This article will cover the most popular methods of payment, like cash and credit cards, as well as other methods, such as mobile payment apps, Korean debit cards, and transportation cards. From street food to shopping, sightseeing, and singing rooms, spending money in Korea doesn’t need to be difficult.

I’ve lived and travelled in Korea since 2015 and helped hundreds of people plan their trip to Korea through this website and social media groups. I want to share all of my best tips to help you save money, avoid problems, shop, and spend in Korea more easily and to help you plan your Korean adventure.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Cash Or Card: What’s The Best Way To Pay In Korea?

Which is better, cash or card when you want to pay in Korea? Well, it depends on a number of factors, such as what you’re buying, where you’re buying it from, and which country you’re visiting from. You might use cash to pay for small purchases in stores, traditional markets, or for street food, but as all merchants in Korea are required to accept credit cards by law, the need for cash is shrinking.

Using a credit card is the best payment method in Korea and will allow you to pay safely and conveniently for tours, hotels, meals, coffee, and more. Visa and Mastercard are accepted widely for payments in Korea from small purchases in shops to large payments like hotels and tours. However, using a foreign credit card isn’t 100% reliable for payments, so taking cash is a good backup.

Korea is fast becoming a cash-free society with a strong push for digital payments through apps, as well as the use of credit cards and mobile payments. Public transport has long rewarded travellers who don’t use cash with discounted fares available through transportation cards. These days, many buses are cash-free and won’t accept cash in cities like Seoul (20% of buses) and Daejeon (all buses).

If you don’t want to pay with your credit card when travelling in Korea, an alternative is a multi-currency travel card, such as those offered by Wise and Revolut, as well as payment apps such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. These are becoming more common as a means to spend money when visiting Korea and a way to possibly save money vs. exchanging cash.

Recommended Money Mix For Visiting Korea

What payment options would I recommend for Korea? From my own experience of travelling abroad for over 20 years, I recommend a mixture of cash and card, as well as paying for as much as you can before travelling so you can pay in your home currency. Booking hotels, tours, and attractions through sites like Klook.com can potentially save you money and avoid exchange fees.

Here’s a suggested money mix for visiting Korea:

• Bring 20-30% of your budget in cash (Korean won or your own currency).
  • You can withdraw extra cash using a credit card or multi-currency card if you need to.
• Bring a credit card or multi-currency card for the other 70-80% of expenses.
  • Alternatively, get a WOWPASS when you arrive in Korea and bring more cash to top it up.
• Book as much as possible online before you travel.
  • Online prices for attractions are generally much cheaper than the gate prices.

Despite Korea being card-friendly, there are still times when you need cash, so definitely bring some with you or withdraw it from a Global ATM in Korea. I suggest using a card for most of your spending as it’s quick, convenient, and increasingly the only option due to Korea’s move away from using cash.

Which card you bring depends on what you’re comfortable using. I travel using a Wise multi-currency card to make payments and receive money in Korea from my own account and other sources. When I travel to other countries in Asia, such as Thailand, I don’t use my UK credit card as my bank charges me an exchange fee. It’s much cheaper for me to transfer money to my Wise card instead.

Another option that I would recommend to travellers, especially those from other parts of Asia, is bringing cash and loading it onto a WOWPASS, which is a Korean debit card. The WOWPASS allows you to exchange money from 15 foreign currencies into Korean won and load it onto the debit card, which you can use to pay across Korea.

I’ll cover each of the payment methods discussed above in the following sections so you can get a better idea of the pros and cons of each and whether it’s the right way for you or not.

Disclaimer: This guide is intended to provide you information about payment options in Korea and the practicality of using each. I don’t think there is one payment option that is suitable for all travellers and I recommend you look at your own situation and determine what’s best for you based on exchange fees from your country, fees charged by your bank, and whether your credit card works overseas.

Paying By Debit And Credit Card In Korea

Credit cards from Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Korea and will work in most locations, including tourist attractions, hotels, shops, department stores, and restaurants. American Express is also accepted, but not as widely. Using your credit card in Korea can be a great way to build up points / miles and your card may have other benefits, such as travel insurance.

While larger businesses are likely to accept foreign credit cards, you might find that smaller ones refuse to accept them or are unable to process them, which is why I recommend bringing some cash or getting a Korean debit card just in case. However, in most places, especially in tourist-friendly places like Seoul, Busan, and Gyeongju, international credit cards should be accepted without any problems.

Here are some considerations when deciding whether you should pay by credit card in Korea:

Foreign Exchange Fees: Your bank may charge you a fee when you use your credit card overseas. Be sure to check with your bank before travelling so you don’t find unexpected costs when you return.

ATMs: Foreign credit cards should work at ‘Global ATMs’ in popular tourist areas like Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Gangnam, as well as at Incheon Airport. However, other ATMs in Korea may not accept non-Korean credit cards. There is usually a fee to use a Korean ATM of around ₩3,600 (about $3). Also, Korean ATMs don’t operate 24 hours a day and close around 11pm at night.

Chip & Pin Use: Card payments in Korea are done by touching the card to a card reader or inserting the card and signing for the payment if it’s over ₩50,000. Chip & Pin isn’t commonly used in Korea.

Blocked Cards: Your bank may block your credit card when travelling as a security measure. It might be necessary to tell your bank that you plan to travel to Korea so they don’t block it later on.

Fraud & Card Security: Credit card fraud against tourists in Korea isn’t a serious issue, although it can still happen. Phishing is a growing problem in Korea, but usually against Koreans instead of tourists.

Pay Before You Travel: You can book tours, hotels, attractions, and lots more online before you travel and pay with your credit card. These will charge you in your own currency, so there’s no exchange rate fees and you also have peace of mind that everything is booked before you arrive in Korea.

Debit Cards: If your debit card is from Visa, Mastercard, or American Express, you should be fine using it to pay in Korea in the same way you can a credit card, as long as your bank allows it. However, the same issues will apply when trying to withdraw money from an ATM – you’ll need to go to a ‘Global ATM’ to withdraw cash. Also, you’ll need to check if your bank allows you to use it internationally.

Multi-Currency Cards: Wise And Revolut

I know many travellers feel comfortable using their own credit card due to the various benefits their credit card might offer, but there is another way to pay in Korea that could lower the fees you pay. This alternative is a multi-currency travel card, which allows you to convert money from your home currency to Korean won online and then use that balance to pay by card in Korea.

There are many companies that offer multi-currency travel cards, including Wise and Revolut, which are available to residents of the USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and many other countries. Starling Bank (UK), YouTrip (Singapore), Chime (US), N26 (Eurozone), and KOHO (Canada) also provide multiple-currency travel cards.

The main benefits of these cards can include:

• Top-up from your home bank account.
• Only spend what you need.
• No transaction fees when you pay by card.*
• You get the mid-market exchange rate.*
• Withdraw cash from ATMs.
• Track your spending with the app.
• Instantly freeze and replace your card.
• Digital payments through Google / Apple Pay*
• Can be used in dozens of countries.*

*depending on the card and the terms and conditions of that card

What’s good about these cards? Multi-currency cards offer a lot of flexibility and cost savings when travelling as you can get the mid-market exchange rate on currency exchanges, which is typically better than the rates offered by money exchanges. It’s easy to control your spending in the connected app and you can transfer more money to the card when you need it. Any leftover money can be refunded, saved for later, or converted into another currency. You can also use them in other countries.

How do these cards let you pay in Korea? The process is really simple. First, apply for the card before you travel and download the relevant app that goes with it. Transfer money from your bank to top-up the card balance in your home currency and then convert that into Korean won (or other currencies you might need). When you arrive in Korea, use the card as you would a regular credit card.

My experience using Wise in Korea: I’ve tested out both the Wise card and Revolut card in Korea and they both worked with no real problems. I tested them in restaurants, shops, cafes, attractions, and other places tourists are likely to visit. The only time they didn’t work was at an automated kiosk for train tickets in Seoul Station. I use the Wise card to spend my UK money in Korea or when I travel.

Learn more: This article about using Wise in Korea shows you how to get a Wise card, how it can save you money as you travel (in many countries), how to activate the card in Korea, and lots more.

WOWPASS Korean Debit Card

An alternative to using your own credit card to pay in Korea is to get a local Korean debit card called the WOWPASS. The WOWPASS has two great functions that make it a practical solution for travellers to Korea, especially those from countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Debit Card Function: The main feature of the WOWPASS is the ability to pay like a local in Korea with a debit card issued by a Korean company, which is accepted in most locations. You can exchange 15 currencies, including PHP, IDR, MYR, THB, into Korean won to top-up the debit card (up to a value of 1 million won) at the WOWPASS terminals found across Korea. This helps you to avoid exchanging cash elsewhere and you can withdraw cash from the card in Korean won, too.

T-Money Function: The WOWPASS comes with a built in T-Money transportation card, which means you can use it to travel on Korea’s buses and subways. This makes it really easy to travel around Korea and you can simply touch in and out of buses and subways as you travel and the fee will be automatically deducted.

My experience using WOWPASS in Korea: I wrote an article about the WOWPASS and tried using the card in loads of locations in Seoul, Incheon Airport, and Daejeon. It’s very easy to use and the app helps you find the WOWPASS machines where you can recharge the card and exchange money. I still use the card now and I would definitely recommend it as an option for people visiting Korea.

Learn more: Read my guide to the WOWPASS to see how to get one, where it works, how to top it up, ways it can save you money, and my experience using the WOWPASS in Korea.

Cash And Traveller’s Cheques

South Korea’s currency is called the Korean won (₩) and comes in ₩1,000, ₩5,000 ₩10,000 and ₩50,000 notes as well as coins in ₩1, ₩5, ₩10, ₩50, ₩100, and ₩500 denominations. The value of the Korean won can be confusing to travellers from countries where the numbers of the currency are much smaller, such as in the USA, Europe, and the UK.

To understand the value of Korean money, I find it easier to remember what each one will buy you in Korea. A bottle of water costs around ₩1,000, a coffee costs about ₩5,000, a Korean meal costs around ₩10,000, and a budget to mid-range hotel costs about ₩100,000 per night, depending on the season and location.

Paying with cash in Korea is becoming more difficult as restaurants, supermarkets, public transportation, and attractions are moving towards automated kiosks that only accept card or digital payments. However, you will need some cash to pay to top-up transportation cards, such as the T-Money card, which is why it’s useful to have cash before you travel.

Cash is still important and it will certainly be useful to carry it with you as you explore Korea’s markets and food stalls, which should be happy to accept cash. However, as a tipping culture doesn’t exist in Korea, you don’t really need to worry about keeping small bills with you to leave tips. Koreans won’t expect tips in almost all situations.

Where To Exchange Money In Korea

The best place to convert your foreign currency into Korean won is at a money exchange in Seoul, especially in popular tourist areas such as Hongdae and Myeongdong. The aforementioned WOWPASS machines are also great for converting foreign currency into Korean won (to pay by debit card) and both rates are better than airport exchange rates.

As research for this article, I visited money exchanges in Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Incheon Airport, as well as checking the rates given at WOWPASS machines. Overall, the rates were worst at the airport and best with WOWPASS. Here are the rates offered on this specific day (June 29th, 2023) for converting USD to KRW:

• Airport exchange rate: $1 = ₩1,249.00
• Seoul money exchange: $1 = ₩1,287.80
• WOWPASS exchange rate: $1 = ₩1,302.81

Potential savings with Seoul exchanges: If you were to exchange $500, the difference between the airport exchange rate and the WOWPASS exchange machine is ₩26,905 (roughly $20). Depending on your budget, this might not be enough of an incentive to wait to find a money exchange in Seoul instead of changing money at the airport, but if you want to cut costs, there are cheaper options available.

There are money exchanges near subway stations in Myeongdong and Hongdae where you can get competitive exchange rates in Seoul. WOWPASS exchange machines are located across Seoul.

Which currencies can be converted in Korea? Foreign currencies that can be converted into Korean won at the airport and in money exchange machines typically include USD, JPY, EUR, VND, CNY, THB, PHP, AUD, GBP, CHF, SGD, NZD, CAD, HKD, and TWD. WOWPASS exchange machines also accept MYR and IDR.

Global And Local ATMs In Korea

You can withdraw cash from ATMs in Korea using a debit card, but not all ATMs will accept international cards. Look for a sign saying ‘Global ATM’ or ‘Foreign Currency ATM’ to withdraw cash in Korea, like those pictured above which are located in Hongik University Station in Hongdae. You can also withdraw cash using a credit card, but it might be more expensive due to cash advance fees.

ATM fees: Whether you use a debit or credit card, an ATM is likely to charge a fee to withdraw money using a foreign card. The last time I withdrew cash using a foreign card at a Korean ATM, the fee was ₩3,600 (about $3). Your bank or credit card company may also charge a fee on top of that or give you a bad exchange rate when converting from KRW. These costs can add up a lot if you withdraw regularly, so try to make fewer withdrawals.

Where to find Global ATMs: You can find Global ATMs in popular tourist destinations such as Incheon Airport, Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gangnam, and Jamsil.

Are Traveller’s Cheques Accepted In Korea?

Yes, traveller’s cheques can be exchanged at Korean banks or currency exchange offices in Korea. You might also be able to exchange them at certain hotels. I haven’t used traveller’s cheques in Korea so can’t say how easy it is to exchange them, but large banks in central Seoul are probably your best option. You can ask at your hotel, too.

Currency Restrictions For South Korea

If you plan to bring cash to Korea and exchange it into Korean won, or even if you’re bringing Korean won, please note that there is a limit of $10,000 USD that can be legally brought into the country. This figure includes travellers cheques. The limit of $10,000 can be exceeded, but you must report it to customs when you arrive.

Korean Public Transportation Cards

If you want to travel on Korea’s excellent public transportation network, then you should pick up a transportation card when you arrive at Incheon Airport or from other locations across the country. The best part about these cards is that they not only allow you to pay for transport in Seoul, you can use them for the whole country and to pay for small purchases, too. Some even give discounts.

Here’s a breakdown of the main transportation cards in Korea and where to buy them:

• T-Money Card: This is the most popular transportation card and can be used on buses and subways, as well as to pay for items in shops, cafes, vending machines, and even tickets for attractions. These cards are available from convenience stores nationwide and come included with the WOWPASS.
• Korea Tour Card: This is a tourist-only transportation card that can be bought at airports and harbours in Korea. It uses the T-Money system to pay for public transport and make payments. You can also get certain discounts when you show this card.
• Cashbee Card: The Cashbee Card by Lotte can be purchased and used in most of the same locations as T-Money. You can purchase a Cashbee Card at convenience stores and subway stations across Korea.
• Rail + Card: The Rail+ Card is sold at train stations across Korea and is run by the national train network. You can use it to pay for train services, including Korea’s high-speed KTX trains, which the other cards can’t.
• Namane Card: The Namane Card by KB Bank uses the Rail+ Card system and can be used in the same locations. However, this card allows you to create personalised card designs.
• Creatrip X Bellygom Card: The Creatrip X Bellygom transportation card is a travel card from Creatrip and features a popular character from YouTube, Bellygom.

Price differences: These cards all cost around ₩3,000 to ₩10,000 for the card, depending on where you buy it, what features it comes with, and whether it has a personalised design or not.

Benefits of transportation cards: These cards offer discounted rates on bus and subway fares (varies by city) and allows you to travel cash-free and conveniently.

Learn more: I’ve written about Korean transportation cards a lot as they’re really useful for travellers coming to Korea. Two of my favourites are the Korea Tour Card, which is a tourist-only transportation card, and the T-Money Card, which is the most popular transportation card used in Korea.

Apple Pay And Samsung Pay

Apple Pay has been available in Korea from March 2023 and can be used in locations that come equipped with NFC enabled payment terminals. There are over 100,000 shops that have NFC terminals in Korea right now, but that number is growing since Apple Pay’s introduction.

Samsung Pay can be used widely in Korea as it doesn’t require NFC terminals to operate and so Korean establishments didn’t bother to install them. Korea is home to Samsung and its payment options have been widely integrated into the Korean payments system.

Can you use Apple Pay or Samsung Pay in Korea? Yes, you can pay with Apple Pay and Samsung Pay if you’ve registered a credit card to either service in your home country.

Will I pay a fee to use Apple Pay? Apple won’t charge a fee to use Apple Pay internationally, but the credit card that you’ve registered with Apple Pay may charge you. If your credit card doesn’t charge a fee to make payments when travelling, then you shouldn’t have any problems paying with Apple Pay in Korea. The same applies to Samsung Pay.

What exchange rate does Apple Pay use? Apple’s exchange rate is whatever rate the credit card issuer is using. The same applies to Samsung Pay. The Wise multi-currency card, in comparison, uses the mid-market rate, which could give you a better rate when you pay in Korea.

What places in Korea accept Apple Pay? It is mostly small and medium sized businesses that have embraced Apple Pay in Korea, such as cafes, restaurants, convenience stores, and shops. Online apps such as Baedal Minjok (food delivery) accepts Apple Pay, but only with Apple Pay accounts registered with a Korean credit card. Samsung Pay is accepted much more widely across Korea.

Korean Mobile Payment Apps

Korea is one of the world leaders in mobile payment apps, which allow you to use your smartphone to make payments as if you’re using a credit card, both online and offline. These are really useful services for foreigners living in Korea and I use Kakao Pay regularly to book train tickets, send money to friends, pay for food deliveries, and more.

Can tourists use Korean mobile payments? Unfortunately, apps such as Naver Pay, Kakao Pay, and Payco, require a Korean phone number and Korean bank account for you to register due to tough banking rules in Korea. The other issue is that these services usually require some Korean language skills to use. Therefore, these aren’t really options for short term travellers in Korea and although they’re useful, I wouldn’t recommend trying to use them.

Learn more: Even if you can’t use Kakao Pay to pay in Korea, you can use services like Kakao talk and Kakao Taxi by creating a Kakao account. This article about Kakao Taxi will show you how to do that.

Problems Paying In Korea

As mentioned, travellers may have some problems when they try to pay in Korea due to certain Korean regulations and policies, especially the no-cash buses and automated kiosks that are increasingly common these days. Here are a few issues tourists to Korea might have regarding making payments.

Online payments: Spending money online in Korea as a foreigner, even when you live here, is frankly a hassle and one that can cause real headaches. Korea has a lot of regulations about online payments, including security checks where you have to provide a Korean phone number to prove your identity to make a payment. Not to mention everything is done in Korean, too.

Most of the time only Korean bank accounts or mobile payments are accepted (which require a Korean bank account) for online transactions in Korea and those are a problem for foreigners even when you have a Korean account and live in Korea. Booking flights using my Korean bank card has been so difficult that I usually end up using my UK card instead and going through a non-Korean website.

Automated kiosks: I see automated kiosks appearing in more and more places these days, including popular attractions like Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. They’re also prevalent in cafes and chain restaurants as it saves money on staff (don’t get me started on the robot waiters!). These machines mostly don’t accept cash payments. Fortunately, they usually come with multiple language options.

Non-staffed convenience stores: Another trend that has been growing, but isn’t too big yet, is non-staffed convenience stores where you enter by swiping your credit card, pick what you want, scan everything at the checkout, then pay with your credit card. As far as I know, these don’t always accept cash and cards are preferred.

Booking rail travel: Korea has a great rail network that’s really well run, is cheap, and covers a lot of the country. The big downside is that you might have trouble paying for tickets online through the official Korail website – letskorail.com – as all payments require 3D Secure verification. An alternative is to use sites like 12Go to book train tickets in Korea, but you’ll pay a slightly higher price.

Similarly, tourists might have trouble booking train tickets at station ticket machines as they require a Korean debit card, as shown in the image below. You should be able to pay at a ticket office in cash or with a credit card, as long as these tickets offices are available and open.

Tips To Save Money In Korea

Here are a few tips I want to share with you to help you save money when visiting Korea.

Book attractions and tours online: I know I’ve said it several times before, but it really is a lot cheaper and more convenient as you can guarantee your booking. Especially useful during peak travel times like spring and autumn.

Get tax back when shopping: Korea has increased the tax-free shopping allowance for travellers to ₩5,000,000 (about $4,000) and it’s really easy to get your tax back when shopping in certain stores. Eligible tax-free shops and department stores offer instant tax refunds (up to ₩1,000,000 per transaction) or you can keep your receipts and get your tax back at Incheon Airport and other departure points.

Use a transportation card: This is a no-brainer. It’s not only cheaper to pay by transportation card, it’s also a lot more convenient and will save you fishing in your pocket for small change.

Don’t eat or drink at hotels: Korean hotels are reasonably priced, but I find their food and drink offerings are really expensive and, worse, not that delicious. There are so many great cafes and restaurants you can visit to get a meal in instead and you can eat much better traditional Korean meals instead of Western buffet.

Take advantage of free things: There are loads of free things to do in Seoul and other places, from walking tours to free attractions and street performances. And if you’re visiting a Korean supermarket or department store, eat your fill of free samples!

Buy souvenirs from Hongdae or traditional markets: Hongdae has loads of snack shops where you can fill your suitcase with gifts for friends and family back home. Traditional markets also offer lots of interesting souvenirs at lower prices than expensive museum gift shops. Insadong is also good for bargain souvenirs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions you might have about travel money and how to pay in Korea. This information is from my own experience and from research conducted to write this article.

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Navigating the vibrant streets of Seoul, ordering mouth-watering Korean dishes, and translating tricky Hangul signs, become a breeze if you can connect to the net. Use essential travel apps like Papago, Naver Map, Kakao Taxi, and Seoul Subway to communicate, navigate, and get around.

This article will guide you through the process of purchasing a Korean SIM card at Incheon Airport. It will explain about tourist SIM cards, including eSIMs, what the cheapest SIM card options are, and provide you with lots more really useful tips about connecting to the internet in Korea.

For those who prefers watching a video version of this article:

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Korean SIM Cards For Tourists: Summary

This detailed article to buying a Korean SIM card for tourists at Incheon Airport will cover lots of topics, including Korean mobile operators, Korean SIM card options, how to buy a SIM card, Korean eSIM cards, and alternatives to SIM cards, such as WiFi and roaming. There are also lots of my own tips.

If you don’t want to read through everything, this section of the article provides a short summary of why you should buy a tourist SIM card at Incheon Airport, how much tourist SIM cards cost, and whether you should book online or buy on arrival. I hope this summary helps you with your Korea trip planning.

Why Purchase A Korean SIM Card At Incheon Airport?

As a tourist traveling to South Korea, purchasing a SIM card at Incheon Airport can be a convenient and efficient way to ensure you stay connected during your trip. Most travellers to Korea arrive at Incheon Airport and having a SIM card from the moment you arrive can be really useful.

Here are some reasons why you might want to buy a SIM or eSIM card at Incheon Airport:

• Convenience: Upon arrival at Incheon Airport, you’ll find several telecom providers offering SIM cards with a variety of plans. This means you can start your trip with a working phone, without the need to search for a store in the city.
• Tourist Friendly: Incheon Airport sells tourist SIM cards, which are designed for travellers to Korea and are valid from 1 to 90 days. These are easier to get than regular Korean SIM cards.
• Language Issues: Staff at Incheon Airport are used to dealing with customers in English and a range of other languages. It’ll be much easier to ask questions and solve issues at the airport.
• Variety of Plans: Whether you need a data-only plan or one that includes voice calls and text messages, you’re likely to find a plan that suits your needs. All providers offer unlimited data plans, which can be very useful if you plan to use map or translation apps extensively.
• Ease of Use: Once you purchase a tourist SIM card, all you need to do is insert it into your phone, and you’re good to go. Most providers will offer assistance if you’re unsure how to install the SIM card. If you want an eSIM, the staff can also show you how to set up that.

However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• Phone Compatibility: Your phone needs to be unlocked in order to use a Korean SIM card. If your phone is locked to a specific carrier, you won’t be able to use the SIM card. It’s best to check your phone and provider before travelling to Korea.
• Cost: While buying a SIM card at the airport is convenient, it might not always be the most cost-effective option. It’s worth doing some research beforehand to compare prices and plans. You can often save money by ordering online and collecting at the airport.
• Duration of Stay: If you’re only staying for a few days, it might be more economical to use international roaming or rely on Wi-Fi hotspots or routers instead of buying a SIM card.
• Number of Travellers: SIM cards only allow one phone or tablet to connect to the internet, but if you’re travelling in a group, that means getting one for each person. A portable WiFi router might be more convenient in Korea for large groups vs. separate SIM cards.

These issues, and more, will be discussed in this article. Overall, there are many benefits of getting a SIM card or some other method of connecting to the internet. Planning ahead and being prepared, such as by reading this article, will help you get the best deal and avoid any headaches on arrival.

How Much Does A Korean SIM Card Or eSIM Cost?

Here’s a cost comparison of prepaid Korean SIM cards with unlimited data at Incheon Airport and from Klook, one of the best tour operators in Korea, as well as eSIM prices. The highlighted options are the best prices available for each period from any of the three major mobile operators in Korea.

As you can see from the information below, prepaid data SIM cards for 7 and 15 days are only available at Incheon Airport and can’t be purchased online. Prepaid data SIM cards and eSIMs are typically cheaper when bought online, but you might also consider getting a pocket WiFi router, too.

Please note: The cost of SIM cards and eSIM cards from the 3 major Korean mobile operators at Incheon Airport are the same. Both physical SIM cards and eSIM cards at Incheon Airport come with the same network and security guarantees, so you can use either one when visiting Korea.

Should I Book Online Or Buy At Incheon Airport?

The simplest way to get a tourist SIM card in Korea is to buy one when you arrive at Incheon Airport. There are 24 hour desks run by all three major mobile operators in Korea who sell Korean SIM cards at similar prices and all with unlimited data as a standard option. ESIMs are available, too.

However, there are advantages to booking a SIM card online and collecting it at Incheon Airport from the same booths that sell tourist SIM cards. Booking online is usually cheaper, as SIM card resellers offer an incentive to book through them. Furthermore, you can research about which SIM you need.

Researching before you travel, such as by reading this article, will help you know which companies offer the best service, where to get the best price, which SIM card has the best reputation, and if there are any alternatives available. You might also want to get a global eSIM if you plan to travel more.

Therefore, I recommend researching online first, then booking online to save money and to choose the best tourist SIM card that’s right for you. For people who want to travel to other countries after Korea, such as Japan or Taiwan, I recommend looking into global eSIMs as these may save you more.

If you do want to book a Korean sim card online, here are some of the sites I recommend. You can order online and collect the sim card at Incheon Airport.

• Klook
• Get Your Guide
• KKDay
• Trazy

For those who want an eSIM instead, you can get those at Incheon Airport, or book local, roaming, and global eSIMs from these sites:

• Airola eSIMs
• Ubigi eSIMs
• Nomad eSIMs
• Klook eSIMs

Whatever you choose, I’m sure you’ll be able to easily and conveniently connect to the internet in South Korea. Incheon Airport is a great place to get a SIM card or portable WiFi router and the helpful and friendly staff can assist you in many different languages.

Korean Tourist SIM Card Providers

In South Korea, there are three major mobile operators that provide SIM cards for tourists: KT, SK Telecom, and LG U+. These major mobile operators essentially offer the same service and have great coverage across the country. They also have similar plans with similar prices for tourists.

• KT (Olleh): Korea Telecom (KT) is one of the largest network companies in South Korea. They offer a variety of prepaid SIM cards that can be pre-ordered and picked up at the airport. They also offer a Voice & Text SIM card which can be topped up with credits for voice calls.
• SK Telecom: SK Telecom is ideal for customers with small usage amounts and short-term visitors to Korea. Their rate plans include basic charge, voice service fee, VAT, and subscription fee. Pre-paid additional services are charged on a daily basis.
• LG U+: LG U+ offers physical SIM cards and eSIMs for tourists. They provide unlimited data and phone calls, Wi-Fi and Phone rental services. Their eSIM can be used on any device that supports eSIM technology. LG U+ offers extensive network coverage across South Korea.

Mobile phone connections in Korea are always good (especially compared to my home country of England!). Whichever phone provider you choose, you’ll experience great connectivity and coverage wherever you are in Korea. That’s true even when hiking in Korea’s national parks!

If you want to know what the SK Telecom’s SIM card is like, check out my review of the SK 4G SIM card that you can buy at Incheon Airport. I talk about the SIM price, coverage, service, reliability and other factors that are all really important when considering which SIM card to buy in Korea.

Personally, I use KT mobile services in Korea and haven’t had problems with connecting to the internet or making calls. According to the 2022 mobile experience awards, SK Telecom was the clear winner with the best overall experience, 5G experience, and consistency, as shown in the image below.

Korean SIM Cards For Tourists In 2024

The type of SIM card plan you get as a tourist in Korea depends on what you want to use your phone for. As with any SIM card plan, there are a number of options you should consider when making your choice, such as if you get calls with data or just data, and whether you have unlimited usage or not.

Prepaid Korean SIM Cards With Unlimited Data

A SIM card with unlimited data is the standard option for tourists travelling to Korea and is an easy and convenient SIM card option that will allow you to connect to the internet whenever you like and for as long as you like. These SIM cards will allow you to receive calls for free, but you can’t make calls.

Prepaid Korean SIM cards with unlimited data are priced per day, with various fixed-period SIM card options available. Not all companies provide sims for the same number of days, but the prices for data-only SIM card plans for 30 days or fewer are the same for all phone companies in Korea.

These are the SIM & eSIM card prices you’ll pay if you buy them at Incheon Airport:

See these prices at Incheon Airport

To show that these are the correct prices (at time of publishing this article), here are the pictures I took from Incheon Airport of the tourist SIM and eSIM prices by the 3 major mobile operators.

Prepaid Korean SIM Cards With Data, Calls & Texts

When you purchase a Korean SIM card with data from Incheon Airport or online, there is an option to add-on the ability to make outgoing calls and to send text messages. Unlimited data SIMs typically only allow incoming calls and text messages, but for a small fee you can add calls and texts.

To request the ability to make calls and to send texts with your Korean prepaid SIM card, you should top-up the SIM card. Please note: You must state that you want to get calls and text messages when you collect and install your sim card at Incheon Airport.

The cost to add-on calls and texts to your SIM card package for all mobile operators is as follows:

• ₩5,500 for 20 minutes of calls (some operators have a minimum add-on of ₩11,000)

Personally, I think most tourists to Korea won’t need call services and there are lots of ways to make calls without this add-on. You can download apps such as Kakao Talk, Messenger, What’s App, and other messaging services that allow you to talk using data instead. It’s much cheaper.

The main benefit of a Korean SIM card with calls is to use it to call Korean phone numbers, which could be useful to book meals out, reserve tickets, and use certain Korean apps. However, I believe the majority of tourists to Korea will be able to travel perfectly fine without this feature.

90 Day Korean SIM Card Plans

If you plan to stay in Korea for longer than a week or two, such as to study, visit friends or family, or travel across the country, then a 60 or 90 day Korean SIM card plan could be a good option for you. Purchasing a 60 or 90 day SIM card is cheaper and easier than buying multiple 30 day SIM card plans.

How To Extend Tourist SIM Plans

For those travellers to Korea who originally purchased a 30 day SIM card plan from one of the major mobile operators, but want to use these services for longer, it’s possible to extend tourist SIM plans beyond the original 30 days. Tourist SIMs can be used for a maximum of 90 days in total.

Extending a tourist SIM card is simple and can be done online through the relevant mobile operator’s website. All you need to do is enter your phone number and agree to pay for an extra 30 days of service. This renewal fee is typically cheaper than the cost of the original plan, up to 50% cheaper.

Please note: You must extend your SIM plan before your current plan has expired, otherwise you’ll need to sign up for a new SIM card and won’t get any discounts for extending. Monthly extensions aren’t available on tourist SIM cards that were originally valid for under 30 days.

How To Buy A Tourist SIM Card At Incheon Airport

Buying a tourist SIM card at Incheon Airport is really easy. Whether you preordered a SIM card before you travelled, or you want to buy one when you arrive, the process is more or less the same. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to purchase a tourist SIM card at Incheon Airport:

1. Arrival at Incheon Airport: Once you arrive at Incheon Airport, proceed to the arrival hall after clearing immigration and collecting your luggage. This is the same process for either terminal.

2. Locate SIM Card Booths: Look for the SIM card booths of the three major Korean mobile operators: SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+. These booths are located in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. You might need to take a waiting ticket if it’s busy when you arrive.

3. Choose a Plan: Review the different SIM card options available, including the length of the prepaid SIM contract and cost. All of the SIM card plans at Incheon Airport come with unlimited data allowance. If you’ve preordered a SIM card online, you can collect it at the relevant booth here, too.

4. Phone Compatibility: Before purchasing a SIM card, make sure your phone is completely unlocked with your mobile provider. This is especially important if your phone is from The United States, Canada, Japan, or The Philippines. Korean tourist SIM cards are Normal, Nano, and Micro sized.

5. Purchase: Once you’ve decided on a plan that suits your needs, you can purchase the SIM card at the booth. Some operators also offer the option to include a T-money Transportation Card, which is a public transportation card that you can charge and use to take subways and buses in Korea.

If you purchased a SIM card online before travelling to Korea, such as those from Klook, you will need to show your voucher to the staff at the relevant booth to collect your reserved SIM card. You will also need to show your passport in both situations to prove your identity and register the SIM.

6. Installation: After purchasing, you can ask the staff at the booth to help you install the SIM card in your phone. There is also a small table near the SIM card booth where you can eject your current SIM card using a small metal tool to release it from your phone.

7. Activation: Once the SIM card is installed, follow the instructions provided to activate it. You should now be able to use your phone to make calls and access the internet in Korea. If your phone doesn’t connect to the internet at first, try turning the power on and off and checking again.

Incheon Airport SIM Card Booth Opening Hours

There will be at least 1 SIM card booth at Incheon Airport for each Korean mobile operator that is open 24 hours a day from Monday to Sunday. No matter what time you arrive at Incheon Airport, you will be able to collect or purchase your SIM card and start using it straight away.

The SIM card booths near gate 10 on the 1st floor Arrivals Hall of Incheon Airport are open 24 hours. This is for KT, SK Telecom, and LG U+. Other booths are available from 6am until 10pm daily.

How To Preorder A Korean SIM Card Online

Preordering a Korean SIM card online through agencies such as Klook can not only save you money vs. SIM card prices at Incheon Airport, you can also get some added extras included, too. Here’s a step-by-step guide about how to purchase a tourist SIM card online for South Korea:

1. Choose a Provider: There are several websites where you can purchase a SIM card for South Korea, such as Klook, Get Your Guide, Trazy, and KK Day. I’ll provide more details about these later.

2. Select a Plan: Search for ‘Korean SIM card’ (or use my direct links) on your chosen site and you’ll see various options available. These may include unlimited data plans, plans with limited data, and plans that also include voice calls and text messages. Choose the one that best suits your needs.

3. Enter Your Details: After selecting a plan, you’ll need to provide some information. This includes your full name, passport number, and arrival date, as well as the location you want to collect the SIM card. Don’t forget, you’ll need your passport to collect and activate the SIM card when you arrive.

4. Make a Payment: Once you’ve entered all the necessary information, proceed to the payment section. Most websites accept international credit cards and PayPal and some, such as Klook, might offer reward points or discounts for using their services.

5. Confirmation: After payment, you’ll receive a confirmation email or voucher with details about your purchase. This email will also include instructions on where and how to pick up your SIM card at Incheon Airport. Show this voucher or email when you arrive to collect your SIM card.

6. Pick Up Your SIM Card: Upon arrival at Incheon Airport, head to the pick-up location mentioned in your confirmation email. Don’t forget to bring your passport and confirmation email for verification.

Remember, before you preorder a SIM card, it’s important to check if your phone is unlocked and compatible with the Korean network before purchasing a SIM card. You can find out more about that in the ‘What to check before you buy a SIM card‘ section later in this article.

Where To Preorder Korean SIM Cards Online

There are lots of websites that offer discounted SIM cards to use in Korea and it can be hard to know which ones to trust and which have the best prices. To make it easier to choose the right SIM card for you, here are 4 of the best SIM card resellers that I recommend when travelling to Korea:

Klook SIM Cards

Klook is one of the best tour operators in Korea and has a reputation for offering a wide selection of services, including tourist SIM cards and WiFi rental. Their easy-to-use website and booking system makes it fast and simple to preorder your SIM card for South Korea. You can reserve your must-do tours at the same time, too.

Get Your Guide SIM Cards

Get Your Guide are arguably one of the biggest and best global tour operators that has a significant presence in Korea. They offer a combined SIM and T-Money Card package that’s really useful for first time travellers to South Korea. If you’ve booked through Get Your Guide when travelling to other countries, you know you can trust their services.

KKDay SIM Cards

KKDay is a growing Asia-based tour operator that offers a range of SIM card options for travellers to Korea, including one SIM card plan with international delivery. If you want to try a Korean SIM card not from one of the 3 major Korean mobile operators, you can get them from KKDay. They’re usually cheaper than the SIM cards you’ll find at Incheon Airport.

Trazy SIM Cards

Trazy is a Korea-based travel booking site with lots of unique activities and experiences that you won’t find on other sites. There are lots of great SIM card options on Trazy, as well as packages that include transportation cards, that can be collected at Incheon Airport or in other parts of Seoul. You can also book SIM cards with voice and SMS credits included.

Preordering SIM Cards Vs. Buying At Incheon Airport

Whether you preorder a SIM card online or buy one at Incheon Airport, the service you receive from the 3 major Korean mobile operators will be the same. The main difference between these options is price, with preordering about 10% cheaper vs. tourist SIM card prices at Incheon Airport.

Here’s a quick overview of the main benefits of both processes, followed up by a comparison between the two options so you can see why you might want to consider preordering a Korean tourist SIM card when you travel to Korea instead of getting it at Incheon Airport.

Preordering Online: Preordering a SIM card online allows you to compare different plans and prices at your own pace, matching them to your own needs. You can also check out reviews from other customers and see what their experience was like, which will help to reassure you about your choice.

Once you’ve made a decision, you can make a purchase from the comfort of your home and in your own currency. Upon arrival in Korea, simply pick up your SIM card at the designated counter at Incheon Airport. This saves you time and potentially money, as online platforms often offer discounts.

Buying at Incheon Airport: Purchasing a SIM card directly at Incheon Airport is straightforward and convenient, especially if you didn’t have time to preorder online. There are several counters selling SIM cards, each offering different plans. You can ask the staff any questions and they will help you activate the SIM card on the spot. However, prices at Incheon airport are higher compared to online.

Here’s a comparison table to summarise the differences between preordering a SIM card and buying one at Incheon Airport when you arrive:

Korean ESIM Cards At Incheon Airport

A popular alternative to physical SIM cards for travellers to Korea is an eSIM. An eSIM, or embedded SIM, is a relatively new technology that has the same benefits of a physical SIM, without needing one. Instead of inserting a physical SIM card, you download a “software SIM” from a network provider.

For tourists traveling to South Korea, using an eSIM can be a convenient option as you don’t need to remove (and risk losing) your home country’s SIM card. Depending on your eSIM, you can also use the service in other countries without the need for another SIM card.

The potential benefits of using an eSIM in Korea include:

• Convenience: No need to physically swap SIM cards when you travel.
• Cost: Some eSIMs offer cheaper rates than regular SIM cards, however, be sure to check the conditions, data limits, and reviews when booking a low-cost eSIM. Some plans allow you to pay only for the data you use, which could be cheaper than unlimited data plans.
• Environmentally Friendly: Less plastic waste is produced without physical SIM cards.
• Future Travel: Some eSIMs provide roaming services, so you can use the eSIM in other countries, which can save money when visiting multiple countries.

However, there are some potential disadvantages of eSIMs that you should consider:

• Compatibility: Not all devices support eSIM yet.
• Limited Data Allowance: Some eSIMs may throttle data speeds after a certain amount of data has been used. Be sure to check the daily allowance.
• Swapping Providers: If you frequently switch between carriers, using an eSIM can be more complex than simply swapping physical SIM cards.
• Activation: You may need to activate the eSIM as soon as it’s installed, which means you’ll either need to download and install it before you travel, or wait until you land at Incheon Airport.

Overall, there are many benefits to eSIMs and tech-savvy travellers will be fine using these alternatives to physical SIM cards. However, I recommend carefully checking the terms and conditions of eSIM plans to make sure you’re getting a good deal and can use an eSIM with your phone.

How To Use eSIMS In Korea

Using an eSIM in Korea isn’t really any different from using a physical SIM card, except for the installation. Once the eSIM is installed, you should be ready to browse the web and receive phone calls and texts. Here’s a basic overview of how to use an eSIM when you travel to Korea:

1. Check Device Compatibility: Ensure your device supports eSIM. Many newer smartphones and tablets have this feature, particularly those made after 2020. Check this list of eSIM compatible devices to see if your phone can accept an eSIM or not.

2. Choose a Provider: Search for providers in Korea that offer eSIM services. All 3 major mobile operators offer eSIM cards online and at Incheon Airport. Some international providers also offer global eSIM plans which can be used in other countries, too.

3. Purchase and Download: Once you’ve chosen a plan, you can purchase it online and download the eSIM right onto your device. However, check the conditions of your eSIM as it may be activated the moment it’s installed. Some eSIM providers might also require you to download an app.

4. Activation: Follow the provider’s instructions to activate your eSIM. This usually involves scanning a QR code or entering a confirmation code. Be sure to check the instructions carefully.

Each eSIM company will have their own rules and instructions for using an eSIM in Korea. I recommend thoroughly checking the instructions provided by your chosen provider before signing up

Physical SIM Cards Vs. ESIMs For Korea

Whether you choose to use a physical SIM card or eSIM card when you travel to Korea is really down to your own personal preference. The price for both physical SIM cards and eSIM cards from Korean mobile operators at Incheon Airport is the same and the data plan for both is unlimited.

However, there are more options for eSIM cards than just those offered by Korea’s mobile operators. Global eSIMs allow you to route through the phone networks of other countries, such as from Hong Kong, to access the internet in Korea. These typically won’t give you a phone number, though.

Global eSIMs can be cheaper to use in Korea than local (Korean) eSIMs and they can be used in other countries too. This can be really useful if you plan to travel to multiple countries and only want to get one phone plan. Again, check eSIM card reviews to find out which plans are the best for you.

Here’s a comparison between physical SIM cards and eSIM cards for travellers to Korea:

Where To Buy Tourist ESIMs For Korea

The 3 major Korean mobile operations all offer eSIMs at Incheon Airport and the price for physical SIM cards and eSIM cards are the same. They offer unlimited data eSIMs for fixed periods that have the same coverage and reliability as a physical SIM card. The price for these eSIMs are as follows:

It is also possible to buy Korean and global eSIMs online before you travel to Korea. As with physical SIM cards, buying an eSIM online is often cheaper than buying it at Incheon Airport and you gain the benefits discussed previously, which you can see in the drop down box below:

To save you time searching for the best Korean eSIMs from the many online companies offering local and global eSIMs, here are 4 companies that I recommend for reliable network connections, good prices, strong customer reviews, and availability in Korea and abroad.

Airalo ESIM

Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving you access to 200+ eSIMs (digital SIM cards) globally at affordable prices. The Airalo Korean eSIM operates through the LG U+ network and is available in 10 or 30 day packages. They also offer Global eSIMs that can be used in 130 countries.

Ubigi ESIM

Ubigi offers eSIMs that you can use in your phone, tablet, laptop, and even connected cars. Simply get an Ubigi eSIM plan for mobile data and save money. Prices start at $5 for a 7-day eSIM that gives you up to 1GB of data. Perfect for people who don’t plan to use their phone a lot but still want to stay connected. Local, regional, and global eSIMs available with various levels of data.

Nomad ESIM

The Nomad eSIM is designed for people who like to travel and stay connected. You can travel to over 165 countries with one Nomad eSIM and pay almost local rates in each. For travellers to Korea, there is a 5GB / 10GB data plan for 30 days which starts at $12 / $20 and gives you access to either KT or SK Telecom’s local mobile network. This eSIM would be ideal for tourists who want to use their phone a lot.

Klook ESIM

As mentioned, Klook is one of the best tour operators in Korea and have a reputation for offering a wide selection of services, including tourist eSIM cards. Their easy-to-use website and booking system makes it fast and simple to preorder your eSIM card for South Korea. They offer eSIMs from local mobile operators, as well as from other providers.

Alternatives To Buying A Korean SIM Card

There are several alternatives to buying a tourist SIM card when you visit Korea, including WiFi routers that connect to the same networks, free WiFi access from local access points, and using your home phone plan in roaming mode. Here’s a brief overview of each of those options.

Portable WiFi Routers

Renting a portable WiFi router from Incheon Airport is one of the most popular alternatives to buying a Korean tourist SIM card for several reasons.

First, portable WiFi routers can be used by multiple devices, which means families only need one router instead of multiple SIMs.

Also, a router has a lower cost for short-term travellers (under 2 weeks) with WiFi routers starting at ₩3,200 per day.

Furthermore, you can use routers for longer than planned and pay the excess when you return it at Incheon Airport.

Portable WiFi routers have near-perfect coverage across Korea and use the same secure networks as local SIM cards.

Free WiFi In Seoul & Korea

Korea, especially in cities like Seoul and Busan, has great public WiFi that is available for free and you can definitely travel Korea using only free WiFi. Most cafes, restaurants, public transport, and public places offer free WiFi that’s easy to connect to and has high-speed internet access. Subway stations, buses, and train stations all offer free WiFi, which makes them practical places to plan your day’s travelling and check your location. Hotels also offer free WiFi.

Home Mobile Service Provider

Many mobile operators offer roaming services that allow you to use your own phone plan overseas, such as in Korea. This may be a simpler and still cost-effective way of using data and making calls while you’re abroad, especially if you don’t want to deal with installing a new SIM card when travelling. The price and services will depend on your phone service provider, so you’ll need to contact them to see if it’s a good option for you.

Best Option For Staying Connected In Korea

What’s the best way to stay connected in South Korea? There are several options to get connected when you visit Korea, including SIM cards (physical and eSIM), WiFi routers, free WiFi, and roaming services from your home mobile operator. Each have their own benefits and disadvantages.

Based on my experience travelling in Korea and using SIM cards, WiFi routers, and free WiFi to connect the internet, I recommend a combination of SIM card and free WiFi. Having internet access while you walk around Seoul and other places is extremely useful, especially to check directions.

However, you’re not likely to use large amounts of data while you’re looking around palaces or seeing the sights like the Seoul Sky Observatory. The times when you’re likely to use lots of data are often in places where you can access free WiFi, such as in your hotel, in a cafe, or on a bus or train journey.

Therefore, I recommend a SIM or eSIM card that has enough data for apps like Naver Maps or Kakao Taxi, but not more than you need as you can use free WiFi to stream videos, download books, etc. When I travel to the UK, I get a SIM card with a couple of GB of data and use free WiFi for streaming.

This 2GB Global eSIM from Airola is only $17 and lasts for 15 days, covering 130 countries (including Japan), so you can use it even if you have a layover in another country or plan to visit other countries. It has 2GB of data, which is usually enough if you use free WiFi for big data demands.

What To Check Before Buying A SIM Card

Whether you plan to buy a Korean SIM card, eSIM card, or a global eSIM card, you should check if your phone is compatible or not. Korean tourist SIM cards work on the 4G network, so you should check your phone is capable of handling 4G, which most phones made in the last 5 years will do.

Before purchasing a Korean SIM card or eSIM card, there are several things you should check:

• Phone Compatibility: Ensure your phone is compatible with the SIM or eSIM. For eSIMs, this typically means having a latest-generation phone.
• Sim Card Size: Korean tourist SIM cards are available in Normal, Nano, and Micro sizes, which should fit most modern phones. Check your phone if you’re not sure of your SIM card size.
• Locked phones: Some operators lock phones so they only work with their own network, meaning you can’t add a Korean SIM. However, this is less common these days and was banned in the UK in 2021. If you’re not sure if your phone is locked, contact your operator.
• Data Speed: Some operators advertise unlimited 4G internet access, but the speed may drop to 128kbps after a certain amount of data is used. Make sure to check the details of the data plan.
• Duration of Stay: The duration of your stay in Korea will determine the best option for you. There are options available from 1 and 90 days. If you buy a plan for fewer days than you need, it’s not possible to extend the SIM contract, except for plans that are 30 days or more.
• Number of Devices: If you’re traveling in a group and need to connect multiple devices to the internet, a pocket WiFi might be a better option. Portable WiFi is often cheaper for groups vs. buying multiple SIM cards, but the downside is that everyone will need to be in the same area.
• Activation Process: For eSIMs, you’ll typically receive an activation QR code via email. You’ll need to scan this code and follow the on-screen instructions to activate the eSIM.

If you plan to use an eSIM card in Korea, you will need a more modern phone, typically something made since 2020, such as a Samsung Galaxy S20 or iPhone 11 or newer versions of these devices. Some phones with dual SIMs, such as the Chinese iPhone Max, can’t accept eSIMs.

To check if your phone can accept eSIM cards or not, this article about how to check if you phone supports eSIM lists all the models that accept eSIMs. It also details how to install an eSIM in different situations. Sites selling eSIMs, such as Klook, will also include detailed instructions.

Travel Tips For Visiting South Korea

This site has lots of useful practical, informative, and inspiring articles that I hope will help you discover the best that Korea has to offer. If you’re planning a trip to South Korea, here are a few of my personal tips to help you travel safely and easily around the Land of Morning Calm.

• Download useful apps to help you travel in Korea, including Naver Map (more reliable than Google Maps), Kakao Taxi (Korea’s Uber), Seoul Subway, Papago (Korean translation), Agoda (for hotel bookings) and Klook (for tours).
• Get a transportation card: Save money on buses and subways in Korea with a transportation card, such as a T-Money card or Korea Tour Card. Korean payment cards, such as WOWPASS, come with T-Money functions and some of the SIM cards mentioned include a T-Money card.
• Don’t exchange money at the airport: Exchanging money at Incheon Airport is one of the most expensive ways to get holiday money. There are much better ways to spend in Korea, such as by using a WISE travel money card or WOWPASS, a local debit card for tourists.
• Check the weather: Spring and autumn are lovely times to visit Korea, while summer (hot and wet) and winter (cold and dry) can be challenging. Read about Korea’s seasons to help you figure out the best time to visit Korea, as well as what to see, do, eat, and experience.
• Book ahead: This is especially true if you’re travelling in cherry blossom season or autumn foliage season, when tours, festivals, and hotels are often sold out in advance. It’s cheaper to book ahead, too, especially for flights to Korea and for hotels in Seoul and other cities.
• Eat local food: If you’re travelling all the way to Korea, you should definitely not miss the chance to try authentic Korean dishes such as samgyeopsal, kimchi jjigae, or tteokbokki. Discover the best Korean dishes and street foods in my articles about Korean food and drinks.

Above all, the best advice I can give you about travelling to Korea is to be open minded and try as much as you can, even if it looks a bit unusual or scary. There are a lot of unique experiences awaiting you in Korea, some you may miss out on if you don’t take a few chances. Travel safe and travel well.

Korean SIM Cards For Tourists FAQs

Finally, here are a few FAQs about buying a Korean sim card for tourists at Incheon Airport, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.

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This guide to flying to Korea will help you plan and book your flight to Korea at the best possible price and make sure you know all there is to know about travelling to Korea now. Discover tips about when to book your flights, how to track prices, and get the best deal.

Also learn about the current entry rules for Korea, whether you need to apply for a K-ETA or tourist visa, and other important details about flying to Korea. Finally, discover my travel tips for travelling to Korea and what you should do at the airport to make your trip smoother.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

What’s In This Flying To Korea Guide

This guide will tell you everything there is to know about where to get cheap flights to Korea, the best times to book, and other essential info about flying to Korea.

Here’s a brief overview of what you can find in each section:

• Rules for flying to Korea: Find out about the latest rules and regulations for flying to Korea now and the entry procedure when you land, as well as K-ETA and tourist visa requirements.
• Best time to book flights: Discover the 6 different booking categories for booking flights to Korea and when to get the best prices depending on the time of year you travel.
• Where to get cheap flights to Korea: Learn about two methods to book cheap flights to Korea from wherever you are and whether there is a best day to book flights.
• Korean airlines for flights to Korea: Information about which Korean airlines fly direct to Korea from other countries and budget airlines for cheap flights to Korea.
• Flying to Korea from different regions: Destination-specific information about flying to Korea from areas such as the USA, Europe, Australia, and Singapore.
• Transiting through Incheon Airport: Details about how to transit through Incheon Airport, what to do for a layover, and about joining a one-day transit tour.
• Flying to Korea travel tips: Tips about flying to Korea that will help you book cheap flights, prepare you for your arrival, and save money on your travels.

Use the links above to jump to the section you’re interested in, or keep reading to find out all there is to know about flying to Korea. If you still have questions at the end, please feel free to leave a comment.

Rules For Flying To Korea In 2024

After turbulent times for the airline industry in recent years, there were many rules imposed in regards to flying to Korea. This section will explain what you need to do before flying to Korea, as well as the rules for when you arrive.

Fortunately, many of the rules put in place were removed, but some still exist and others are permanent. Here are details about all of the rules for flying to Korea in 2024.

Korean Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA)

Travellers to Korea who have a visa-free or visa-waiver travel arrangement with South Korea need to apply for a K-ETA from the official K-ETA website. Without K-ETA approval before flying to Korea, you won’t be allowed to board the plane. Complete the K-ETA as soon as possible.

Not sure if you need a K-ETA to travel to Korea? Check out this poster or read my guide to the K-ETA for more information. If you’re not from one of the countries listed below, then you’ll need to apply for a tourist visa to South Korea instead.

Current K-ETA exemptions: Travellers from the following countries are exempt from the K-ETA until December 31st, 2024:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macao, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, UK, US (including Guam).

Tourist Visa For South Korea

For citizens of countries that aren’t part of the Korean Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme, it will be necessary to apply for a tourist visa to travel to Korea, even if you reside in a country with visa-free or visa waiver travel agreements with Korea.

In some countries, tourist visa applicants will be required to provide personal and financial information before their application is approved. Be sure to allow lots of time to apply for a tourist visa before booking flights to Korea.

Tourist visas must be applied for and approved in advance before you can fly to Korea. If your tourist visa isn’t approved, you won’t be allowed to travel to Korea.

Health Checks When Flying To Korea

From July 2023, travellers to Korea no longer need to complete the pre-departure self-check health form known as Q-Code. Instead, passengers should report any symptoms if necessary when they arrive. Temperature checks are conducted at the airport by scanners that you simply walk through.

From June 2023, the Korean government no longer requires COVID-infected travellers to self-quarantine. The guidelines from the Korean government now suggest that people self-isolate for 5 days, but that is only a suggestion and not enforced. It is up to each traveller’s discretion.

Best Time To Book Cheap Flights To Korea

There is no single best time to book flights to Korea for everyone, but there are 6 identified booking categories that are useful to consider when booking a flight.

These different booking categories, shown in the table below, are based on the Annual Airfare Survey by CheapAir, which analyses almost a billion flights each year.

The ‘First Dibs‘ and ‘Peace of Mind‘ categories are for travellers to Korea that want the best selection of available seats, convenient flight times, and a guaranteed flight. Prices will be about $50 and $20 higher, respectively, than the ‘Prime Booking Window’.

The ‘Prime Booking Window‘ is the best time to book a flight to Korea, which is from 21 to 127 days in advance of your planned travel date. Flights in this window are within 5% of their lowest cost, but also offer a good selection of available seats and flight times.

For travellers who want to try to get the cheapest flights to Korea, and don’t mind some risk, then booking a flight to Korea within 20 to 7 days (‘Push Your Luck‘ & ‘Playing With Fire‘) of travel is your best option. However, seating and flight times will be more restricted.

It is not recommended to book flights to Korea with less than 6 days (‘Hail Mary‘) before the scheduled flight time. These flights are on average $220 more expensive than flights booked between 21 and 127 days before departure.

Seasonal Flight Considerations

As well as the number of days before flying to Korea, the season you plan to travel will affect the price and availability of flights. Spring and autumn are the best times to travel in Korea, especially during cherry blossom season in April and autumn foliage season in October.

January and February are the cheapest months to fly to South Korea, but also the coldest. Temperatures fall below freezing during winter, going as low as -20 degrees Celsius. There are many things to do during winter in Korea, but it’s not the most popular time to visit.

High season in Korea is between June and August, however, these months are not that good for travelling as summer in Korea is very hot and humid. Rainy season in Korea runs from mid-June to late July and there can be many rainy days during this period.

If you want to book the cheapest flights to Korea, travel during winter or book your flights around 3 to 4 months in advance of your planned travel date. Also, be sure to use a good flight comparison website or flight tracker to get the best deals.

Where To Get Cheap Flights To Korea

There are a couple of ways to get cheap flights to Korea, both of which will involve a bit of work to find the best departure time, price, and flight duration to suit your travel needs.

The first option is to use a flight comparison site, which gives you the best flight prices to Korea at that particular moment. The second option is a flight tracker, which updates you regularly about when the cheapest flights are available for your desired route.

Flight Comparison Sites For Flights To Korea

There are many flight comparison websites, also known as flight aggregators, where you can find cheap flights to Korea. I use them every time I book flights between Korea and other countries when I travel. It takes a bit of time, but the cost savings are certainly worth it.

If you have to fly to Korea on a certain date, then flight comparison sites will show you the best flights available from the different airlines that fly to Korea. You can adjust the departure and arrival times, the flight length, the price, and select which airlines you want to fly with.

To get the best flight prices to Korea on flight comparison sites, it’s necessary to spend some time tweaking the days and times you want to travel. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, you can adjust which day you depart and arrive to see which option is the cheapest.

Here are four of the best flight comparison sites for booking cheap flights to Korea. I recommend you try them all and see which provides the best flights to Korea.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner is one of the most popular flight aggregators and offers flights, hotels, and other travel bookings for all major destinations. Skyscanner shows an airline’s environmental ratings and which flights are practical or difficult based on time.

Check Skyscanner

Expedia

Expedia is a large US travel company that offers tours, flights, hotels, and other services around the world. You can book hotel and flights together, to save you time and effort when travelling. A good place to start your flight search.

Check Expedia

WayAway

WayAway is a newer flight comparison site for the modern generation, with Instagram recommendations & travel advice as well as a good selection of cheap flights. You can get cashback on bookings with their premium service.

Check Wayaway

Kayak

Kayak are great for people looking for cheap flights to Korea. You can see price trends for your flight to Korea to see when the best prices are available. There are also lots of budget travel options on the site that can save you more.

Check Kayak

Price Differences Between Sites

Which flight comparison site is better? There are so many different possible prices that it’s impossible to say that one is better or cheaper than another. Sometimes flights will be cheaper on Skyscanner, other times they’ll be cheaper on Expedia or another site.

I searched for flights between Los Angeles and Seoul for April 1 to April 8 – a busy time of year for cherry blossom viewing. Here are the results of the flight costs from each site. As you can see, the cheapest flight was through WayAway, but the shortest was with Kayak.

When using flight aggregators, don’t always take the price you see as the final price you’ll pay. This is the lowest possible price, but you might want to change the flight time, add seat reservations, or book through a different site to the one suggested.

Flight aggregators such as Skyscanner will offer a number of different websites to book your flight through, such as Kiwi.com or Trip.com. They’ll also send you to the airline’s own website with details of the flight you want to book.

Booking Tip: Choose the link to the airline’s own website. It’s often not the cheapest, but it’s safer and can work out cheaper in the long run. Other booking websites may charge fees for amending or cancelling flights that are higher than the airline will charge.

Flight Trackers For Flights To Korea

The other way to find cheap flights to Korea is to track the cost of flights using a flight tracker service. There are a number of websites that will send you regular (even daily) updates about the latest cost of a certain flight that you want to take, highlighting when it’s cheapest.

The aforementioned flight aggregators – Skyscanner, Expedia, WayAway, and Kayak – allow you to track the price of flights once you’re logged into their website. These are called price alerts and they’ll send you an email or message through the app with the latest prices.

If you have time to wait for the cheapest flight prices to Korea, then flight tracker websites or price alerts can save you a lot of money. You can check the best prices day to day and book your flights when you see a price you’re happy with. The best prices come to those who wait.

Here are four of the best flight tracker sites for booking cheap flights to Korea. I recommend signing up for them all and following the prices each day. If you decide that one site constantly gives you the best prices, just follow that site for future price updates.

Google Flights

Google Flights allows you to track the cost of flights between two destinations, such as London to Seoul, and will send you a daily email showing you the cheapest or most convenient prices for that route. I’ve been using it to track flights between London and Seoul for a couple of weeks and the prices have ranged from 1,085,000 KRW to 863,000 KRW.

There is also a price chart that shows the price of flights to Korea or other destinations for the last 80 days. This is a really useful flight tracker for monitoring flights for free and judging how much you should expect to pay when you’re ready to book your flight to Korea.

Scott’s Cheap Flights

Scott’s Cheap Flights sends you cheap flights based on your selected airport, sending you the best domestic and internatinal flight deals, including mistake fares and bucket list deals. However, most of these features are reserved for the premium membership plans, which start at $49 per year. There are no deals for budget airlines, and the site insists that only the best airlines are included.

FareCompare

FareCompare specialises in finding the best flight deals for you and provides a wide range of alerts that go beyond just flights between two destinations. You can also select flights from your selected airport to certain regions (e.g. Asia) and based on the type of travel you want (e.g. ski destinations or beach holidays). If you’re flying to Korea, you can use FareCompare to not only track flights to Korea, but internal flights in Korea, too.

Hopper

Hopper is an app that predicts the lowest price of flights and then sends you a notification to your smartphone telling you when to book for the biggest savings. The company claims the predictive algorithms and AI technology is 95% accurate when estimating flight costs up to 12 months in advance. This method is certainly easier than checking emails every day and trying to judge when the lowest price is available.

Best Day To Book Flights To Korea?

There is no certain day that is best for booking flights to Korea. It’s an often repeated travel myth that booking flights on one day will be cheaper than on another, but it’s not true.

Of course, there are times of the year, and numbers of days before booking your flight when flights to Korea will be cheaper, but not set days. In the words of one industry expert:

“While there used to be greater price variation depending on the day of the week you booked a flight, there’s less variation now due to pricing being handled algorithmically by computers,”

Steve Oliverez, CEO of InsanelyCheapFlights.com

Korean Airlines For Flights To Korea

There were over 4,700 international flights to Korea per week in 2019 with dozens of different airlines flying to Korea from around the world. Most of those airlines flew to Incheon Airport, Korea’s main airport located just outside of Seoul, as well as regional airports, such as Jeju International Airport on Jeju Island and Gimhae International Airport in Busan.

Korea has two main airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, as well as several budget airlines that fly within Korea and beyond. If you’re flying to Korea from other parts of Asia, these budget airlines can be a great way to book cheap flights to Korea.

For travellers from other parts of the world, such as from the Americas, Europe, Australia, or Africa, long-haul airlines such as Delta, Lufthansa, United, British Airways, Qantas, and other national carriers are usually the best options for flights to Korea.

In this section is information about the main Korean long-haul and budget airlines for flying to Korea. The following section will provide more information about international airlines that fly to Korea from other selected countries and regions.

Korean Long-Haul Airlines That Fly To Korea

Korea has two long-haul airlines that have been operating for decades and provide access to most of the world’s major destinations. Through partner programs and airline alliances, such as SkyTeam and Star Alliance, these airlines cover hundreds of cities around the globe.

Korean Air (Est. 1969)

Ranked as the world’s 9th best airline and the best airline in Korea, Korean Air has a reputation for providing excellent customer service. The airline flew to over 150 international destinations in 2019 and had the largest number of destinations, such as the USA, Europe, China, and Japan.

Korean Air

Asiana Airlines (Est. 1988)

Asiana Airlines is Korea’s second largest long-haul airline and one that has flights to dozens of other countries around the world, including New York, London, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo. Asiana Airlines is part of Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance.

Asiana Airlines

Please note: In 2020, Korean Air agreed to take over Asiana Airlines and is currently seeking approval from national governments around the world, with only the EU yet to approve the deal. Korean Air has suggested that it may turn long-haul Asiana flights into Korean Air flights and reserve the Asiana brand for low-cost routes in Asia.

Korean Budget Airlines That Fly To Korea

If you’re flying to Korea from another country in East or South East Asia, then a Korean budget airline might be your best option for cheap flights to Korea. There are several reputable low-cost carriers that operate between countries in Asia and Korea, offering basic flights for a low price. Here are four of the best Korean budget airlines that fly to Korea.

Jeju Air

Jeju Air, based on Korea’s semi-tropical island south of the mainland, is Korea’s largest low-cost carrier and offers budget flights to dozens of locations across Asia. This is the best budget airline for visiting Jeju Island, which operates a visa-free travel program for people to experience Korean culture even without a tourist visa.

Jeju Air Destinations: Jeju Air operates flights between Korea and China, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Saipan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Jin Air

Jin Air is Korea’s second largest budget airline and travels to 26 international destinations in Asia (and Guam). In 2019, Jin Air also offered flights to Australia and the USA. These flights are currently not operating, but may return in time. Jin Air focuses more on international customer than domestic travellers, so is used to catering to foreign travellers.

Jin Air Destinations: Jin Air operates flights between Korea and China, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Air Busan

Air Busan operates mainly from Busan, Korea’s second largest city, flying out of Gimhae Airport and other airports across Korea. This airline is convenient for travelling to Korea from Japan as it is considerably closer than airlines based in Incheon, 300km away to the north.

Air Busan Destinations: Air Busan operates flights between Korea and Cambodia, China, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Saipan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

T’Way Air

T’Way Air operates flights as far as Guam and Australia in Oceania as well as many destinations across Asia. The airline is the only Korean budget airline that flies between Seoul and Sydney and has offered flights for as low as $270 AUD one way to attract customers on this route.

T’Way Air Destinations: T’Way Air operates flights between Korea and Australia, China, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Saipan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam

Aero K

Aero K is a budget carrier based in Cheongju, a city in central Korea that has an international airport that’s very useful for getting to places like Sejong and Daejeon. Operating since 2016, this airline has expanded to offer flights to other cities in Korea and a 3 countries close to Korea. The name of the airline is Korea spelt backwards.

Aero K Destinations: Aero K operates flights between Korea and Japan (Osaka and Tokyo), the Philippines (Clark), and Taiwan (Taipei), as well as Jeju Airport and Yangyang Airport in Korea.

Air Premia

Air Premia is a budget airline operating out of Incheon Airport. It was started in 2017 and has quickly expanded to a range of countries in Asia and further abroad, including the USA, Norway, and Turkey. The airline was founded by the ex-president of Jeju Air, which helped to give the airline quick growth in a crowded market.

Air Premia Destinations: Air Premia operates flights between Korea and Bangladesh, Germany, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the USA, and Vietnam.

There are several other budget airlines in Korea that travel within Korea and to other destinations. These airlines typically cater to Korean customers looking to travel to Japan, Vietnam, China and other nearby destinations.

If you want to book cheap flights to Korea on one of these budget airlines, use Skyscanner to compare flight times and prices between Korea and your country of departure. This is also a good option to book an extra flight out of Korea to a second destination, such as Japan.

Flying To Korea From Different Regions

Many countries operate flights to Korea, either directly or indirectly, through dozens of different airlines. This section will focus on just the main airlines flying to Korea from certain locations, such as the USA, Australia, and Singapore. This is to give you an idea of the range of options available when planning your flight to Korea.

I used Skyscanner to check the destinations and airlines in this section. It’s really easy to search for flights to Korea, allowing you to select only direct flights, check the prices for a whole month at a time, and from any airport in the country.

Flying To Korea From The USA

Travellers from the USA can fly direct to Korea from over a dozen cities, including Dallas, Detroit, and Atlanta. Long-haul airlines that operate direct flights between Korea and the USA include Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines. Indirect flights are available from most large US cities, too.

Delta Airlines (5 routes), Asiana Airlines (5 routes), and Korean Air (10 routes) offer the widest selection of flights between Korea and the USA. American Airlines (DFW – ICN), Hawaiian Airlines (HNL – ICN), and United Airlines (SFO – ICN) only operate one flight path each between Korea and the USA.

Direct flights to Korea from the USA depart from: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC.

Flying To Korea From Australia

Travellers from Australia can fly direct to Korea from Sydney and indirect from other cities in Australia through Sydney. The main airlines that fly to Korea from Australia are Qantas Airlines, Jetstar, T’Way Air, Korean Air, and Asiana Airlines.

Direct flights take 10-12 hours. Flights to Korea from Australia via another country, such as Indonesia, Thailand, or Singapore, can be much cheaper than flying direct. However, indirect flights can add hours to the journey time, even as much as double the direct flight time.

I compared flight times and prices between Sydney and Seoul on Skyscanner and found that indirect flights could be as much as $250 AUD cheaper and only 4-6 hours longer each way.

Flying To Korea From Singapore

Travellers from Singapore can fly direct to Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island from Singapore. Airlines that fly direct between Korea and Singapore include Scoot, Singapore Airlines, Jeju Air, T’Way Air, Asiana Airlines, and Korean Air.

Flight times to Korea from Singapore are around 6 to 7 hours and flying direct is usually the cheapest and most practical way to travel. Flights to Jeju Island from Singapore are the cheapest, followed by flights to Incheon (Seoul), and then Busan.

Currently, only Scoot offers direct flights between Jeju Island and Singapore.

Flying To Korea From Europe

Travellers from Europe can fly direct to Korea from European cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Istanbul, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Warsaw. When I checked flight prices on Skyscanner, Budapest (from $479) had the cheapest flights, while Vienna was the most expensive (from $853)

Airlines that operate regular flights between Korea and Europe include Air France, Asiana Airlines, Finnair, KLM, Korean Air, LOT, Lufthansa, and Turkish Airlines. Most flights between Europe and Korea currently operate through Korean Air or Asiana Airlines as European long-haul carriers haven’t restarted routes to Korea as yet.

I’ve recently flown between Korea and the UK with Turkish Airlines (via Istanbul) and Lufthansa (via Munich) and the prices, while higher than direct flight prices in 2019, were comparatively good and the flights were only 3-4 hours longer than direct flights.

2024 Update: Korean Air is set to offer 4 more direct flights to Europe from March (Prague and Zurich) and April (Istanbul and Madrid). These will all fly direct to Incheon Airport.

Future Routes: From spring or summer 2024, Virgin Atlantic will begin operating flights directly between London and Seoul, providing more competition for Korean Air. This will increase the number of flights between England and Korea and should lower prices for direct flights, too.

Flying To Korea From Asia

There are lots of airlines that fly to Korea from across Asia, including budget airlines like Air Asia (Malaysia), Citilink, Indonesia) HK Express (Hong Kong), IndiGo (India), Jetstar Asia (Singapore), Peach (Japan), Scoot (Singapore), Spring Airlines (China), and VietJet Air (Vietnam). National airlines from countries in Asia usually offer flights to Korea, too.

Unless booking flights to Korea from other parts of Asia at busy times, such as during big holidays, it’s not necessary to book far in advance. The number of budget airlines operating in Asia means competition is high and cheap flights to Korea can be easy to come by.

However, I always recommend checking prices and booking in advance when you feel like the price is good enough so that you’re guaranteed a flight.

Transiting Through Incheon Airport In Korea

Incheon Airport was the world’s 14th busiest airport in 2019, with more than 71 million people visiting the airport and 8 million travellers transiting to other destinations. It was also named as the world’s best transit airport by Skytrax for the 5th year running in 2018.

However, Korea isn’t a popular stopover location for long-haul flights as it’s not situated in a convenient location between destinations such as the USA and Europe. Most connecting flights through the airport are from low-cost carriers flying to other parts of the country.

If you have a connecting flight at Incheon Airport, you don’t need to worry about confusing transfer rules. Incheon Airport has simplified transfer rules and provides a free transfer guide to groups of more than 10 people, as well as transfer guide service desks.

Transferring on a connecting flight at Incheon Airport, even if you need to change terminals, is really easy. There are signs in multiple languages and detailed transfer routes between locations. There are plenty of restaurants and shops to visit in the transfer zone, too.

When you transit through Incheon Airport, you will be restricted to the transit lounge and areas after the security checks. You won’t be able to leave the airport without passing through customs and to do that you’ll need a valid K-ETA or tourist visa for South Korea.

Free Transit Tours At Incheon Airport

From January 2023, Incheon Airport has reintroduced free transit tours to transiting travellers who have a few hours available to travel from the airport into nearby Incheon or Seoul. These tours

Anyone with a connecting flight within 24 hours, who has valid permission to enter Korea (visa-free, visa exempt, or tourist visa), will be allowed to join the tour for free. The tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis in person, or can be booked online in advance.

You must have a valid visa or an approved K-ETA to join the transit tour regardless of reservation.

The free transit tours are available from the main registration desks in terminals 1 and 2. Travellers should arrive 30 minutes before the tour starts and waiting list members can apply for no-show tickets within 30 minutes of the tour start time.

The types of free transit tours at Incheon Airport include:

Hanbok Experience and Hangeul Crafts (Airport Tour): Experience wearing Korean traditional clothes, hanbok, learn to write in Korean, hangeul, and experience making traditional Korean crafts.

Cheongwadae (Blue House) and Tongin Market Tour: Take a trip to Seoul to see the former presidential home, the Blue House, and enjoy creating your own Korean lunch box at Tongin traditional market.

Gyeongbokgung Palace and Insadong Art Street: This cultural tour will show you two highlights from Seoul’s main tourist area, including the impressive royal palace, Gyeongbokgung, and the artistic Insadong area.

Paradise City Art-tainment: Visit the nearby entertainment complex, Paradise City, which has a range of attractions, including an art gallery, casino, club, theme park, and various cultural experiences.

Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park and Bridge of Freedom Tour: See areas associated with the Korean War near the DMZ border area between North and South Korea. Learn about Korea’s difficult modern history and see the scars of war.

Yedanpo Trail and Haneul Garden Tour: See the natural beauty of Korea’s west coast with a guided walk along a coastal nature trail and a visit to the impressive Haneul Garden. Look out over the water and you can spot some of Incheon’s many nearby islands.

Want to know what else you can do near Incheon Airport? Check out this video about things to in Incheon, which is the closest city to Incheon Airport.

Travel Tips For Flying To Korea

Here are some tips to help make flying to Korea cheaper, easier, and safer. These will help you when you book flights to Korea, arrive at the airport, and start to explore Korea.

Take your time checking flights: Unless you have to fly for an emergency, you can afford to wait and invest some time finding a cheap flight to Korea that flies at a time convenient for you. Check sites like Skyscanner and Expedia and sign up for price alerts for the best price.

Plan your flight time to save money: Avoid departing or arriving at an inconvenient time, even if it’s cheaper. There is often a temptation to book a ‘red-eye flight‘ to save money, but it’s usually not worth it in the long run. You can end up spending more for an overnight stay at an airport hotel, checking in early to your hotel, and out-of-hours transportation.

Complete your K-ETA ASAP: The K-ETA is a simple process that should take 10 minutes to complete, but there are reported cases when the application is rejected or approval takes up to a week. Don’t leave it to the last minute or else you won’t be able to travel.

Book your hotels early: Travellers will need to have a hotel booking to prepare their K-ETA or tourist visa, so book these early to help you complete them. Booking early usually means getting a better price for hotel stays, too. For travellers to Seoul, I recommended booking a hotel in Hongdae or staying in Myeongdong as they’re both great locations.

Pick up a T-Money card at Incheon Airport: Travellers to Korea will definitely have an easier time travelling if they buy a T-Money card at Incheon Airport. The T-Money card is a prepaid transportation card that can be used for subways, buses, taxis, shopping, and more.

Research transportation from the airport: Incheon Airport is located on a man-made island off the coast of Incheon City in western Korea. It’s takes about an hour to get from Incheon Airport to Seoul. Plan ahead so you know which route you’ll take, when trains and buses run and the stops they make, and whether you’ll need a private taxi or not.

Bring a Wise, Revolut, or WOWPASS travel card: Avoid rip-off airport exchange fees and use a Wise, Revolut or WOWPASS travel card to withdraw cash at ATMs, pay for meals, trips, entertainment, and even hotels. These cards provide a much cheaper alternative to using your regular card in Korea. Find out more about how to use the Wise travel card in Korea and save money.

You can get lots more great travel tips in my packed South Korea Travel Guide, which has details about when to travel to Korea, where to stay, what to see, cultural & language issues, and lots more. There are more tips about flying to Korea, too.

If you have any other tips you’d like to share about flying to Korea, please feel free to share them in the comments section below. Thanks.

Flying To Korea FAQs

Finally, here’s a few FAQs about flying to Korea, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you.

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The Wise card is a multi-currency travel money card which you can use to pay and withdraw cash in 53 currencies in more than 175 countries around the world. You can easily convert currencies by adding money from your home account and converting it in the app. Not only is it really simple, you also get the mid-market rate, which is usually much better than the rates offered by money exchanges.

As a tourist, you can use the Wise card to pay for almost all of your travel expenses in Korea, including shopping, eating out, cafes, attractions, hotels, transport, and even for online purchases. It’s as functional as your regular bank card, but with lower fees and instant currency exchange. The Wise card is also really useful for expats in Korea who want to spend money from their home countries.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

Why Use The Wise Card In Korea?

The Wise card is a prepaid travel money card and a really useful way to pay for goods and services in Korea and a way to withdraw money from Korean ATMs. It’s safer and easier than carrying foreign currency, less complicated than traveller’s cheques, and allows you to convert your money into dozens of currencies using the mid-market exchange rate.

Here’s a summary of the main benefits of using the Wise card as a travel money card in Korea. I’ll provide more details about these benefits throughout the article.

• No need to exchange cash at a money exchange: simply withdraw cash from your Wise balance at an ATM from any bank with ‘Global ATMs’.
• Pay in Korean won fee-free by card: After you convert money from your chosen currency into Korean won, you can spend money like it’s a Korean bank card with no fees.
• Easy to add money from your home account and spend in Korea: Add funds to your travel budget as you go through online transfers from your home bank account to your Wise app.
• Free withdrawals from ATMs (up to a limit): Wise doesn’t charge a fee for the first $100 of cash withdrawals per month. Travellers in Korea won’t need much cash anyway.
• No unexpected fees when you get home: Using your home bank card or credit card may charge you for using it overseas, which can give you a nasty surprise when you get home.
• Convert leftover foreign currency back to your own currency: Anything you convert into Korean won but don’t use can be converted back at the mid-market exchange rate in the app.
• Can use it to pay in other countries, too: Planning to visit Japan after Korea? Use Wise to pay for things when you’re in Japan, Thailand, Europe, and loads of other countries.
• Tracks your spending and categorises each cost: Each transaction is recorded by the app and broken down into categories so you can see where your travel budget has gone.
• Safe and secure service while travelling: You can easily freeze the Wise card if you lose it, set a password to access the app, and get a replacement card.
• Offers physical and digital card versions: Use the physical card to pay for goods and items in person or the digital version for other situations.
• Works with Apple Pay & Google Pay: Add your Wise card to your Apple Pay or Google Pay account and spend your foreign currency in Wise wherever they’re accepted.

The biggest advantages of using the Wise card in Korea that I’ve personally found is the exchange rate, which uses the mid-market rate and not the rip-off rates some money exchanges use, as well as the ability to instantly top-up my Wise balance from my UK bank account. I also use my Wise card when I travel outside Korea as I can spend my UK money or Korean money safely and easily.

If you’re interested in getting a Wise multi-currency card to pay for travel costs, use these links below:

Wise Card Vs. Credit Card & Money Exchanges

What’s the benefit of using a Wise card to spend in Korea? As mentioned above, there are many benefits of using a multi-currency card like Wise as a tourist in Korea. Whether Wise is better than your credit cards depends on a number of factors, such as if your credit card charges you a fee to use it overseas (mine does) and what rate you get when paying with your credit card.

Even if your credit card doesn’t charge a fee, banks typically give bad exchange rates when converting payments into foreign currencies. I never use my UK credit card in Korea for both of these reasons. Wise offers Visa or Mastercard services, both of which are widely accepted in Korea and can be used to pay for hotels, attractions, food, drinks, taxis, and lots more.

A Wise card allows you to withdraw cash from an ATM in Korea, which is easier than visiting a money exchange. However, Korea is quickly becoming a cash-free society and using a card to pay in Korea is more common and convenient. Public transport is moving towards only using transportation cards or apps like the T-Money card and buses have stopped accepting cash in some cities.

Learn more: If you want to read more about the best way to save money on your travel expenses in Korea, check out my article about the various ways to pay in Korea as a tourist. There’s information about the Wise card, WOWPASS, money exchanges in Seoul, and tips for spending wisely.

Who Can Get A Wise Card?

Residents of the following countries are eligible for a Wise travel money card.

Asia: Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.

North America: Canada and the US.

Latin America: Brazil.

Europe: Austria, Belgium. British Virgin Islands. Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (only Metropolitan), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory), and the UK Crown Dependencies: Guernsey, Isle of Man, and Jersey.

Other countries in the European area: Andorra, Åland Islands, Saint Barthélemy, Curaçao, Falkland Islands [Malvinas], Faroe Islands, French Guiana, Greenland, Guadeloupe, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Cayman Islands, Monaco, Saint Martin (French part), Martinique, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Réunion, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, San Marino, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), French Southern Territories, Holy See, Virgin Islands (British), Wallis and Futuna, Mayotte.

The Wise multi-currency travel money card should arrive within 3 days in Singapore, 2 to 6 days in the UK, 2 weeks in Europe, Japan, or Malaysia, and 3 weeks in the US, Australia, or New Zealand.

Can Koreans get a Wise travel card? Unfortunately, people in South Korea can’t apply for a Wise travel money card right now, but if you’re an expat from one of the countries listed above, you can apply in your home country and use it when you’re in Korea (which is what I did).

How To Sign Up For A Wise Card

As long as you’re a resident of one of the aforementioned countries and you currently live in that country, you’re eligible to sign up for a Wise travel money card. Here are the steps to sign up for a Wise card:

1: Create An Account: You can do this by downloading the Wise App or on the Wise website (links below). You can create an account with your email, Google, Facebook, or Apple account.

2: Verify Your Identity: You’ll need to verify your identity to use Wise. To do this, you’ll need a valid mobile phone number, a government ID, and a bank account in the country you’re applying in.

3: Complete Account Setup: Once verified, complete your account setup and order your Wise travel money card. This should arrive within 2 weeks, but it can be fewer than that. Mine took about 3 days.

How To Add Korean Won To A Wise Card

Once your account has been setup and you’ve received your Wise card, you will need to add some money to the card and create different currency accounts. Don’t worry, this is really easy and is definitely the simplest way to create a bank account for a foreign country, which is kind of what you’re doing.

How to create different currency accounts: Open the Wise App and you’ll see your account balance at the top with available currencies below that. Scroll through your available currencies and you’ll see a button that says ‘+ Open‘ – you can use this to add new currencies to your Wise account. Select the ‘Balance‘ option to create a new bank account and select the currency you want.

How to add Korean won to your Wise card: Open the Wise app and select the Korean won account. Click the green button that says ‘Add‘. In this screen (shown below), type the amount of money you want to add to your account and the currency you want to pay in. If you want to transfer directly from your bank account into Korean won, you can do that by selecting your home currency.

If you prefer to add money in your home currency and convert to other currencies later on, you can do this in the same way by selecting your home currency, ‘Add’ to add funds, and then bank transfer. There is no fee to do this. To convert that into Korean won, select the ‘Convert‘ button in your currency account and select the currency you want to covert into. There’s a small fee for this.

How To Activate Wise Card In Korea

Before you can use your Wise card to spend money in Korea and elsewhere, you’ll need to activate the card. You can do this by using your card to withdraw cash or pay for something using Chip and PIN. If you signed up for your Wise card in the US or Japan, you will need to activate your card before you travel. Details of this are included below.

I made the mistake of not activating my Wise card before using it in Korea and it was declined when I tried to make a payment, as you can see in the image below. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to activate the Wise card in Korea at a Global ATM.

Use your Wise card in a Global ATM to activate it: This is the method I used to activate my Wise card in Korea as this method requires you to enter your PIN number. This part is very important as you must enter your PIN for the Wise card to activate. I withdrew some cash from my Wise account and after that the Wise card worked perfectly for card payments and other transactions.

Tip: You don’t have to withdraw cash to activate the Wise card, just check your balance and this will activate your card. As long as you’ve entered your PIN number, your card will be activated.

Why won’t Wise activate when paying by card? A Wise card is activated by using the PIN. Unfortunately, PIN numbers aren’t really used in Korea as a way to authenticate purchases. Purchases under ₩50,000 don’t require approval. If the purchase is over ₩50,000, then you’ll need to sign for it. This is why withdrawing cash from an ATM is the best way to activate a Wise card in Korea.

How To Activate Wise Card For US Customers

There are special rules about activating your Wise card for US customers. You need to activate your Wise card using the 6-digit PIN number that was sent with the card. Here’s how to do that:

• Go to your Wise account
• Go to Card
• Choose Activate Now
• Enter the 6-digit PIN number that’s on the letter your card came attached to.

Please note: You can only activate your Wise card when you’re in the US, so make sure you do that before you travel to Korea or use it in other countries.

How To Activate Wise Card For Japanese Customers

There are special rules about activating your Wise card if your card was issued in Japan after 27th March, 2023. You need to activate the card in Japan using the 6-digit PIN number. Here are the steps to do that:

• Go to your Wise account
• Go to Card
• Choose Activate Now
• Enter the 6-digit code that’s on the letter your card came attached to.

Please note: You can only activate your Wise card when you’re in Japan, so make sure you do that before you travel to Korea or use it in other countries.

Wise ATM Withdrawal In Korea

Travellers to Korea can use their Wise card to withdraw cash from Global ATMs instead of relying on money exchanges or airport exchanges to convert foreign currency. This is a convenient way to get cash to spend while you’re travelling in Korea and means you don’t need to bring lots of cash with you – you can withdraw it as and when you need it.

How to withdraw cash using a Wise card in Korea: To withdraw cash from your Wise account, you’ll need to go to a Global ATM as they accept foreign cards and allow cash withdrawals. You can find Global ATMs in Seoul and other major cities and they’re typically in popular tourist locations like Hongdae and Myeongdong. There are Global ATMs at Incheon Airport and other airports in Korea.

Is there a fee to withdraw cash using Global ATMs? Yes, Korean banks impose a fee of around ₩3,600 (~$3 USD) to use Global ATMs, which is something you should consider when withdrawing cash using your Wise card. It’s better to withdraw large amounts at once as the fee is set per transaction and not based on how much you withdraw. The fee is deducted from your Wise balance.

I visited several ATMs to check the fee to withdraw cash using a Wise card, including the ATM inside Seoul Station AREX terminal, and found that they all charged me a fee of around ₩3,000 to ₩3,600. Reports from other travellers in Korea who have used the Wise card at Global ATMs shows that these foreigner-friendly ATMs also charge a fee.

Is there a fee to withdraw cash using Wise? Wise states that you are entitled to fee-free withdrawals from ATMs up to a certain limit. The picture below shows the fees and fee-free limits for USD customers ($100), but the limit changes depending on your country. The fee-free withdrawal limit for UK customers is £200 per month. Please check the Wise website for your country to see the fees.

Should you use cash or card in Korea? As mentioned previously, Korea is a country that is becoming cash-free. You can pay for many things by card in Korea and the Wise card can be used to cover most of your costs when you are travelling. Having a small amount of cash is useful as you’ll need it to top up transportation cards (T-Money) and to pay for small purchases in markets.

Where Can You Use Wise In Korea?

As Wise cards are issued by Visa or Mastercard, two of the most widely accepted card payment methods in Korea, they can be used anywhere these cards are normally accepted. Travellers in Korea can use the Wise travel money card to pay for many things, including hotels, restaurants, transportation, trips, entertainment, cafes, and anywhere you can use a card.

Here is a summary of some of the available places you can use your Wise card in Korea:

• Hotels: Pay for your hotel in Korea when you arrive or book online.
• Shopping: From large department stores to small convenience stores and everything in between.
• Eating Out: Cafes, restaurants, and even Korean street food sellers will accept card payments.
• Entertainment: Theme parks, attractions, bars, Korean noraebangs (karaoke), and more.
• Sightseeing: Pay entry fees for famous attractions in Seoul and beyond.
• Transportation: Pay for KTX train tickets, intercity bus tickets, and taxis in Korea.
• Day Trips: You can book tours online* in your home currency or Korean won.

*online payments in Korea can be fiddly and sometimes foreign cards can be rejected due to Korea-specific security protocols or language-based technical issues.

Will you pay a fee to use Wise in Korea? No. When using your Wise card’s Korean won balance in Korea, you will only pay the price stated. Whether you spend 600 won for a bottle of water, or 60,000 won for a Korean BBQ meal, there are no transaction fees charged by Wise.

Is the Wise card a credit card? No, the Wise card is a debit card, which means you can only spend the money you have available in your Wise account for that certain currency and you can’t borrow money. If you don’t have any money in your Korean won currency account, you won’t be able to use it in Korea. However, it’s easy to top up the balance by transferring from your bank account.

Are taxes added to prices in Korea? No. When you see a price tag, that’s the price you will pay. Sales tax or other fees won’t be added on to the price, with the exception of shipping costs if buying online. Restaurant bills typically don’t include a service charge as tipping is not a Korean custom.

Where Isn’t Wise Accepted In Korea?

Like foreign debit and credit cards, the Wise travel money card isn’t guaranteed to work in every single place you try to spend money in Korea. There may be instances when the place doesn’t accept cards, such as a street food stall or food cart, even though all businesses in Korea are supposed to accept card payments. As Wise uses Visa and Mastercard, it should be accepted almost everywhere.

In my experience, there has only been one place where I wasn’t able to use my Wise card in Korea, which was an automated ticket machine at a bus terminal in Daejeon. I think these automated machines usually don’t accept foreign cards and the ticket machine at Seoul Station even says it only accepts Korean debit cards. Fortunately, you can still buy tickets at the station counter so it’s not a big issue.

Card not working because it’s not activated: If you’re having problems using your Wise card in Korea, don’t forget you need to activate it before you can use it to pay for things. As mentioned, you can do this at a Global ATM by checking your balance. However, Japanese and US customers need to activate their card before they travel to Korea as it must be done in their respective countries.

How To Use The Wise App In Korea

The Wise app is an essential part of using your Wise card in Korea and allows you to:

• Check your spending
• See your account details
• Add funds to your balance
• Send money to other people
• Transfer between currencies
• Lock the card if it’s lost or stolen
• Use digital card services

When you use the Wise multi-currency card in Korea to pay for something, you will receive a notification showing your expenditure. This is good for security, to make sure it’s not being used fraudulently, and also helps you track your spending, which can be difficult when you’re on holiday. Don’t forget, you’ll need a Korean sim card or WiFi to use your phone when travelling.

The main reason I use the Wise app when I’m travelling in Korea or elsewhere is to check that I have enough money available in my Korean won Wise balance, to add funds, to convert currencies, and to see how much I’ve spent. You can easily check your transaction history for each account and the payments are categorised according to the type of cost, as you can see in the picture below.

How To Replace A Lost Wise Card

If you lose your Wise card in Korea, or it gets stolen, you can use the Wise app to freeze the card instantly. Open the Wise app and select the ‘Card‘ option on the bottom menu to get to your card details. From this screen, select ‘Freeze card‘ to stop anyone using your card and protect your balance. You can order a replacement card in the same screen, which should be delivered within 2 weeks.

You can also unblock your PIN (in case you accidentally block it), view your card and PIN details, set limits on your spending, and manage where you can use your Wise card, such as whether ATM withdrawals or online payments are allowed or not. This can be useful for card safety and controlling how your Wise card is used when you’re in Korea.

Losing your card when travelling can be a big issue, but fortunately you can still use your Wise account with a digital card to spend online, with Google Pay or Apple Pay, or in store (when accepted). Select ‘Order a card‘ in the Wise app to get a digital card, which is an app-based version of your physical card. The digital card is free, issued immediately and connects to your existing Wise balance.

Please note: Only the following countries are eligible for a digital card – UK, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Switzerland, Canada, Brazil or EEA. US applicants aren’t included.

Benefits Of Using Wise As An Expat In Korea

I created a Wise card when I was home in the UK and have been using it in Korea and in other countries since 2022. As an expat in Korea since 2015, I can say that having this card has made managing my online finances so much easier. I no longer have to make expensive and time consuming bank transfers, I can manage my money through the Wise app, and I get a better exchange rate, too.

Here are some of the main benefits of using the Wise card as an expat in Korea:

1: Spend your money from your home country in Korea: Set up your Wise card for your home currency and Korean won and you can transfer money directly from your home bank account to the Korean won account and then spend Korean won in Korea with your Wise card. This can be really useful for people who are about to move to Korea and don’t have a Korean bank account yet.

2: Spend your Korean money when you travel abroad: Wise is accepted in over 175 countries and works with over 40 currencies, which means you can take it with you when you travel and pay anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted, which is most places. I use my Wise card as my main means of paying for things when I travel. It saves you money on foreign exchange fees and bank fees.

3: Receive money from other people: If your friends of family want to send you some money in Korea, they can send it to your Wise account in whatever currency you need. For example, you have relatives in the USA, the UK, and Australia, you can set up a Wise account for each of those currencies in the Wise app (all for free), tell them your bank details for each currency account, and they can pay you.

4: Receive payments from other countries: If you work as a digital nomad or need to be paid in a foreign currency, you can provide your bank details from Wise for that currency account. These details are found in the Wise app and come with routing numbers, BIC numbers, etc. – all you need to receive money from other countries. This saves on conversion fees for receiving foreign payments.

Expats in Korea typically still have connections in their home country, whether that’s friends, family, or business partners. Being able to receive money and spend money while in Korea with a Wise card can be a good way to buy and receive birthday presents and other gifts.

From surveys I’ve conducted from expats in Korea who use the Wise multi-currency travel money card, it seems that it’s also a good option for travelling outside of Korea. The main reason for this was that Korean banks charge high fees to exchange money or to use your Korean card overseas.

The only real criticism that other expats in Korea had about the Wise card was that, on rare occasions, the money transfers weren’t instant. Some people said that they had to wait up to 3 days for their balances to clear, which would be an issue if you need to spend money instantly.

Learn more: if you want to know more about how to transfer money to and from Korea using Wise and the best ways to receive money in Korea from abroad, check out this article about using Wise to send money to Korea.

Can You Apply For A Wise Card In Korea?

Korea isn’t one of the countries where you can sign up for a Wise card. If you’re an expat living in Korea, you’ll need to apply for a Wise card before moving to Korea. You need to be a resident of an eligible country, which you technically wouldn’t be if you’re already living in Korea long-term. However, if you’re registered in your home country with an address and bank account, you should be fine.

You’ll also need to be in the country to order a Wise travel money card, as you have to have phone number in that country and receive a call from Wise to setup your account and use the app. If you can’t receive a phone call, you won’t be able to verify your identity.

My Experience Using Wise In Korea

I picked up a Wise card in the UK and have been using it in Korea since 2022.

Here are some of the good things I’ve found out about the Wise card:

• It works in most places: As mentioned, I’ve only had one payment rejected, which was at a bus terminal ticketing machine. Everything else has been really smooth.
• It has saved me money: Transferring money between the UK and Korea isn’t cheap and the Wise multi-currency travel money card is certainly a much cheaper way to get my UK money into Korea.
• More convenient for transfers: If I want to send money from the UK to Korea, I need to do it through my banking app in the UK, which can require a phone call to approve it. Using Wise, I can skip that and it’s done instantly and hassle-free.
• Helps me track my spending: I love the Wise app, it’s much better than my UK and Korean banking apps and shows me what I’ve spent money on more cleary.
• Can use it when travelling: I use my Wise card when to avoid bad exchange rates when converting cash and high fees for using my UK card overseas.

And here are some of the downsides of having a Wise card in Korea:

• Can’t always withdraw cash from an ATM: I live in Daejeon and there aren’t many Global ATMs in this area, which makes it hard to withdraw cash from my Wise card. I don’t need to withdraw cash, but if I did, I’d need to find a Global ATM to do so.
• Interferes with my other contactless cards: I have a contactless Korean bank card in my wallet which I use to pay for things. As the Wise card is also a contactless payment card, it confuses the card reader and I have to take my Korean card out of my wallet to use it. It’s not a big hassle, but it’s worth considering.

Generally, the Wise card has been a great advantage to my range of payment options in Korea and helps me manage my money in the UK and Korea more conveniently and cheaply. As a tourist in Korea, the Wise card would be a very useful addition to anyone’s travel payment options and a way to avoid using money exchanges, paying high overseas fees, and worrying about how much money to bring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Finally, here are a few FAQs about using the Wise card in Korea, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. This is based on my personal experience, feedback from other people who have used the Wise card in Korea, and research from other websites.

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Kakao Taxi (카카오 택시) is Korea’s main taxi-hailing app and is available in English, which makes it really convenient for tourists in Seoul and other cities. To use Kakao Taxi, you need to setup a Kakao account or Kakao ID. I’ll cover how to do that (it’s easy) and how to use Kakao Taxi in this article.

The only small problem with using Kakao Taxi to book taxis in Korea is the payment screen where the app will ask you to register a card and register a Korean phone number. Fortunately, you can get past this and pay directly to the driver. This article also shows you a quick hack to get past that screen.

If you prefer to watch a short video version of this article, please watch it here:

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

How To Use Kakao Taxi: Quick Guide

To be able to use Kakao Taxi, you’ll need a Kakao ID. If you don’t have a Kakao ID, start with How To Create a Kakao ID. If you already have a Kakao ID, and have logged in to Kakao Taxi, then follow these steps to book a taxi with Kakao Taxi. You can install Kakao Taxi on Android and Apple.

This 7-step guide will show you how to use Kakao Taxi in Korea and how to pay with cash, credit card, or T-Money instead of registering a card with the app. This will allow you to use Kakao Taxi as a foreigner or expat in Korea without a Korean phone number, which is needed to register a card.

Step 1: Open The Kakao Taxi App & Select Taxi Booking

Open the Kakao Taxi application and click on the taxi symbol on the top left. It’s the first option on the screen. This will take you through to the taxi booking section. The app is listed in English as ‘Kakao Taxi’ and if you’re using a Korean phone, should be listed as ‘카카오 택시’

Step 2: Choose Your Start Location

Enter the name of the place you want to start from. This will default to your current location if you have enabled location tracking. If you want to change the start location, type in the name or address of the location or click on the map symbol to choose from a location on the map.

Tip: Using the map search function is the best option as you can choose which side of the street the taxi will arrive on as well as correct problems from inexact positioning by your phone.

Step 3: Choose Your End Location Or Destination

Select the end location of your journey in the same way as you chose the start location. Either type in the name or address of the place you want to visit, or select the location on a map.

Tip: If you’re not sure of the end location’s address, or can’t find it with the Kakao Taxi search function, use Google Maps and search for the address using English. Google Maps will show you the address in Korean, which you can copy and paste into Kakao Taxi.

Step 4: Choose Your Taxi Type

Choose the type of taxi you want to use to travel to your location. A standard taxi is labelled as ‘General Request‘ and this will be the same as the taxis you can hail on the street. There are also larger taxis and premium taxis. These offer a larger or more luxurious taxi than the standard taxis, but cost more money.

Tip: Always search for a ‘General Request‘ taxi first of all. However, if you can’t find a taxi, try selecting the ‘Blue’ taxi instead. This pays a higher fee to the taxi driver and is supposed to increase your chance of finding an available taxi. Unfortunately, you need to register a card to use the ‘Blue’ taxis, so this won’t work unless you have a Korean phone number.

Step 5: Select Your Payment Method

After selecting which type of taxi you want to take, the next screen will ask you to select your payment method. This is the step that causes problems for foreigners in Korea as the default option is to register a card, which requires a Korean phone number.

To use Kakao Taxi without a Korean phone number, swipe left on the payment screen to the second option, which is ‘Pay to the driver‘. Further details about how to do this will be explained after Step 7.

Step 6: Confirm Your Taxi Booking

After selecting the payment method, click ‘Apply‘ and you will be taken back to the taxi request screen you were at previously. Click ‘Request‘ to call the taxi.

The taxi will now travel to your destination to collect you. It will have a blue sign in the window to show that it’s reserved. The taxi driver may call or message to tell you when they’re close to your location.

Step 7: Travel To Your Destination In The Taxi

Once your taxi arrives at your location, enter the taxi and the taxi driver will take you to your destination. Once you arrive at your destination, pay the taxi driver in the method you chose and then get out of the taxi. The app will ask you to rate your ride and give feedback about the route, driver, cleanliness of the taxi, etc.

If you registered a card with Kakao Taxi, your payment will be made automatically. If you chose ‘Pay to driver‘, then you will have to pay with cash, credit card, or T-Money. More details about how to pay directly to the driver are in the next section.

Another way to pay for taxis in Korea and other services in Korea without having to carry lots of cash or use your credit card is by using a WOWPASS card for local payments in Korea. This is a Korean debit card and can be used to pay for taxis, shopping, meals out, and everything else.

Check out my article about how to get a taxi in Korea for full details about hailing a cab in Seoul or booking taxis using apps like Kakao Taxi. It covers taxi prices, different types of taxis, where to get a taxi, and some useful Korean phrases for ordering taxis in Korea.

Using Kakao Taxi Without A Korean Phone Number

To use Kakao Taxi without a Korean phone number, you need to book a taxi as normal in the app and in the payment section change the option from ‘Pay by card‘ or ‘Register a convenient payment method‘ to ‘Pay to the driver‘.

Swipe left on the payment screen to change to ‘Pay to the driver‘. This will bring you to the screen that allows you to use Kakao Taxi without registering a card. You can pay for your taxi journey in person with cash or card.

After swiping left on the screen to select ‘Pay to the driver’, you should press the ‘Apply‘ button to confirm your changes. You will be asked to confirm your taxi journey one more time and then Kakao Taxi will begin the search for a taxi driver.

The fare for the taxi journey won’t change based on the payment method and will be the same whether you pay the taxi driver by card or cash. Make sure the meter is running when you start your journey.

Registering a card to automatically pay for your taxi journey in Kakao Taxi is only possible if you have a Korean phone number. If you’re an expat living in Korea, registering a card in Kakao Taxi is convenient, but it’s not really necessary for short-term travellers and tourists.

It’s impossible to register a card in Kakao Taxi without a Korean phone number and even if you have a Korean phone number, I would still recommend using the ‘Pay to the driver’ option as it’s simpler.

Should You Get A Korean SIM Card

If you plan to use Korean apps like Coupang Eats, Kakao Talk, or Kakao Taxi, I recommend getting a Korean SIM card. A Korean SIM card allows you to use apps and make online bookings. Order one for collection at Incheon Airport or to collect in Seoul or Busan. It makes visiting Korea easier. Check out my review of the SK tourist SIM to see how reliable and convenient Koreans SIM cards are.

How To Create A Kakao ID To Use Kakao Taxi

Before you try to use Kakao Taxi to hail a cab in Korea, you need to have a Kakao ID. To get a Kakao ID, you need to create an account with Kakao, complete the registration process, and then choose your Kakao ID.

To create a Kakao account you need to have a phone number. You don’t need a Korean phone number, but you will need to be able to receive a text message to activate a new Kakao account. If you’re in Korea, this could be difficult to do without a Korean SIM card and phone number.

However, as long as you have access to a phone number (Korean or international), you will be able to create a Kakao ID. You’ll also need your email address, personal details and Internet access.

Here are the steps to create a Kakao ID so you can use Kakao Taxi and other Kakao services:

Step 1: Create a Kakao Account

Install the Kakao Talk app to create a Kakao account. Once you’ve installed the app, open it and select ‘sign up’ to create a new account. You can install Kakao Taxi on Android and Apple.

Enter your email address, personal details, agree to the terms and then continue. Your Kakao account is tied to this email address and will be used to log in. You can’t change it later.

Please note: You can only install Kakao Talk on a mobile device, not a desktop computer.

Step 2: Enter Your Mobile Phone Number

You must enter a phone number to create a Kakao account. It doesn’t have to be a Korean phone number. Select your country’s dialling code and then enter your phone number.

You’ll be sent a 4 digit security code to confirm that you’re the owner of the phone. Once you’ve received the confirmation code, enter it and move on with your account setup.

Please note: if you apply with a foreign number, it can take a few days for the approval process to be completed. Korean phone numbers should only take a minute or two to activate.

Step 3: Complete Kakao Account Setup

Once you’ve received the security code and your phone number has been verified, complete the account setup by choosing a password (use lower case letters, capital letters, numbers and a special symbol).

Next, add in your personal information, such as date of birth, gender, nickname and an avatar. Some of these are optional and not necessary.

Step 4: Create Your Kakao ID

Once the account is setup, you can create a personal ID for the Kakao Talk app. Go to your profile and select ‘Edit Profile’ and then ‘Create Kakao ID’. Enter a unique ID with a combination of letters and numbers. If the ID has been chosen, try another one.

Step 5: Start Using Kakao Taxi

Finally, download the Kakao Taxi app and log in using the email address and password. After logging in to Kakao Taxi, you can start booking taxis in Korea without a Korean phone number. Click this link for instructions about how to use Kakao Taxi without a Korean phone number,

Tips For Using Kakao Taxi In Korea

Travelling to Korea and want to know how to use Kakao Taxi and how to get around Seoul and other cities in Korea? Here are some of my personal tips to help you travel more conveniently and safely.

Go to the nearest taxi rank: If you are trying to hail a taxi in Korea and they keep driving past you, it’s probably because you’re close to a taxi rank. Taxis won’t stop to pick you up near taxi ranks – you should go there and wait with everyone else.

Check the colour of the light in the taxi: Korean taxis have colour-coded light systems to show if they are available or not. These lights are attached to the rear view mirror and can be seen when a taxi drives towards you. Red means the taxi is available for hire. Blue means it has been reserved by a Kakao Taxi call. If you reserved a taxi with Kakao Taxi, look for the blue lights.

Check the licence plate number: When you order a taxi through Kakao Taxi, you will be shown the driver’s licence plate and name. Check the licence plate before getting in the taxi to make sure it’s the right one, especially if many people are waiting for taxis in the same area.

Always use the meter: If you hail a taxi from the street (or with Kakao Taxi), and they offer you a price without using the meter, refuse and get another taxi. This is how foreigners, especially arrivals at Incheon Airport, commonly get scammed and end up paying many times the typical cost of the fare. Taxi drivers must use the meter by law. Kakao Taxi shows you the estimated fare for the journey and the final fare should be close to this.

Be prepared for long waits at night: During the pandemic, many taxi drivers changed jobs and became delivery drivers instead, lured by better wages and fewer night shifts. There is now a shortage of late-night taxi drivers in Korea, especially in Seoul. The government has raised taxi fares at night in a bid to get more taxi drivers back, but it hasn’t been that successful so far.

Get a T-Money Card: The T-Money Card is a prepaid transportation card that can be used for buses, subways and taxis. When you use a taxi, you can pay for it with the T-Money Card. Check out my guide to using T-Money in Korea.

Buy a SIM card or rent portable WiFi: Even if you don’t need a Korean phone number to register a card with Kakao Taxi, having a Korean SIM card or portable WiFi router will offer you amazing coverage across Korea’s advanced phone network. You need a network connection to use Kakao Taxi, too.

Learn some basic Korean phrases: A few simple phrases will go a long way when you travel in Korea, especially when you want to ask for and understand directions. If you want to learn a few phrases, including ones for getting around by taxi, here are 60 Korean travel phrases to start with.

How To Change Kakao Taxi To English

Kakao Taxi should default to the language settings of your mobile device. If your phone is in English, Kakao Taxi should be, too. If your Kakao Taxi language settings are in Korean, here’s how to change them to English in three simple steps.

Step 1: Select Your Profile

Open the Kakao Taxi application and click on the profile settings tab at the bottom of the screen. This is the image of a person and hosts all of your account settings.

Step 2: Select The Language Settings

Scroll down the page on the account settings tab until you see the icon shaped like a globe. In Korean, this says ‘언어 설정’ (Language Settings). Click on this option.

Step 3: Change Language To English

There are four language options in Kakao Taxi. The first is to use the language your phone is set to (as long as it’s one of the 3 languages provided). The second option is Korean. The third option is English. The final option is Japanese.

Select English and, after a quick app refresh, all the options in the Kakao Taxi app will now be in English.

Alternatives To Kakao Taxi In Korea

In South Korea, there are several ride-hailing services available. The most popular one is Kakao T, which was launched as Kakao Taxi in 2015 and has dominated the market for call taxis in Korea since then. However, since 2022, alternatives to Kakao Taxi have started to appear in Korea.

Uber, which has recently re-entered the Korean market with a new joint venture with SK Telecom’s TMAP, offers taxi-hailing services through a service called UT. You can also book taxis in advance using the app or website, but these are only really available in Seoul and to major airports nearby.

Additionally, Viva Republica, which operates the online payment service provider Toss, bought one of the major local mobility startups TADA and plans to offer a new service to provide taxi rides in Korea.

These services have been legally allowed in the city since January 2022, when the Seoul government changed its four-decades-old taxi industry development law.

How Do These Taxi Apps Differ?

Kakao T and Uber are both popular ride-hailing services, but they operate differently, especially in South Korea. Kakao T is an online mobility service in South Korea that was launched as Kakao Taxi in 2015. It allows users to book and pay for taxis through the Kakao T app.

The Kakao Taxi service hires licensed taxi drivers in accordance with local regulations, and the rate is in line with regular taxis. This ensures a more standardised service and passenger safety through rigorous driver and vehicle checks.

On the other hand, Uber operates with independent drivers who use their own vehicles. In many countries, Uber’s model has faced regulatory challenges. However, Uber has recently re-entered the Korean market with a new joint venture with SK Telecom’s TMAP, called UT, which also hires licensed taxi drivers.

In terms of user experience, some users on Reddit have mentioned that it can be easier to get a taxi with Uber (or UT) than Kakao T in certain areas or at peak times. However, others have found Kakao T to be more reliable and is certainly the more popular of the two options in Korea.

Personally, I use Kakao Taxi when I travel in Korea and have found it very useful and simple to use. However, in recent times there have been fewer taxis available late at night, which is partly due to fewer taxi drivers working those hours. It can sometimes be necessary to go to a taxi rank instead.

FAQs About Using Kakao Taxi In Korea

Finally, here are a few FAQs about how to use Kakao Taxi without a Korean phone number, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.

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Find out where to buy a T-Money Card at Incheon Airport and other locations in Korea, learn how to top-up your card in Korea and where to top-up, and also discover the many benefits of using a T-Money Card. This in-depth article will answer all your T-Money queries quickly and easily.

This comprehensive guide is updated regularly to bring you the latest information about changes and additional ways to use the T-Money Card. There are also lots of my own tips about how to use the T-Money Card, where it can be used, and lots of really useful travel advice for visiting Korea.

For those who prefer to watch a video version of this article, please watch it here:

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

What Is The T-Money Card

The T-Money Card is a prepaid transportation card that can be used to pay for public transportation in cities across Korea, including buses and subways. It provides cash-free travel around Korean cities, and takes the hassle out of to get around Korea and buying tickets for each journey.

The T-Money Card can be used to pay for a range of items and services, including taxi charges, items in convenience stores, entrance fees for attractions, vending machines, and food and beverages in restaurants. Anywhere you see the T-Money logo (above), you can pay with T-Money Card.

Why Do I Need A T-Money Card In Korea?

Korea is fast becoming a cash-free society and in recent years Korea’s buses have moved away from accepting cash payments. Almost a quarter of all buses in Seoul are now cash-free and you can’t pay with cash at all on Daejeon’s buses. This will likely be the norm everywhere in Korea very soon.

Even when you can buy tickets in cash, it’s inconvenient making sure you have the right cash available (no change is given on buses). Queueing up to buy a ticket at a crowded subway station is a real hassle when you could just touch-and-go straight through the barriers with a T-Money Card.

The biggest reason is the two rates to travel in Korea’s subways and buses – one for cash and one for transportation cards like the T-Money Card. The rate for the T-Money Card is lower, meaning you’ll save money when you travel with a T-Money Card, as you can see in the table below:

*Bus fares in Seoul rose to ₩1,500 from August 2023. However, it hasn’t been confirmed whether cash and T-Money costs will be the same now or not.

Quick Summary

Here’s a summary of the T-Money Card and why you should get one when you travel to Korea.

Where To Buy A T-Money Card

T-Money Cards are available in many places in Korea, including at Incheon Airport, in convenience stores, and in public transportation stations. This section of the T-Money Guide will show you where to buy a T-Money Card in each of these different locations and extra services that include T-Money.

Buy T-Money At The Incheon Airport, Seoul

The most convenient place for most travellers to get a T-Money Card is at Incheon Airport in the Transit Centre (Floor B1) of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. There are vending machines that sell the Korea Tour Card, which is the tourist-friendly version of the T-Money Card that comes with extra benefits.

Follow the directions to the ‘Airport Railroad‘ in either terminal and it will lead you to the B1 Transit Centre. The T-Money Card vending machines will be well signposted and located next to the All-Stop subway train, which is the subway to central Seoul that you can pay for with T-Money.

Please note: If you arrive at Incheon Airport Terminal 1, the Transit Centre is the only place you can buy a T-Money Card (Korea Tour Card). The CU convenience stores in Terminal 1 don’t sell T-Money Cards. In Terminal 2, you can buy T-Money Cards from GS25 and 7/11 convenience stores.

How to buy T-Money card At Incheon Airport Transit Centre:

It’s easy to buy a T-Money Card from the Transit Centre. Head to the All-Stop train station where the T-Money Card vending machines are located. You must have cash (KRW) to purchase at the vending machines, as well as cash to top-up the balance afterwards.

Here are the 4 steps required to buy a T-Money Card from the vending machine:

1: Insert Cash

The cost of the Korea Travel Card (hereafter called T-Money Card) is ₩4,000. Insert cash into the machine. Change is available.

2: Press The Number

Like a normal vending machine, press the number of the card you want to buy. Don’t select a number which is empty.

3: Press The Green Button

To confirm your purchase, press the green button at the bottom of the keypad.

4: Collect Your T-Money Card

The vending machine will collect your T-Money Card and dispense it to you.

Once the T-Money Card has been dispensed, don’t forget to collect any change from the vending machine. To top-up, take it to the ticket machines outside the All-Stop terminal. Full details about how to top-up will be included in the section ‘How To Top-Up A T-Money Card‘

Need Cash For T-Money?

One issue with T-Money is that it can only be topped-up using cash (KRW). Unfortunately, airport money exchanges typically give bad exchange rates. You can get better rates by taking the Airport Express non-stop train into Seoul and changing money in Myeongdong or Hongdae, or by ordering a Korean sim card from Klook with a T-Money Card with a preloaded balance of 5,000 KRW or 10,000 KRW.

Where to Buy A T-Money Card In Korea

I recommend buying a T-Money Card at the Incheon Airport Transit Centre. However, if you’re not arriving in Korea at Incheon Airport, want to get a card with a cuter design, or want to save money by combining T-Money with other services, here are 6 other places where you can buy T-Money Cards.

Buy T-Money At A Subway Station In Korea

Subway stations in Korea sell the basic version of the T-Money Card, which comes with no balance. You can usually top-up from the same machine that dispenses them.

Price: ₩2,500

Buy T-Money At A Convenience Store In Korea

Korean convenience stores, including GS25 and 7/11, sell T-Money Cards with their own designs. These come with no balance but can be topped up straight after purchase with cash.

Price: ₩3,000

Buy T-Money On The Airport Express

It is possible to buy a T-Money card inside the subway stations along the Airport Express all-stop train between Incheon Airport and other parts of Seoul. You can even personalise this card and add your own picture to the card.

Price: From ₩6,000

Buy T-Money From Klook

Klook offers a combined Korean sim card and T-Money package that comes with a T-Money Card with Klook’s own cute design. You save money on both the T-Money Card and sim card with this combined package.

Price: From ₩32,500

Get T-Money With The WOWPASS

The WOWPASS is a travel money card that allows you to pay for goods and services like a local. It includes T-Money functions and the WOWPASS Airport Package comes with ₩10,000 T-Money balance included.

Price: From ₩5,000

Get T-Money With The Discover Seoul Pass

The Discover Seoul Pass is a city-pass that offers free entry to dozens of premium attractions in Seoul. It also includes T-Money functions to allow you to travel on public transport without having to buy a separate T-Money Card.

Price: From ₩50,000

You can also buy T-Money cards from stationery stores like ArtBox. ArtBox is a popular place to buy souvenirs and cute stationery. They also have their own line of T-Money Cards with ever-changing fun designs for you to collect. There is no T-Money balance and the cards cost more.

How Much Does The T-Money Card Cost?

The price of the T-Money Card is ₩2,500 for the standard T-Money Card that is sold at public transportation stations in Korea. This does not include any credit and you will need to add funds to the card before you can use it. The cost of the Korea Travel Card at Incheon Airport is ₩4,000.

T-Money Cards from other locations, such as convenience stores and stationery stores, which include special artworks, typically cost more money. The cost of T-Money can be free when it is included in another service, such as the WOWPASS or Discover Seoul Pass.

Where Can You Buy Special T-Money Designs?

If you want to buy a T-Money Card with an interesting design, there are several options in Korea. The stationery store ARTBOX offers some cute designs with their own characters, as do convenience stores. These cards have the same functions as a regular T-Money Card and work the same way.

Please note: T-Money Cards with unique designs are a bit more expensive – around ₩5,000 to ₩6,000 per card. The base cost of a T-Money Card is ₩2,500. These can make nice gifts or souvenirs and as the T-Money Card doesn’t expire, you can use them every time you visit Korea.

BTS-Themed T-Money Cards

BTS ARMY members may want to get a special souvenir of their time in Korea and can do so with a BTS-themed T-Money Card. These special edition BTS T-Money Cards work the same as regular T-Money Cards, but come with 7 different designs, one for each member of the hit group, BTS.

These aren’t widely available, and new versions replace older versions frequently. If you want to buy a BTS-themed T-Money Card, you can find them in some convenience stores or in K-Pop merchandise stores in areas such as Gangnam, Hongdae, or in the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

Where Can You Use T-Money In Korea?

The T-Money Card is primarily a transportation card that can be used to pay for bus and subway journeys in most Korean cities. However, it also functions as a payment card that can be used to make small purchases in certain Korean shops, cafes, restaurants, and attractions.

If you bought the Korea Tour Card from the Incheon Airport Transit Centre, you will be eligible for discounts at tourist attractions, shops, entertainment, restaurants, and other locations. For example, you get 30% off entry fees at N Seoul Tower and 20% off entry fees at COEX Aquarium.

Here are the places you can use the T-Money Card in Korea:

On Buses

It’s really simple to use T-Money on Korea’s buses. Touch the T-Money Card to the card reader when you enter the bus to start your journey, then touch it again when you exit the bus. In most city buses in Korea you enter at the front of the bus and get off in the middle. There will be a T-Money Card reader in both locations.

Most bus journeys cost the same price, however, if your bus travels more than 10km, you will be charged an extra fee. If you don’t tap-off when you leave the bus, you may be charged this fee.

On The Subway

The T-Money Card is accepted on all subway systems in Korea, including in Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, and Gwangju, Touch the T-Money Card when you enter the security gates at the start of your journey, then touch again to exit. If you run out of credit, there are machines inside the gates to top-up (but you’ll need cash).

Like bus journeys, most short journeys on the subway will be the same fee. If you travel a long way on the subway, or make many transfers, the fee can be higher.

Transfer discounts: When you transfer between subway or bus rides within 30 minutes, you’ll get a discount on your next ride as long as you tapped-off when on your previous journey. Also, if you accidentally enter the wrong subway gate, you can leave within 10 minutes for free on some lines.

For Taxis

You can use a T-Money Card to pay for taxis in Korea. It’s quick, easy, and allows you to avoid using a credit card or having the right change. As long as the taxi driver has the T-Money logo displayed, you can pass your T-Money Card to the driver who will touch it to the card reader and complete the payment.

You can call taxis directly to you using the Kakao Taxi app, which is available on Android and iPhone and can be used in English, Korean, and Chinese. My guide to using Kakao Taxi will show you how to order and pay for a taxi in Korea.

For Shopping

The T-Money Card is really useful when you want to buy small items, such as a bottle of water, coffee, or some snacks. When you see the T-Money logo, you can use the card to pay for goods and services. You can use T-Money to pay for purchases in convenience stores (CU, GS25, Emart 24, 7/11).

You can use the T-Money Card in Korea’s supermarkets and chain stores, including Home Plus (supermarket) Emart (supermarket) Face Shop (cosmetics) Innisfree (cosmetics) Tony Moly (cosmetics) and others.

Using the T-Money Card for shopping: As the T-Money Card needs to be topped-up in cash (KRW), using it for shopping isn’t really that convenient. Instead, I recommend getting a WOWPASS in Korea, or bringing a travel money card like the Wise Travel Card or Revolut Travel Card.

In Cafes

Food and beverage outlets also accept the T-Money Card, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, Angel-in-Us Coffee, Ediya Coffee, Gong Cha Tea, and Paris Baguette and more.

It’s best to check for the T-Money logo before trying to pay with your T-Money Card or asking if T-Money is accepted. Again, using the T-Money Card is possible for this, but usually not the most convenient way to pay.

At Attractions

You can use T-Money to pay for entry fees for major attractions, including theme parks and sports stadiums, as well as other locations like pay-phones and vending machines.

Here are some of the locations you can use T-Money: vending machines, public pay-phones, Everland theme park, sports stadiums (including Wyverns Baseball Club), and at festivals (to pay for food and drinks).

Where Can’t You Use T-Money In Korea?

You can’t use T-Money to pay for intercity train tickets, including the KTX – Korea’s high speed train network. You also can’t enter intercity buses and pay with T-Money like you can when entering a regular city bus. However, you can use T-Money to buy intercity bus tickets and board with those.

Generally, the T-Money Card is accepted in major cities across Korea, especially destinations popular with tourists. If T-Money isn’t accepted, there will be other options available, such as using Cashbee or paying with cash.

How To Top-Up A T-Money Card

The T-Money Card can be recharged (reloaded) at subway stations and convenience stores throughout Korea. Vending machines at subway stations are the easiest locations to recharge a T-Money Card and will also allow you to check your balance before or after the top-up

These machines can be found in each major city in Korea where you can use T-Money. They are available in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. These T-Money recharging machines only accept cash and the T-Money Card can’t be reloaded with a credit card.

This is how to top-up a T-Money Card using a ticket machine in subway stations in Korea. The T-Money card can only be topped-up using cash and can’t be topped up using credit or debit cards or money transfers. This method works for other transportation cards in Korea, too.

1: Go to a ticket machine in a subway station

Go to a ticket vending or transportation card at a subway station. These machines are usually close to the entrance barriers to the subway inside the station.

2: Select ‘Recharge Transportation Card’

Change the language of the ticket recharge machine as desired, then select ‘Recharging the Transit Card’ or a similar option to begin to top-up your T-Money Card.

3: Select the value to top-up

Select the amount of money that you wish to add to your existing T-Money balance. The screen should show you what balance the T-Money Card already has. New T-Money Cards usually have no balance. You can recharge the T-Money Card with as little as 1,000 Korean won.

4: Confirm the value to top-up

Once you’ve selected the desired amount you wish to top-up the T-Money Card with in Korean won, confirm the top-up value by pressing ‘confirm’ on the screen.. You should select the amount that you have available in cash as you can’t top-up the T-Money Card in any other way.

5: Insert cash

To top-up a T-Money card, enter cash into the ticket vending machine up to the value you wish to top-up. Insert each bank note separately. Please note: only KRW can be used to top-up a T-Money Card.

6: Place your t-Money Card on the card reader

After inserting cash to top-up your T-Money Card, place your T-Money Card on the card recharge plate, which is usually located below the main screen of the recharging machine. Make sure the card is placed flat on the reader.

7: Wait for the T-Money Card to be recharged

The T-Money Card will be recharged once the recharging machine recognised the T-Money Card placed on the card recharge plate. Wait for the recharge to complete, which should take about 5 to 10 seconds in total.

8: Take your T-Money Card and start using it

Once the T-Money Card has been topped-up, take the card from the card recharge plate and you can use it to travel on the subway, on buses, and in other places. Tap to start your journey, and tap again when you finish.

Besides subway stations, you can also recharge a T-Money Card at a convenience store. The same rule about only charging with cash applies. You can’t recharge a T-Money Card with a credit or debit card. Here’s how to top-up the T-Money Card at convenience stores in Korea:

1: Go To A Convenience Store

Go to any major convenience store in Seoul or other towns and cities across Korea, including CU, GS25, Emart 24, and 7/11.

2: Ask To Top-Up T-Money

Show your T-Money Card to the cashier and ask to top-up the balance. Use Papago to translate into Korean if you’re not sure what to say.

3: Give the amount of cash to top-up to the cashier

You can only use cash to top-up T-Money balances, so make sure you have cash available to pay with. Give it to the cashier.

4: Place your T-Money Card On the Card Reader

Place your T-Money Card on the electronic card reader and wait for confirmation from the cashier that the balance has been updated.

There is a T-Money office at Seoul Station where you can ask for advice, purchase & reload the card, and get your remaining balance refunded when you leave Korea. T-Money Headquarters Address: 1st Floor. T-money Town, Seoul City Tower Building, Namdaemun-ro 5-Ga, Jung-gu, Seoul.

How Much Money Should I Add To A T-Money Card?

How much money to add to a T-Money Card depends on how you intend to use it. If you will use your T-Money Card mostly for transportation, I recommend adding ₩10,000 per day. This should cover all subway / bus travel costs within a city like Seoul, which cost ₩1,400 /₩1,500 per journey.

If you plan to use your T-Money Card to pay for small purchases, such as snacks, bottled water, and coffee, then add ₩20,000 per day, which includes transportation costs. A coffee in Seoul costs between ₩2,000 – ₩5,000, water is ₩1,000, and snacks from ₩1,000 – ₩5,000.

When you first top-up a T-Money Card, add ₩50,000 for the starting balance. This balance should last most travellers for a week if they use their T-Money Card just for bus and subway rides. You can check your balance during your travels and top-up when the balance gets low (under₩ 5,000).

Can You Recharge A T-Money Card With A Credit Card?

It is not possible to recharge a T-Money Card with a credit or debit card. Only cash can be used to top-up the T-Money Card. There are restrictions that only allow cash top-ups. The app version of T-Money can be topped-up by card payments or online transfers, but not physical T-Money Cards.

How To Your Check T-Money Card Balance

There are a number of ways to check your balance. When you use the T-Money Card on the subway or a bus, the electronic card reader will show you the fee for the ride and the remaining balance. This is the most common way to check your balance.

You can also check your card balance at subway ticket machines and T-Money recharge stations. When you recharge your card, it will show your balance before you add credit. This is a good way to check your balance, even if you don’t intend to recharge the T-Money Card right then.

Using T-Money Mobile App To Check Your Balance

The T-Money mobile app is an online-only version of T-Money that doesn’t come with a card. Instead, you can use your phone’s NFC function to use your T-Money balance. You can also use your phone’s NFC function to scan a physical T-Money Card and check the balance when logged into the app.

However, I don’t recommend using the T-Money mobile app to check your T-Money balance. There have been reports by travellers in Korea that the app sometimes accidentally wipes the T-Money Card, making it useless. I can’t confirm this myself, but it is much easier to check your balance elsewhere.

How To Refund A T-Money Card Balance

You can refund the existing balance of your T-Money Card at major convenience stores and subway stations across Korea, as well as at the T-Money headquarters in Seoul. These are the locations you can top-up a T-Money Card. Refunds will be paid in cash and partial refunds aren’t possible.

There’s a ₩500 fee to refund a T-Money balance, which is deducted from the existing balance. The cost of the T-Money Card won’t be refunded, but you can keep the T-Money Card after the balance is refunded. The T-Money Card doesn’t expire, so you can use it if you visit Korea again.

Tip: The credit balance on the T-Money Card will stay active for 5 years from the date of the last top-up. If you plan to visit Korea again in the next 5 years and have a small balance left, it might be best to keep the balance on your T-Money Card so you don’t need to top-up the card when you return.

Alternative Korean Transportation Cards & 1 bonus (UPDATED with Climate Card Tourist Pass July 2024)

There are several alternative transportation cards to T-Money, including the Cashbee Card (pictured above), Namane Card, which uses Rail+, and varieties of the T-Money Card that offer slightly different benefits from the original T-Money Card. Here’s a summary of those cards and what they offer:

Cashbee Card

The Cashbee Card by Lotte can be purchased and used in most of the same locations as T-Money. You can purchase a Cashbee Card at convenience stores and subway stations across Korea. The CU chain of convenience stores only offers the Cashbee Card, not T-Money.

The Cashbee card can be used to pay for journeys on buses and subway across Korea. Tap the card when you enter the bus or subway, then tap again when you finish your journey. Transfer discounts should also be applied. Cashbee can be used in Lotte shops, including Lotte Department Store and Lotte Cinema.

Price: ₩2,500

Where to buy: Convenience stores, subway

Namane Card

The Namane Card by KB Bank uses the Rail+ transportation card system by Korail, Korea’s national train service. One big advantage the Namane Card has over T-Money and Cashbee is you can use it to pay for train services, including Korea’s high-speed KTX trains.

The other big difference with the Namane Card is that you can personalise your card by uploading pictures of yourself or other designs you upload using the Namane app. The Namane Card is available from locations across Korea, including inside major train stations, department stores, stationery stores, and book shops.

Price: ₩7,000

Where to buy: Convenience stores, subway, Namane machines, online from Klook

Korea Tour Card

The Korea Tour Card was designed for tourists travelling to Korea and provides not only with the standard T-Money functions, but also offers lots of discounts. This is the version of T-Money that’s available at Incheon Airport.

Price: ₩4,000

Buy: Incheon Airport

Discover Seoul Pass

The Discover Seoul Pass is a city-pass that offers free entry to more than 50 premium attractions in Seoul. It also includes T-Money functions to allow you to travel on public transport without having to buy one. Discover Seoul Pass comes in flavours of 24, 48, and 72 hours validity, and only starts counting down starting when you use it for the first free benefit.

Price: from ₩50,000

Buy: Online from Klook

Creatrip X Bellygom Transportation Card

The Creatrip X Bellygom transportation card is a colourful travel card from Creatrip, which really stands out thanks to its bright pink picture of Bellygom, a popular Korean character that’s big on YouTube. With the ‘Decoration Card’ feature, you can make your own special transportation card, too. This makes it a lovely souvenir of your trip.

Please note: this card is a version of Cashbee and can be used and charged in all the same locations as Cashbee can.

This card comes with ₩5,000 loaded, which means you don’t need to worry about charging it at the airport (which should be done in cash). Simply collect the card at Incheon Airport (either terminal) or Gimpo Airport and then take the all-stop train straight into Seoul with it. It’s really convenient.

You can use the Creatrip X Bellygom transportation card to pay for public transportation across Korea, as well as in franchises such as Paris Baguette, Baskin Robbins, Angel In Us, and Lotte Mart.

Price: Around ₩10,200 (includes ₩5,000 balance)

Buy: Online from Creatrip.

Climate Card Tourist Pass

The Climate Card Tourist Pass is a new public transport card that will give visitors unlimited access to Seoul’s subway, bus system for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. n addition to getting unlimited access to Seoul’s public transport, tourist pass users can also benefit from the same discounts for cultural and performance facilities that are applied to the Climate Card, such as 50% off admission to the Seoul Science Center and Seoul Grand Park.

For more information, please read the Climate Card Seoul Tourist Pass Guide.

Bonus: Driving in Korea

If taking public transport is not your style of travelling, consider driving in South Korea. You’ll get to see things outside of the bigger cities, and also added convenient of not following rigid timetables. Check out our guide on driving in Korea for foreigners!

Tip: The Discover Seoul Pass includes a free Airport Express journey from Incheon Airport to Seoul. This can be useful to get yourself into the city before you top-up the T-Money balance on the card. Find out more tips and ways to use the pass in my list of Discover Seoul Pass itineraries.

Is The T-Money Card Worth Buying?

So, if you’ve read all this and you’re still not sure if you should get a T-Money Card or not, here is a simple summary to show why you might want to get one. This is based on my personal experience of using a T-Money Card, as well as opinions shared from members of my Korea Travel Group.

For travellers who want to pay for transportation across Korea’s bus and subway networks, the T-Money Card will be perfect and an essential purchase. However, if you’re looking for a way to pay for goods, services, and attractions in Korea, then the T-Money Card isn’t really what you’re looking for.

Instead of the T-Money Card to pay for things in Korea, I recommend getting a WOWPASS or Wise Travel Money Card. These are both more convenient and allow you pay in Korea using your card’s balance, which can be topped up in foreign currency (WOWPASS) or by bank transfer (Wise).

Learn more: Check out my guide to using Wise in Korea to learn how to get a Wise card, who is eligible, how to activate the Wise card, and all the ways it can save on your travel money expenses.

The T-Money Card is really useful and I can’t imagine travelling in Korea without one. I’d recommend buying one when you arrive in Korea. If you want to know more about T-Money and its alternatives, you can find lots of useful information in my complete South Korea travel guide.

Tips For Using T-Money In Korea

Here are a few quick tips to help you use the T-Money Card more effectively when in Korea:

1: Check the remaining balance as you travel so that you don’t run out by accident.

2: Don’t top-up too much. I’d recommend adding ₩50,000 starting balance and then ₩20,000 – ₩30,000 each time after that. Maybe less if you don’t plan to travel much.

3: Buy one as soon as you arrive. Get a Korea Tour Card at Incheon Airport.

4: Make use of the T-Money Card when you are shopping in convenience stores. You’ll end up with a lot less change.

5: Store the T-Money Card away from other cards that can be used to pay by touch as card readers can be confused by multiple cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Finally, here are a few FAQs about using the T-Money card in Korea, in case the above information didn’t cover enough for you. If you have any other questions you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.

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But what is the K-ETA? And who needs it? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. There are a lot of questions about whether or not you need to get a K-ETA, how long it lasts for, whether it works instead of a visa (it doesn’t), and if there are any exemptions (there are).

If you require the K-ETA, but don’t apply for one, you won’t be allowed to travel to South Korea. This guide will help you avoid this problem, explain who needs the K-ETA, show you how to apply for the K-ETA, and answer a range of other questions regarding this travel document. Save yourself the time and hassle on your trip to Korea with this guide to the K-ETA.

Affiliate Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links and I may earn commission for purchases made after clicking these links.

1: What Is The K-ETA?

The K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation) is an online electronic travel authorisation that visa-free foreign visitors need to obtain before entering the Republic of Korea for tourism, visiting relatives, participating in events or meetings, and for business purposes other than profitable activities.

If you are ready to apply, start the process through the official K-ETA site.

WARNING: Don’t apply for the K-ETA through any other website than the official site. You’ll be charged a higher price and the site might not actually process your K-ETA application.

If you want to know more about how to apply for the K-ETA, who needs to apply for it, or want any other information the Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation, then please keep on reading. Alternatively, read this guide to visiting Korea for more general Korean travel advice.

2: Who Needs To Apply For The K-ETA?

The K-ETA is required for nationals of:

A: Korean visa waiver countries
(66 countries)

B: Designated visa-free countries
(46 countries)

The K-ETA is required for foreign nationals who intend to enter Korea for tourism, visiting relatives, participate in events or meetings, and business purposes other than profitable activities.

Please note: Eligibility for K-ETA is based on your nationality, not your country of residence or where you’re travelling from. If you live in one of the 22 above-mentioned K-ETA excluded countries, but aren’t a citizen of one of those countries, you’ll still need to apply for a K-ETA.

Do I Need A K-ETA?

If you need a tourist visa to travel to South Korea, then you won’t need to obtain a K-ETA. You’ll need to apply for a tourist visa from your local Korean embassy. The infographic above will help you see if you need a K-ETA or not and what you should do next.

Below is a detailed list of Korean visa waiver and visa-free countries that require a K-ETA.

A: Korean Visa Waiver Countries

Nationals aged between 18 and 65 from countries that concluded a visa waiver agreement with the Republic of Korea will need to obtain the K-ETA. This applies to the following countries:

Asian Visa Waiver Countries

Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia , Singapore*, Thailand , Turkey, United Arab Emirates

European Visa Waiver Countries

Austria*, Belgium*, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark*, Estonia, Finland*, France*, Germany*, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy*, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands*, Norway*, Poland*, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain*, Sweden*, Switzerland, United Kingdom*

American Visa Waiver Countries

Antigua and Barbuda .Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Chile , Colombia , Commonwealth of Dominica, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti , Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela

African Visa Waiver Countries

Lesotho, Morocco, Tunisia

Oceania Visa Waiver Countries

New Zealand

*These countries don’t need to apply for a K-ETA from April 1st, 2023 to December 31st, 2024.

B: Designated Visa Free Countries

Nationals aged between 18 and 65 from countries that are designated visa-free entry to the Republic of Korea will need to obtain a K-ETA. This applies to the following countries:

Asian Visa-Free Countries

Bahrain , Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong*, Japan*, Kuwait, Macau*, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan*

European Visa-Free Countries

Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Holy See, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia , Slovenia

American Visa-Free Countries

Argentina, Canada*, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Paraguay, United States*

African Visa-Free Countries

Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini, Mauritius, Seychelles, Republic of South Africa

Oceania Visa-Free Countries

Australia*, Fiji, Guam*, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu

*These countries don’t need to apply for a K-ETA from April 1st, 2023 to December 31st, 2024.

Is it mandatory to get a K-ETA when visiting Korea?

Yes. If a person, who is a national of a K-ETA required country, does not have a K-ETA, he or she will not be allowed to board the flight or ship bound for the Republic of Korea. Children 17 years and younger, or adults 65 years and older don’t need to apply for a K-ETA.

How long can I stay in Korea if I have a K-ETA?

Generally up to 90 days, but the allowed period of stay may differ by nationality. The minimum amount of time is 30 days and the maximum is 3 months. Check the K-ETA Website to confirm your period of stay.

3: How To Apply For The K-ETA

This section will describe how to apply for the Korea-ETA, how much to pay, and what you will need to prepare for your K-ETA application. Make sure you have all these documents ready before you start your application to ensure a smooth process.

What Is Required For The K-ETA application?

The Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) application process is straightforward and requires only a few essential documents and details, including a passport, valid credit or debit card, an email address, and a passport-size colour photo.

Applicants must have a valid passport so your identity and nationality can be verified, ensuring you’re eligible for a K-ETA. In addition, a valid debit or credit card is required to pay the ₩10,000 K-ETA fee. This cost covers the administrative costs of processing the K-ETA applications.

K-ETA applicants also need to provide a current email address. This is crucial as the approved ETA for South Korea will be sent to this email. It’s recommended to use an email that you frequently check to avoid missing any important updates or notifications.

Lastly, a passport-size colour photo is required. This photo is used for identification purposes and should meet the standard passport photo requirements. Check the next section for more details about the requirements of the passport-size photo. This is a crucial requirement and needs to be correct.

Photo Requirements For The K-ETA

When applying for the Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA), meeting the specific passport picture requirements is crucial for a smooth application process. Failing to meet the photo requirements is one of the most common reasons why people have their K-ETA applications rejected.

The photo for the K-ETA application must be in colour and be standard passport-size, typically measuring 35mm in width and 45mm in height. The image should have a clear and well-lit background, preferably in white or a light colour, ensuring the applicant’s face is distinctly visible.

The individual’s facial features should be centred and occupy about 70-80% of the photo, presenting a neutral expression with both eyes open and looking directly into the camera. It’s essential you avoid pictures with any shadows, reflections, or red-eye effects.

Photos should be taken within the last 6 months, which is typical for most visa and travel applications around the world in my experience. You can take photo with your phone if applying through the K-ETA app, which guarantees the photo is under 6 months old.

When do I need to apply for the K-ETA?

You should apply for the K-ETA at least 24 hours prior to boarding the flight or ship bound for the Republic of Korea. Once you’ve booked your hotel and know your travel dates, you can start your K-ETA application. Complete your application as soon as possible so it’s done and you can forget about it.

How long does it take to apply for a K-ETA?

It will take approximately 10 minutes to apply for a K-ETA, as long as you have all the necessary documents in place.

How long does it take from submitting the K-ETA application to receiving the results?

You should receive the results by e-mail, within 24 hours after completing the K-ETA application. However, in practice, the actual processing time can range from a few hours to a few days. If it takes more than a day, there might be some issues with your application, or it might be a busy period.

How can I check my K-ETA results?

K-ETA approval results are sent to the e-mail address which the applicant provided upon application. You can also check your K-ETA approval status with your application number on the K-ETA official website.

How much is the K-ETA fee?

The K-ETA application fee is ₩10,000 (additional fees not included). If you visit a website charging more than ₩10,000, then it is not likely to be the official Korea-ETA website.

Please note: you should only apply for the K-ETA on the official website – www.k-eta.go.kr.

Reminder: Don’t sign up for the K-ETA on any other website.

Can I get a refund if my K-ETA application is refused?

No. The ₩10,000 fee for applying for the K-ETA is non-refundable, even if your application is unsuccessful. The fee covers the cost of processing your K-ETA application, whether it’s successful or not.

Can I apply for K-ETAs for other people?

Yes. One applicant can apply for up to 50 people, such as family members, and can proceed with the K-ETA payment as well. All results will be sent to the applicant’s email address.

How do I pay for the K-ETA fee?

You can use debit cards or global credit cards such as VISA, Master, JCB, or Express.

How long is the validity period of a K-ETA?

The validity period of a K-ETA is 3 years from the date of approval (as of July, 2023). However, if the passport used for the K-ETA application expires in less than 2 years, that K-ETA approval will be valid until the passport expiration date.

In what cases do I need to re-apply for the K-ETA during the validity period?

Note that if there are any changes to your information (nationality, name, sex, date of birth, passport number, passport expiration date, infectious disease and criminal record) you are required to apply for a new K-ETA, even if the previous K-ETA is still valid.

Is there anything else I need to prepare when I am visiting Korea again within my K-ETA validity period?

Even if you are entering the Republic of Korea again within the validity of your K-ETA, you must update any changes to your purpose of entry, address in Korea or contact information through the K-ETA website (My Application Status – e-Arrival Card) before entering Korea.

The Ministry of Justice will not be responsible for any disadvantages caused due to failure of information update by the traveler.

4: Do I Need A Korea-ETA? K-ETA Exemptions

This section will detail possible exceptions to who needs to get a K-ETA, whether the K-ETA applies to transfer passengers, and other exceptions in regards to the K-ETA. Remember, there have been a lot of exclusions for travellers from certain countries and of certain ages, detailed below:

I am from a K-ETA required country but I already have a valid Korean visa. Do I need to get a K-ETA?

No. If you have a valid Korean visa, you do not need to get a K-ETA.

I am from a K-ETA required country but I am a registered foreign resident in Korea. Do I need to get a K-ETA?

No. Residence Card holders (registered foreign residents) don’t need a K-ETA.

Do flight or ship crew members need to get a K-ETA?

When a flight or ship crew member is entering the Republic of Korea as a crew member, that person does not need to get a K-ETA.

I want to travel to Jeju Island. Do I need to get a K-ETA?

Yes. From September 1st, 2022, people travelling to Jeju Island via an international flight that would normally require a K-ETA will need to apply for a K-ETA, even if they don’t visit mainland Korea.

I am a transfer passenger. Do I need to get a K-ETA?

No. Transfer/transit passengers who are not entering Korea do not need to get a K-ETA.

I am a transfer passenger but I need to enter the Republic of Korea for my luggage connection. In this case, am I eligible for K-ETA exemption?

No, you aren’t eligible for an exemption. If you need to go through check-in process after entering for luggage connection, you need to get a K-ETA.

I have a valid ABTC. Do I need to get a K-ETA?

No. Valid ABTC holders will be able to receive their boarding pass without a K-ETA.

Please note: An ABTC card is an APEC Business Travel Card. For more details about this card, check the APEC Business Travel Card website.

I am a diplomatic/official passport holder and I will visit Korea for official purposes. Do I need to get a K-ETA?

In principle, diplomatic and official passport holders are required to obtain a K-ETA. However, for those who requested for K-ETA exemption through relevant organizations in advance, and received approval from the Ministry of Justice, will not be required to get a K-ETA.

I am a member of the United States Forces Korea (USFK). Do I need to get a K-ETA?

No. According to the ‘Agreement under Article IV of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea, regarding Facilities and Areas and the Status of United States Armed Forces in the Republic of Korea (SOFA)’, members of the United States Armed Forces (USFK service members) do not need to get a K-ETA.

Please note: you will need to present your DOD ID card instead of your passport upon check-in for issuance of your boarding pass.

Do dependents of members of the United States armed forces and members of the civilian component need to get a K-ETA?

Yes. In principle, dependents of USFK members and members of the civilian component are required to obtain a K-ETA. However, those who request K-ETA exemption through the competent authorities of the United States to the Ministry of Justice, and receive approval, they may be exempt from the K-ETA requirement.

5: Problems With Your K-ETA Application

This next section deals with any potential problems you might have when applying for a K-ETA, including any mistakes and how to resolve them.

What happens if I submit false information on the K-ETA application?

In case of submitting false information, the K-ETA approval will be refused or cancelled, and that person may by subject to penalties or face entry restriction according to relevant Korean laws.

What do I do if I made a mistake on the application form?

Before submitting your application, you will be able to correct any mistakes that you made.

I received K-ETA approval with incorrect information. Will I be allowed to enter Korea?

You may face disadvantages such as entry denial. Please re-apply for your K-ETA.

Does my identification photo (face image) for my K-ETA application have to be the same as my passport photo?

No. It does not have to be the same photo, but should comply with the following conditions.

• Should be in colour
• Should be in image file such as JPG
• Image size less than 100KB
• Pixel density less than 600×600
• No accessories such as hats, scarves, or sunglasses
• Recommend less colorful patterned clothing
• Full face, front view (75% of the image)
• Eyes should be open looking straight at the camera

How will my photo and personal information that were provided upon application for the K-ETA be used?

Information provided for the K-ETA application is collected in accordance with Article 7-3 (Electronic Travel Authorization) of the Immigration Act and Article 8-3 (ETA Issuance Criteria) of the Enforcement Regulations of the Immigration Act.

Collected information will be stored in the Immigration Control Information System, and may be disclosed to other government agencies of the Republic of Korea in accordance with relevant domestic laws and regulations.

My K-ETA application was disapproved. What can I do to enter Korea?

You should visit a Korean Embassy (or Consulate) located in your jurisdiction and apply for an entry visa.

Where can I ask questions about K-ETA?

You can make inquiries online with 4 languages (Korean, English, Thai, and Russian) through the K-ETA official website ‘Ask Us’.

6: Other FAQs About The K-ETA

This final section contains some of the other frequently asked questions about the K-ETA process, when you need to apply, and how to apply.

Do I need to get a K-ETA every time I visit Korea?

No. Once you are approved for a K-ETA, you do not have to apply for 3 years. However, if the passport used for the K-ETA application expires in less than 3 years, that K-ETA approval will be valid until the passport expiration date.

If I have a K-ETA, am I allowed to work in Korea?

No. You cannot engage in profitable activities in Korea with a K-ETA. You must obtain a separate visa that allows you to work and participate in employment activities in Korea.

I am travelling with a friend, can we apply for a K-ETA together?

Yes. One applicant can apply for up to 30 people, such as family members, and can proceed with the K-ETA payment as well. The K-ETA results for each person will be sent to the applicant’s e-mail. Each applicant can also check the K-ETA approval status with the application number and passport number on the K-ETA official website.

Can I fill out the K-ETA application in any language?

The K-ETA can only be completed in English, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Malay, Spanish, French and Japanese. For assistance in other languages, contact the K-ETA Support Team.

Still Have Questions About The K-ETA

If you’re still unsure about the K-ETA and how or why to apply for it, then feel free to join the Korea Travel Advice Group on Facebook and ask experienced travellers, guides, expats, and tourists who share a love for travelling in Korea.

If you think the K-ETA applies to you and you’re ready to book your K-ETA, then here’s the link to the website again:

Useful Resources For Travelling To Korea

Planning a trip to Korea and want some more information, advice, or tips? Then check out some of my other articles about visiting Korea and make your trip planning a lot quicker, safer, and easier.

Activities: There are many Unique Korean Attractions And Activities to enjoy when you travel to Korea, such as wearing a hanbok, soaking in a sauna, and many Delicious Korean Dishes. Try to see more than just cities, with a trip to a Korean Buddhist temple in one of the many national parks, a day out at a Korean beach, or even a day Hiking In Korea’s Many Mountains.

Seasons: Not sure if the weather will be good enough to go out and enjoy all you want to do? If you’re visiting in winter, here are some of the Best Places To See Snow. For spring, be sure to visit as many incredible Cherry Blossom Spots In Korea as you can. There are many Summer Activities In Korea that you can enjoy when it gets hot. But the best time of year is autumn as you can see the many Fall Foliage Sights In Korea.

Culture: Worried about not understanding Korean when you visit? No worries, check out my list of 60 Basic Korean Phrases – they’ll go a long way to helping you get the most out of your Korean journey. Once you’ve mastered some of the basics of the language, why not take a minute to learn more about Korean Culture And Etiquette to make sure you avoid any social faux pas as you travel.

Travel: Planning to book your travel to Korea soon? Find out where to get cheap flights to Korea and the best time to book flights before you travel.

FAQs About The K-ETA

Here are a few final FAQs about the K-ETA that covers some of the most popular questions asked about the Korea-ETA process.

Support In My Korea

Thanks for reading. If you want to help me to create more great content in the future, why not buy me a coffee? A strong coffee helps me write more and is a simple way to show gratitude for this free content.

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