Getting ready to enter Korea

1. Check your power bank's labelling

The airline incident involving a lithium battery fire at the end of last year rattled quite a few people who love travelling to Korea. To help prevent something similar happening again, airlines have rolled out new rules for carrying power banks. Beyond needing to carry your power bank on your person, airlines now also calculate power banks by Wh (watt-hours), and travellers can expect their carry-on power banks to be checked before boarding.

To reduce the risk of an incident, carriers including Air Busan, Jeju Air, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Eastar Jet, T'way Air and Air Seoul all ask passengers to keep the following in mind:

1. Power banks must be carried on your person, not stored in the overhead bin.

2. We recommend placing each power bank in its own sealed bag and covering the battery terminal and USB port with insulating tape to prevent a short circuit.

3. Some airlines also limit the number of power banks you can bring on board, so check with your airline before your flight.

Make sure your power bank clearly shows its Wh rating (see the red box in the image below)

2. How long does Taiwan's visa-free entry last? A quick look at K-ETA too

Taiwan currently remains on Korea's visa-free entry list, with visa-free status confirmed through 31 December 2025 — simply hold a valid passport and fill out an arrival card to enter Korea. That said, if you plan to visit Korea multiple times, applying for K-ETA can save you the trouble of filling out an arrival card each time.

K-ETA is an electronic travel authorisation issued by the Korean government for visa-exempt travellers. Simply apply within 72 hours before your flight, save the resulting PDF to your phone, and you can enter Korea an unlimited number of times over the following two years, staying up to 90 days each visit.

How to apply for Korea's K-ETA

1. Go to the K-ETA official website and choose to apply without an account

2. Agree to the terms of use

3. Verify your email address

4. Enter your passport details

5. Fill in your application details

6. Review the details you have entered

7. Pay the fee and wait for approval

FAQ about K-ETA

  • Do Taiwanese travellers need K-ETA to enter Korea?

➡️ Not currently — Taiwan is on the list of countries temporarily exempt from requiring K-ETA

Countries/regions temporarily exempt from K-ETA

Asia

Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau

Americas

United States (including Guam), Canada

Europe

UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Austria

Oceania

New Zealand, Australia

  • How long does K-ETA approval take?

➡️ In most cases, results are emailed within 24 hours, though we still recommend applying at least 72 hours before departure.

  • How much does K-ETA cost?

➡️ ₩10,000 (before tax), payable by credit card only

  • How long is a single K-ETA approval valid for?

➡️ 2 years from the date it is issued (you can travel to Korea an unlimited number of times using K-ETA within that period).

What to expect at Korean immigration

Taiwanese travellers pass through the following three checks before entering Korea:

  1. Quarantine check: show your health declaration form (the yellow paper form) or your Q-Code (as of 1 September 2024, Taiwanese travellers no longer need to fill out the Q-Code)
  2. Immigration check: show your arrival card (paper form) / the new e-Arrival Card / or use SES automated clearance — any one of these three works.
  3. Customs declaration: show your customs declaration form (no need to fill it out if you have nothing to declare)

Once you have made it through, get online with an eSIM Korea Wave SIM, and open up a map or translation app to easily find your way — no more worrying about getting lost or hitting a language barrier. Whether you are hunting down K-drama filming spots, snapping photos at a cute café, or heading straight for a good meal, you can look up directions and information anywhere, any time — go start that Korea trip you have been looking forward to!!