbados90 days
Belarus30 days
Belgium90 days
Belize90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina90 days
Botswana90 days
Brazil90 days
Brunei30 days
Bulgaria90 days
CanadaeTA
Chile90 days
China30 days
Colombia90 days
Costa Rica180 days
Croatia90 days
Cyprus90 days
Czech Republic90 days
Denmark90 days
Dominica180 days
Dominican Republic
Ecuador90 days
El Salvador180 days
Estonia90 days
Fiji120 days
Finland90 days
France90 days
Gambia90 days
Georgia360 days
Germany90 days
Greece90 days
Grenada90 days
Guatemala90 days
Guyana30 days
Haiti90 days
Honduras90 days
Hong Kong90 days
Hungary90 days
Iceland90 days
Ireland90 days
Israel90 days
Italy90 days
Ivory CoasteTA
Jamaica90 days
Japan90 days
Kazakhstan30 days
KenyaeTA
Kiribati90 days
Kosovo90 days
Kyrgyzstan60 days
Laos30 days
Latvia90 days
Lesotho14 days
Liechtenstein90 days
Lithuania90 days
Luxembourg90 days
Macao90 days
Malaysia90 days
Malta90 days
Mauritius90 days
Mexico180 days
Micronesia30 days
Moldova90 days
Monaco90 days
Mongolia90 days
Montenegro90 days
Morocco90 days
Mozambique30 days
Netherlands90 days
New ZealandeTA
Nicaragua90 days
North Macedonia90 days
Norway90 days
PakistaneTA
Panama90 days
Papua New GuineaeTA
Paraguay30 days
Peru180 days
Philippines30 days
Poland90 days
Portugal90 days
Romania90 days
Russia60 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis90 days
Saint Lucia42 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines90 days
San Marino90 days
Sao Tome and Principe15 days
Senegal90 days
Serbia90 days
Seychelles90 days
Singapore90 days
Slovakia90 days
Slovenia90 days
South Africa30 days
Spain90 days
Swaziland30 days
Sweden90 days
Switzerland90 days
Taiwan90 days
Tajikistan30 days
Thailand90 days
Trinidad and Tobago90 days
Tunisia90 days
Turkey90 days
Ukraine90 days
United Arab Emirates90 days
United KingdomeTA
United StateseTA
Uruguay90 days
Uzbekistan30 days
Vanuatu120 days
Vatican90 days
Venezuela90 days
Vietnam45 days
Zambia90 daysEnter with just your passport, no visa needed. Some destinations require a simple electronic travel authorization (eTA). Permitted stay length is shown for each country.
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bolivia
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Comoros
Djibouti
Egypt
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Namibia
Nepal
Oman
Palau
Qatar
Rwanda
Samoa
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
ZimbabweA visa is issued when you land, usually a short form and a fee right at the border. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cuba
DR Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Guinea
Libya
Myanmar
Nigeria
Somalia
South Sudan
Syria
Togo
UgandaApply online before you travel; approval usually arrives within a few days by email. No embassy visit needed, you land with the document ready.
Afghanistan
Algeria
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Eritrea
Liberia
Mali
Nauru
Niger
North Korea
Sudan
Suriname
Turkmenistan
YemenA visa must be obtained before travelling, via an embassy or consulate of the destination country.
No destinations in this category.
Entry is currently not permitted for holders of this passport. Rules change; always verify before planning a trip.
About the South Korea Passport
The South Korea passport is one of the strongest available, ranked 2nd and firmly in the top tier. It grants visa-free entry to 125 destinations, and total mobility, including eTA, visa on arrival and e-Visa access, is 182.
Europe leads with 45 visa-free destinations, and Oceania trails with seven. Korean citizens can enter France and the Schengen area, Japan, China, Singapore, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates without a visa, and the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia require only an eTA. Very few restrictions remain anywhere on the map. Because access is already broad, a second citizenship such as Sierra Leone CIP could add up to 3 destinations, so residency or a second passport may be worth considering for business, tax or family reasons instead of travel.
Visa-Free Access by Region
South Korea passport holders can enter 125 destinations visa-free or with a simple eTA. Destinations with a green outline have residency or citizenship programs you can explore.
Europe 45
Asia 25
Africa 16
North America 22
Oceania 7
How South Korea Compares
| Passport | Rank | Mobility | Visa-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | #2 | 182 | 133 |
| Luxembourg | #2 | 182 | 132 |
| Netherlands | #2 | 182 | 132 |
| Norway | #2 | 182 | 130 |
| Portugal | #2 | 182 | 131 |
 South Korea | #2 | 182 | 125 |
| Sweden | #2 | 182 | 134 |
| Switzerland | #2 | 182 | 129 |
| Australia | #3 | 181 | 117 |
| Croatia | #3 | 181 | 125 |
| Hungary | #3 | 181 | 126 |
The top-ranked Denmark passport (#1) opens 183 destinations, 1 more destination than the South Korea passport.
Upgrade Your Mobility
Citizenship by investment programs whose passports open the most destinations that South Korea passport holders cannot enter today without an embassy visa.
Recent Changes
- Azerbaijanfrom Visa on arrival to Visa-freeSource
Frequently Asked Questions
How many countries can South Korea passport holders visit without a visa?
South Korea passport holders can visit 125 destinations visa-free (including destinations that only ask for an eTA), plus 40 with a visa on arrival and 17 with an e-Visa. That gives a mobility score of 182 out of 197 destinations, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26.
What is the South Korea passport ranking?
The South Korea passport ranks #2 in the Abroad Mobility passport ranking, a position shared with 14 other passports, with a mobility score of 182. The ranking covers 198 passports on 77 positions: passports with the same score share a position and the next score takes the next number. It counts destinations open visa-free, with an eTA, with a visa on arrival or with an e-Visa. The top-ranked passport is Denmark with 183 destinations.
Do South Korea passport holders need a visa for the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada?
Schengen area (checked against France): visa-free, up to 90 days. United Kingdom: visa-free with an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) before departure. United States: visa-free with an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) before departure. Canada: visa-free with an eTA (electronic travel authorisation) before departure. Always confirm the current rules with the official government source before you travel.
Which countries offer visa on arrival to South Korea passport holders?
40 destinations issue a visa on arrival to South Korea passport holders: India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde and 30 more. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.
Which countries require a visa for South Korea passport holders?
South Korea passport holders need a visa arranged in advance for 15 destinations, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Liberia, Mali and 7 more.
How can a South Korea passport holder get a stronger second passport?
Citizenship by investment programs grant a second passport in return for an approved investment. For South Korea passport holders, the programs in our database that add the most destinations are Sierra Leone CIP (+3 destinations, from USD $140,000, about 2 months), Egypt CIP (+2 destinations, from USD $282,500, about 6 months) and Saint Lucia CIP (+1 destinations, from USD $240,000, about 18 months). Abroad Mobility can help you compare eligibility, timelines and the full process.
Check Another Passport
Every passport has its own page with the full visa-free, visa on arrival, e-Visa and visa required breakdown - open one and share the link.
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