Your Living
Guide to Korea

K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) is an electronic pre-travel authorization system introduced by the Korean government. If you're a citizen of a visa-free country, you may need to apply for K-ETA before entering Korea — even for a short visit.

Think of it like the US ESTA, Australia's ETA, or Canada's eTA. You apply online, pay a small fee, and receive approval electronically linked to your passport.

The following nationalities do NOT need K-ETA until December 31, 2026:

Incheon has two terminals. They are connected by a free shuttle bus (18 minutes) but arriving at the wrong one causes serious stress. Check your ticket before landing.

T-money is a rechargeable RFID card used across Korea for public transport and more. Like London's Oyster card or Tokyo's Suica — tap to board, tap to exit.

You can use it on all Seoul subways, city buses, intercity buses, most taxis, and even some convenience store purchases. It's the single most useful item you can have in Korea.

Korea has some of the world's best mobile networks. 5G is widely available in all major cities, LTE is everywhere else. You will not struggle with connectivity in Korea.

eSIM is a digital SIM card — no physical card needed. Install it on your phone before departure and activate it when you land. Works on iPhone XS and later, most modern Android phones.

Not all Korean ATMs accept foreign Visa/Mastercard. Use these:

Korea is extremely card-friendly. Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere. Apple Pay and Samsung Pay work at most modern terminals.

Korea's Value Added Tax (VAT) is 10%. As a tourist, you can get this refunded on eligible purchases — both at the store instantly, or at the airport when you leave.

If the store gave you a refund voucher instead of instant cash, you redeem it at Incheon Airport before departure.