9 VISA-FREE Countries for South Korea Visa or PR (2025)

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Which South Korean visas are accepted?

The following South Korean visas are usually accepted. 

• Short-term visas (tourist visa, business visa, etc.)
• Professional and non-professional visas (work, startup, etc.)
• Study visas (student, trainee, etc.)
• Family visas (spouse, dependent, etc.)
• Permanent residence card

Not all countries accept all South Korean visas. Take a look at each country below for permitted visas. Some countries require the visa to be multiple-entry or have been used to enter South Korea at least once. 

Is the South Korean Visa Grant Notice accepted?

South Korea is phasing out issuing sticker visas in passports and instead issuing visas in an online format, called the “Visa Grant Notice”. It’s like an eVisa, you need to print it and show it to the immigration at the border. 

Immigrations around the world aren’t aware that South Korea is issuing online visas. Even if they did, they wouldn’t know how to verify the authenticity of those visas. As of now, none of the countries on the list below accepts Visa Grant Notices.

That said, it’s only a matter of time. All countries are moving towards online visas these days, so I’m sure immigration around the world will catch up quickly and start accepting South Korean Visa Grant Notices in place of sticker visas. 

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What are the VISA-FREE countries for South Korea visa or residence permit?

The following are the VISA-FREE countries for South Korean visa. 

• Asia
  1. Malaysia
  2. South Korea
  3. Taiwan
• Europe
  4. Armenia
  5. Georgia
• Middle East
  6. Jordan
  7. United Arab Emirates
• Central America
  8. Nicaragua
  9. Panama

The list is quite small now, but I’m anticipating it will grow in the coming days. Bookmark this page so you can refer to it when planning a trip with your South Korean visa. 

Now, without further ado, let’s look at each country in detail.

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Asia

01. Malaysia (temporarily suspended)

• Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
  1. Bangladesh
  2. India
  3. Pakistan
  4. Sri Lanka
• Permitted South Korea visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry (or used single-entry) South Korean visas
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 120 hours (5 days)
• Entry rules:
  • Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to obtain Transit Without Visa (TWOA) at the VOA counter
  • TWOA is free of charge, valid for 120 hours (5 days), single-entry only
  • TWOA is available at Kuala Lumpur Airport (KLIA1 and KLIA2 terminals) only
  • TWOA is available only if flying with Malaysian Airlines, AirAsia or Malindo Air
  • Must be in transit to reach South Korea as the final destination. Must hold a confirmed onward eTicket or original boarding pass to Japan within 120 hours. (Exception for longer-term pass holders such as work visa, student visa, etc., who can depart to any third country)
  • Issuing of TWOA is at the discretion of the immigration offices at Kuala Lumpur Airport
• Official source: High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi, India

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02. South Korea (of course!)

• Includes: All South Korean provinces and islands, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (only using authorized tour agencies with permission)
• Excludes: North Korea (country), Mount Kumgang tourist region (part of North Korea)

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03. Taiwan

• Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
  1. Cambodia
  2. India
  3. Indonesia
  4. Laos
  5. Myanmar
• Permitted South Korea visas: All valid/expired USED multiple or single-entry South Korean visas, except transit
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 14 days
• Entry rules:
  • Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to apply for Taiwan Travel Authorization Certificate (TAC) online
  • TAC is free of charge, valid for 90 days, and multiple-entry
  • If using an EXPIRED South Korean visa or residence card, it must have expired in the last 10 years only
• Official source: Bureau of Consular Affairs of Republic of China (Taiwan)

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Europe

04. Armenia

• Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
  1. Algeria
  2. Bahrain
  3. Belize
  4. Bhutan
  5. Bolivia
  6. Brunei
  7. Cambodia
  8. Colombia
  9. Costa Rica
  10. Cuba
  11. Egypt
  12. Fiji
  13. Grenada
  14. Guatemala
  15. Guyana
  16. Haiti
  17. Honduras
  18. India
  19. Iraq
  20. Jamaica
  21. Kiribati
  22. Laos
  23. Malaysia
  24. Maldives
  25. Marshall Islands
  26. Micronesia
  27. Mongolia
  28. Morocco
  29. Myanmar
  30. Nauru
  31. Nicaragua
  32. Palau
  33. Papua New Guinea
  34. Paraguay
  35. Philippines
  36. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  37. Saint Lucia
  38. Samoa
  39. Saudi Arabia
  40. Solomon Islands
  41. Suriname
  42. Timor-Leste
  43. Tonga
  44. Trinidad and Tobago
  45. Tunisia
  46. Turkmenistan
  47. Tuvalu
  48. Vanuatu
  49. Venezuela
  50. Vietnam
• Permitted South Korea visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry South Korean visas
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 21 or 120 days
• Entry rules:
  • Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to obtain Visa on Arrival (VOA) or Armenia e-Visa (only for Egypt, India and Iraq passport holders)
  • VOA fee is 11 USD, valid for 21 days, single-entry
  • eVisa fee is 8 USD, valid for 21 days, single-entry
  • South Korean residence permit must be valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date
  • South Korean residence permit must be a card or a physical sticker in the passport
• Official source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia

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05. Georgia

• Eligible Nationalities: All nationalities
• Permitted South Korea visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry South Korean visas
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 90 days
• Entry rules:
  • South Korea visa or residence card must be valid on the day of arrival in Georgia
  • Total duration of consecutive stays must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period
• Official source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

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Middle East

06. Jordan

• Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
  1. Afghanistan
  2. Angola
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Belize
  5. Benin
  6. Botswana
  7. Burkina Faso
  8. Burundi
  9. Cambodia
  10. Cameroon
  11. Central African Republic
  12. Chad
  13. Comoros
  14. Congo
  15. Cote d’Ivoire
  16. Cuba
  17. Congo, Dem. Rep. Of
  18. Djibouti
  19. Equatorial Guinea
  20. Eritrea
  21. Ethiopia
  22. Gabon
  23. Gambia
  24. Ghana
  25. Guinea
  26. Guinea Bissau
  27. Iran
  28. Iraq
  29. Lao
  30. Liberia
  31. Libya
  32. Madagascar
  33. Mali
  34. Mauritania
  35. Mongolia
  36. Mozambique
  37. Myanmar
  38. Namibia
  39. Nepal
  40. Niger
  41. Nigeria
  42. Pakistan
  43. Palestine
  44. Papua New Guinea
  45. Philippines
  46. Senegal
  47. Sierra Leone
  48. Somalia
  49. South Sudan
  50. Sri Lanka
  51. Sudan
  52. Syria
  53. Tanzania
  54. Timor-Leste
  55. Togo
  56. Uganda
  57. Vietnam
  58. Yemen
  59. Zambia
• Permitted South Korea visas: None
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 90 days
• Entry rules:
  • Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but are eligible to apply for Jordan eVisa
  • South Korea visa or residence card must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of arrival
• Official source: Jordan E-Visa

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07. United Arab Emirates

• Eligible Nationalities: Indian passport holders only
• Permitted South Korea visas: None
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 14 days
• Entry rules:
  • Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to obtain UAE Visa on Arrival (VOA) at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi international airports
  • VOA fee is 100 AED, valid for 14 days, single-entry only
  • The South Korean residence card must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of arrival
• Official source: TIMATIC on Emirates website

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Central America

08. Nicaragua

• Eligible nationalities: Following nationalities only
  1. Afghanistan
  2. Albania
  3. Armenia
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  6. Botswana
  7. Cameroon
  8. Congo, Dem Rep of
  9. Congo, Rep of
  10. Eritrea
  11. Haiti
  12. India
  13. Iraq
  14. Kenya
  15. Laos
  16. Liberia
  17. Libya
  18. Mali
  19. Mongolia
  20. Nepal
  21. Nigeria
  22. Pakistan
  23. Sierra Leone
  24. Somalia
  25. Sri Lanka
  26. Sudan
  27. Syria
  28. Timor-Leste
  29. Yemen
  30. Vietnam
• Permitted South Korea visas: None
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 30 days
• Entry rules:
  • Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but are eligible to obtain Visa ON ARRIVAL
  • VOA fee is 50 USD, payable in USD, valid for 30 days, single-entry only
  • Besides the VOA fee, there is a 10 USD tourist card fee, a 2 USD land border migration fee (for land border only) and 1 USD municipality tax (for land border only) (payable in USD only)
• Official source: IATA Travel Centre

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09. Panama

• Eligible nationalities: All nationalities
• Permitted South Korea visas: All valid USED multiple-entry South Korean visas
• Permitted South Korea PRs: Valid South Korean residence card
• Entry granted: 30 days
• Entry rules:
  • South Korea visa must have been used at least once to enter South Korea before
  • South Korea visa must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of arrival
  • Must show proof of economic solvency for a minimum of 500 USD
• Official source: Embassy of Panama in the USA

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Change history

Date	Changes
10-Sep-2025	Countries added: 1. UAE (UAE now accepts South Korean residence cards for VOA)
23-May-2025	Countries added: 1. Nicaragua (accepts South Korea PR) Countries removed: 1. Thailand (all nationalities/residents are now eligible for Thai eVisa) Countries updated: 1. Taiwan (removed Vietnam from eligible countries list)

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There you go! 9 VISA-FREE countries for South Korea visa or residence card. If you know any other countries that accept South Korean visas, let me know in the comments.

If you have visited any of the above countries with a South Korean visa, let me know your experience as well.

Credits: Maps are made with mapchart.net