Is the city of love at the top of your bucket list? Have you always dreamed of visiting Oktoberfest in Munich, eating traditional pizza in Naples, or climbing the Acropolis in Athens? If so, and you are a South Korean citizen traveling after late-2022, you will need to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver.
But don’t worry, as it’s a very simple application process and doesn’t require the same complicated and frustrating steps as a Schengen visa.
ETIAS Visa Waiver for South Korean Citizens
The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) comes into effect from late-2022, which means it will be required from 2023 onward. You will need an ETIAS authorization if you are a South Korean passport holder and it will grant you entry into the Schengen Zone for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
The ETIAS remains valid for 3 years or until the associated passport expires.
It’s not just valid for one country, either. Once you have an ETIAS visa waiver, you can travel to all 26 countries that have signed the Schengen Zone, including Greece, Spain, Austria, and Belgium. You can cross internal borders to visit multiple countries and can see the sights, do a spot of business, and spend some time with family.
There are limits to what you can do, but most of those limits are imposed by time and not law. For instance, you can technically study with an ETIAS visa waiver, but you will be hard-pressed to find any useful education that lasts for 90 days.
Short-term courses do exist, of course, but they are probably not worth traveling halfway across the world!
How Do South Koreans Apply for an ETIAS?
The application process for South Koreans is the same as it is for all countries that are eligible for the ETIAS. It’s also the same regardless of where you are visiting within the Schengen Zone.
To submit an application, just visit the official ETIAS website and complete the application form. It should take between 5 and 10 minutes and along with some basic information, you will need a credit/debit card and a valid passport.
You will also need to supply an email address, as this is where confirmation of the ETIAS authorization will be sent.
Where Do South Koreans Go On Vacation?
A travel report published in 2021 looked at Google searches to determine which travel destinations were at the top of every nation’s bucket list. They discovered that most South Koreans wanted to visit the United Arab Emirates, a region that was also top of the pile for residents of Haiti, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Suriname, India, Libya, Belgium, Burundi, Congo, and several others.
Where Can South Korean Citizens Travel Without a Visa?
The South Korean passport is one of the most sought-after in the world, as holders are able to visit over 190 countries and territories without a visa or with a visa waiver. It is one of the few passports (including Hong Kong, Chile, and Israel) that grants access to all European countries, including the United Kingdom.
South Koreans can also visit the United States as part of the ESTA program (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). Once authorization has been granted, it will remain valid for up to two years and permits access for 90 days. The ESTA is very similar to the ETIAS, and the application process is just as straightforward.
Other countries that South Koreans can visit without a visa include South Africa, Qatar, Peru, Mexico, Malaysia, Jamaica, Japan, and Brazil.