Do US citizens need a visa for South Korea?
Entry is visa-free. As of the 19 July 2026 visa-matrix snapshot, US citizens can spend up to 90 days in South Korea on a standard passport stamp — no visa application required.
What are South Korea's entry requirements for US citizens?
The 19 July 2026 visa-matrix 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 | VISA-MATRIX · 2026-07-19 |
Which passports need a visa for South Korea?
| 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 — SEE NOTE | VIEW → |
| AU PASSPORT | NONE — VISA-FREE | 90 DAYS | VIEW → |
| NZ PASSPORT | NONE — VISA-FREE | 90 DAYS | VIEW → |
| IE PASSPORT | NONE — VISA-FREE | 90 DAYS — SEE NOTE | VIEW → |
Official sources
Planning South Korea? Start here
People also ask
How long can US citizens stay in South Korea without a visa?
90 days visa-free, as of the 19 July 2026 snapshot of our open visa-matrix dataset. Confirm current rules on hikorea.go.kr before you commit to dates.
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?
Possibly — proof of onward travel is a routine airline and border check that sits outside the visa dataset on this page. Confirm on travel.state.gov and with your carrier before booking a one-way ticket.
What happens if US citizens overstay in South Korea?
This page's dataset covers entry status, not enforcement. In general, overstays risk fines and future refusals anywhere — get the corridor specifics from hikorea.go.kr well before your window closes.
AS OF 2026-07-19 · VISA-MATRIX SNAPSHOT · NOMAD DESK VISA MATRIX