The South Korean visa is slowly gaining popularity as a strong visa. As of now, it offers visa-free access to only a handful of countries, but this list might grow in the future.
As of 2026, there are 8 VISA-FREE countries for South Korea visa or residence card. In this article, I will walk you through these countries, eligible nationalities, permitted South Korean visas and stay duration.
If you have come to this article and do not have a South Korean visa yet, you can check out my South Korea Visa Guide to learn about various visa options for tourists, their eligibility and requirements.
Table of Contents
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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.
Immigration officers of other countries may not be aware that South Korea issues 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
- Malaysia
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Europe
- Armenia
- Georgia
- Middle East
- Jordan
- United Arab Emirates
- Central America
- 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
- Bangladesh
- India
- Pakistan
- 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, the 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
- Cambodia
- India
- Indonesia
- Laos
- 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
- Algeria
- Belize
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Egypt
- Fiji
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Kiribati
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Nicaragua
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Philippines
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia
- Solomon Islands
- Suriname
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- 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 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 Visa-Required 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
- Angola
- Belize
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo, Dem. Rep. Of
- Congo, Rep. of
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea Bissau
- Iraq
- Laos
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mongolia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Niger
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Papua New Guinea
- Philippines
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Uganda
- Yemen
- 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 you 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 the Emirates website
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Central America
08. Panama
- Eligible nationalities: All Visa-Required 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 |
|---|---|
| 13-Apr-2026 | Countries removed: (1) Nicaragua (eliminated their VOA and “VOA with substitute visa” policy on Feb 16, 2026, as announced in Provision No. 002-2026) Countries updated: (1) Armenia (added new VOA and eVisa fee details) (2) Jordan (eligible countries list shrunk from 59 to 51) |
| 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! 8 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
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