SHOW THIS IN SEOUL
๐ŸŒ English
Englishๆ—ฅๆœฌ่ชž็น้ซ”ไธญๆ–‡็ฎ€ไฝ“ไธญๆ–‡ํ•œ๊ตญ์–ด
โ† Back

Step 1 Before you fly

Landing in Korea, step by step

Your arrival card, ready to copy. Then every step at Incheon Airport, with the Korean signs you'll see.

1. The arrival card (e-Arrival)

You fill it in yourself on the official site. It's free and there's no approval step. We just get your answers ready, in the same order, so it takes a few minutes.

You need it if

Details
  • You don't have a K-ETA because your country is exempt for now (US, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and others, until December 31, 2026).
  • You're 17 or under, or 65 or over, from a K-ETA country, so you didn't need one.
  • You enter Korea on a visa, even if you also have a K-ETA.

You don't need it if

Details
  • You have an approved K-ETA and no visa.
  • You're a Korean citizen, or you hold a Korean residence card.
  • You're on a group e-visa tour, or you change planes without passing immigration.

When to fill it in

  • From 3 days before you land, Korea time. Landing on January 31? You can fill it in on January 29, 30 or 31. The site's calendar only offers today to 2 days ahead.
  • It's valid for 72 hours. If your flight is delayed past that, fill it in again.
  • Forgot? You can still do it after landing, before immigration.
  • No official app: use the website. You can type in English or Korean only.
  • Up to 9 people on one phone. Children under 14 can't fill it in alone: a parent does it for them.
Your copy sheet

Fill this in once, then copy

Saved only on this phone. We never send it anywhere. Use your own phone, not a shared one.

From your passport
Your trip
Not sure when you leave? A best guess is fine.
Where you stay
No Korean number? The official site doesn't say what to write. Your hotel's phone number is a sensible choice (our tip, not an official rule).
Email

Open the official e-Arrival card site

This button only opens the government site in a new tab. We don't fill in or send anything: you copy from your sheet and submit it there yourself.

On the official site

Details
  1. Agree to the terms, type your email twice, and enter the code they send you.
  2. Passport: take a photo of it, or type it in from your copy sheet.
  3. Trip: pick your airline with "Check airline", then the flight number. For your stay, tap KOR and search the address from your copy sheet.
  4. Check everything, submit, and save the last page as a PDF. Your issue number comes by email. You don't need to print it.

Your details must match your passport exactly. False answers can lead to a fine or refused entry.

2. Customs and health

Nothing to declare? No form.

Details

Since May 1, 2023 you only fill in a customs form if you have something to declare. If you don't, walk out through the "Nothing to Declare" lane. Officers may still check a bag.

You must declare if you have

Details
  • Things bought abroad worth more than US$800 in total.
  • More than 2 bottles of alcohol, more than 2 liters, or more than US$400 worth.
  • More than 200 cigarettes (10 packs), or more than 100 ml of perfume.
  • Meat, jerky, sausage, cheese, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, plants or animals.
  • More than US$10,000 in cash, checks and the like, all added together.
  • Things you carry for someone else, samples, or goods to sell.
  • Weapons, drugs, fake brand goods or protected wildlife.

Under 19? No duty-free alcohol or cigarettes. Declaring yourself cuts the duty by 30% (up to โ‚ฉ200,000). Getting caught without declaring adds a 40% penalty.

How to declare

Use the Korea Customs Service's ใ€Œ์—ฌํ–‰์ž ์„ธ๊ด€์‹ ๊ณ ใ€ (Traveler Customs Declaration) app or website, get a QR code, and go to the "Goods to Declare" lane. Paper forms work too.

First time in Korea? The app may not find your passport until your airline sends passenger data. Fill it in, save it, and submit after you land.

Customs declaration (official)

Health check

Details

Everyone walks past a thermal camera. That's all for most people.

Q-CODE is only for travelers who stayed in or passed through a place on Korea's priority quarantine list. The list changes every quarter. From October 2026 it includes, among others, parts of the US (New Mexico, Michigan and Washington State) and some provinces of mainland China. Check the official list before you fly.

If it applies to you, fill in Q-CODE online (from 7 days before you land), or a paper health questionnaire at the airport.

Q-CODE (official)The current list (official)

3. At Incheon Airport, step by step

Incheon Airport says to allow 1 to 2 hours from landing to the arrival hall. Signs are in Korean and English. Tap ๐Ÿ”Š to hear a sign.

These are the official terms. The words on the actual signs can differ a little.

  1. Off the plane

    ์ž…๊ตญArrivals

    Details

    Follow the Arrivals signs. Everyone goes the same way.

  2. Terminal 1, Concourse gates only: the shuttle train

    ์…”ํ‹€ํŠธ๋ ˆ์ธShuttle Train

    Details

    Some Terminal 1 flights park at the separate Concourse building. A train (24 hours) takes you to the main terminal. If your gate is in the main terminal, skip this.

  3. Health check

    ๊ฒ€์—ญQuarantine

    Details

    Walk past the thermal camera. Show your Q-CODE only if it applies to you.

  4. Immigration

    ์ž…๊ตญ์‹ฌ์‚ฌImmigration

    ์™ธ๊ตญ์ธForeigners

    ์ž๋™์ถœ์ž…๊ตญ์‹ฌ์‚ฌSmart Entry Service

    Details

    Join the line for foreign nationals (red line; Koreans use the blue line). Show your passport. If you're 17 or older, they take your fingerprints and a photo.

    Priority lane: children under 7, people 70 and over, pregnant travelers and anyone who needs help.

    Automated gates: travelers from 42 countries and regions can now use them on arrival, including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, the UK, Australia, Canada and EU countries. The US isn't on the list. Official pages don't fully agree on the details, so follow the signs, and use a staffed booth if unsure.

  5. Baggage claim

    ์ˆ˜ํ•˜๋ฌผ ์ˆ˜์ทจ๋Œ€Baggage Claim

    ๋Œ€ํ˜• ์ˆ˜ํ•˜๋ฌผOversized Baggage

    Details

    After immigration, find your flight on the screen to see your carousel number, then go down to the 1st floor.

    Strollers, golf bags and big boxes come out at the oversized baggage belt.

    Bag missing or damaged? Tell your airline's desk before you leave this area. Keep your bag tag.

  6. Customs

    ์„ธ๊ด€ ์‹ ๊ณ ์—†์ŒNothing to Declare

    ์„ธ๊ด€ ์‹ ๊ณ ์žˆ์ŒGoods to Declare

    Details

    Nothing to declare? Walk straight through. Declaring something? Have your QR code or paper form ready. What to declare

  7. Arrival hall, 1st floor

    ์ž…๊ตญ์žฅArrival Hall

    ์ถœ๊ตฌExit

    Details

    You're out. Doors and exits are numbered. Someone meeting you? The screens show which exit your flight comes out of.

    • ํ™˜์ „Currency Exchange

      Terminal 1 has exchange counters open 24 hours in the arrival hall, and 24-hour ATMs near exits 4, 6, 9 and 11. Cash, cards and exchange

    • ๋กœ๋ฐ์„ผํ„ฐRoaming Center

      Korean phone carriers' counters. In Terminal 1, the 24-hour ones are near arrival area F. Easier still: set up an eSIM before you fly. Before you land

    • ๊ณตํ•ญ์ฒ ๋„Airport Railroad (AREX)

      Basement 1, in the Transportation Center. Which train for your hotel: Arriving at Incheon or Gimpo

    • ๋ฒ„์ŠคBus

      Terminal 1: buses to Seoul leave from outside exits 3 to 7. Buy your ticket first, at the counters next to exits 4 and 9.

    • ํƒ์‹œ ์Šน์ฐจ์žฅTaxi stand

      Use the official stands only, and ignore anyone offering a ride inside. International Taxi (for visitors, fixed fares to Seoul): stand 4C at Terminal 1, 3C at Terminal 2. Regular taxis to Seoul: 5C, 6C or 6D at Terminal 1, 7C at Terminal 2. Taxis without getting overcharged

    Incheon Airport map (official)

Lost? Show this

Tap a card to hear it in Korean. Tap โคข to show it big.

Sources

Official pages, checked 2026-10-23.

More before you fly