Do US citizens need a visa for South Korea?
No visa needed. US citizens get up to 90 days in South Korea visa-free — nothing to apply for before you fly. Status per the Passport Index snapshot of 12 January 2025.
Entry rules at a glance
The 12 January 2025 Passport Index snapshot, reduced to this corridor:
| ENTRY REQUIREMENT | NONE — VISA-FREE |
|---|---|
| MAX STAY | 90 DAYS |
| HOW YOU ENTER | PASSPORT STAMP ON ARRIVAL |
| EXTENSIONS | VARIES — CONFIRM VIA HIKOREA.GO.KR |
| DATA SNAPSHOT | PASSPORT INDEX · 2025-01-12 |
Same border, four passports
| Passport | Entry | Max stay | Briefing |
|---|---|---|---|
| US PASSPORT | NONE — VISA-FREE | 90 DAYS | THIS PAGE |
| UK PASSPORT | NONE — VISA-FREE | 90 DAYS | VIEW → |
| CA PASSPORT | NONE — VISA-FREE | 180 DAYS | VIEW → |
| AU PASSPORT | NONE — VISA-FREE | 90 DAYS | VIEW → |
Official sources
Planning South Korea? Start here
People also ask
How long can US citizens stay in South Korea without a visa?
The 12 January 2025 Passport Index snapshot records 90 visa-free days for this corridor. Always verify against hikorea.go.kr close to departure.
Can US citizens extend a stay in South Korea?
Possibly, but this page's dataset covers entry only. Whether and how a stay can be extended is up to the Korea Immigration Service (HiKorea) — confirm on hikorea.go.kr before your original window runs out.
Do I need an onward ticket to enter South Korea?
Airlines and border officers can ask for proof of onward travel regardless of visa status, and enforcement varies. Neither this dataset nor this page can promise you won't be asked — check travel.state.gov and your airline's conditions before departure.
What happens if US citizens overstay in South Korea?
Consequences are set by South Korea's immigration rules and can include fines and re-entry restrictions; they sit outside the scope of the Passport Index dataset. Treat the permitted stay as hard and verify specifics on hikorea.go.kr.
AS OF 2025-01-12 · PASSPORT INDEX SNAPSHOT · NOMAD DESK VISA MATRIX