Entry rules · Japan passport
Do Japan passport holders need a visa for South Korea?
No visa needed for a short visit. Japan passport holders can stay in South Korea visa-free for up to 90 days.
Checked against official sources on 31 Oct 2026. Two independent checks agreed.
The rule
- Entry
- Visa-free. No visa needed for a short visit.
- Stay
- Up to 90 days
- Status
- Verified 31 Oct 2026
- Official source
- Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea, K-ETA Center
- Applies to
- A short tourist visit with an ordinary Japan passport.
What the official sources say
The passages the two checks relied on, with where they come from. Quotes are shown as published, in the source’s language.
Entry: visa-free
일본 체류 가능 일자 : 90 Days
"localeNatNm":"JAPAN","localeNatNm2":null,"korExcYn":null,"natUseYn":null,"aplcExmpNatYn":"Y"
* K-ETA 한시 면제 연장 기간: 2026. 1. 1.(목) ~ 2026. 12. 31.(목) (KST)
More quotes (8)
현재 K-ETA 한시 면제 조치가 적용되고 있는 국가들에 대해 연장되며, 대상국 국민인 경우 전자여행허가(K-ETA) 신청 중 여권 인적면 사진 스캔 시 'K-ETA 면제 대상' 팝업이 표출되어 해당 여부를 확인할 수 있습니다.
2026. 1. 1.부터 2026. 12. 31.까지 일본을 포함한 아래 22개 국가∙지역에 대해서
아시아 (5개국) | 일본, 대만, 홍콩, 싱가포르, 마카오
Nationals eligible for K-ETA, who wish to enter the Republic of Korea without a visa, must obtain K-ETA approval before boarding the flight or ship.
K-ETA is NOT a visa and only fulfills some of the requirements for entering the Republic of Korea without a visa. Please note that an approved K-ETA does not guarantee entry into the Republic of Korea. The final decision will be made by a Korea Immigration Service officer at the port of entry.
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)
※︎ The exemption period will be extended by one year from 1st January 2026 (Thu) to 31st December 2026 (Thu).
* Extended K-ETA temporary exemption period: From January 1, 2026 (Thu) to December 31, 2026 (Thu) (KST)
Stay: up to 90 days
A citizen of Japan can visit Korea without a visa for up to 90 days, for tour, visiting, commercial purposes, attending a meeting or short-term journalism.
JAPAN Allowed Period of Stay : 90 Days
The visa-free stay period for a single entry varies by country, so please refer to the [Countries/Targets Available for Application] page.
South Korea for other passports
- Visa-freeUp to 90 daysPublic data
- Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates
- Visa-freeUp to 90 days
- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Macao, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
- Visa-freeUp to 30 daysPublic data
- Bahrain, Brunei, Cyprus, Fiji, Kiribati, Kuwait, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vatican City
- Visa-freeUp to 180 days
- Canada
- eTAUp to 90 days
- Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Malaysia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, Uruguay, Venezuela
- eTAUp to 30 days
- Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eswatini, Guyana, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Montenegro, Paraguay, Seychelles, Tunisia
- eTAUp to 30 daysPublic data
- Solomon Islands, South Africa
- eVisaPublic data
- North Korea
- Visa required
- Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How this rule was checked
On 31 Oct 2026 we checked this rule against the official sources that govern entry to South Korea, chiefly Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea, K-ETA Center. Two independent checks reached the same result.
Public visa data (as of 17 Feb 2026) said the same; the check confirmed it.
See this check in the log of checks and changes, and how verification works in the methodology.
Something here is wrong or out of date? Report a wrong rule.
Government travel advice for South Korea
- United States
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- United Kingdom
- No advice against travel
- Canada
- Exercise normal security precautions
What these governments tell their own citizens about travel to South Korea as a whole, as of 30 Sept 2026. It is not about visas, and it reflects each government’s relations and consular reach as well as conditions on the ground.
Plan your trip
- Check a trip with more stopsRoute check: the best passport at each stop
- Compare the Japan passport with anotherWhat a second passport changes, destination by destination
- See what a second passport addsCombine passports and count the destinations they open together
- South Korea visa requirements for every passportThe full table for this destination
- All destinations for Japan passport holdersRank, map and every rule for the Japan passport
Before you travel
This page answers whether you need a visa and how long you can stay on a short tourist visit. It does not cover passport validity, other documents or permission to work. Entry rules change, sometimes without notice, and border officials make the final decision: confirm the requirements for your trip with the official immigration website or embassy of South Korea.