ETIAS VISA WAIVER FOR SOUTH KOREANS
REQUIREMENTS FOR SOUTH KOREAN CITIZENS TO VISIT EUROPE
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From November 2023, South Korean tourists visiting Europe will be able to apply for the ETIAS travel authorization for visits of up to 90 days. In 2016, the EU stated that it will establish a new travel visa waiver programme similar to those in Australia, Canada, and the United States.
These are the countries that south korean citizens will require a valid ETIAS visa waiver upon arrival in their territory:
- EU Schengen
- Non-EU Schengen States
- Non-Schengen EU States
Non-EU Member States:
Micro-States de facto part of Schengen Area:
Non-Schengen EU States
On September 14th, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stated in his State of the Union Address the importance of knowing who is entering Europe’s common borders. ETIAS will inform European Union member countries about who is visiting the region before they arrive. South Koreans are now exempt from obtaining a visa or travel authorization to enter the Schengen Area.
ETIAS stands for Electronic Travel and Information Authorisation System, and it will be used at land, sea, and air crossings throughout the European Schengen Zone beginning in late 2023. On September 14th, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker stated in his State of the Union Address the importance of knowing who is entering Europe’s common borders. ETIAS will inform European Union member countries about who is visiting the region before they arrive. South Koreans are now exempt from obtaining a visa or travel authorization to enter the Schengen Area.
MUTUAL VISA WAIVER AGREEMENTS BETWEEN SOUTH KOREAN AND EU COUNTRIES
South Korean citizens can stay in various European countries beyond the 90-day Schengen restriction due to bilateral agreements regarding travel and entry into their territory.
South Korean passport holders are permitted to stay in the following countries for the number of days specified:
- Belgium (3 months)
- Bulgaria (90 days)
- Czech Republic (90 days)
- Denmark (90 days)
- Germany (3 months)
- Greece (90 days)*
- Spain (90 days)*
- France (90 days)*
- Italy (60 days)
- Latvia (90 days)
- Luxembourg (90 days)
- Hungary (90 days)
- Netherlands (90 days)
- Austria (90 days* / 180 days**)
- Portugal (60 days)*
- Slovakia (90 days)*
- Sweden (90 days)*
Some Schengen-member countries have reciprocal treaties with South Korea:
- Iceland (90 days)
- Liechtenstein (90 days)
- Norway (90 days)
- Switzerland (90 days)
(*) Only ordinary passports are accepted. Diplomatic and service/official passports (**)
South Koreans must remain in the designated EU countries throughout the expansion period; a bilateral agreement does not allow them to travel freely throughout Europe. If South Korean nationals desire to visit multiple Schengen countries in one trip, they should apply for an ETIAS visa waiver instead.
As a result, while employing a reciprocal agreement, South Koreans must travel directly to a third nation upon departure, without stopping in any Schengen Area country.
The bilateral agreements between the EU and South Korea are open to revision.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SOUTH KOREAN CITIZENS TO VISIT EUROPE
South Korean nationals will need a travel authorization to enter and freely roam the Schengen region if they go to Europe from South Korea. South Korea is now on the list of nations whose residents do not need a European visa, often known as a Schengen visa, to visit and travel freely within Europe.
The ETIAS initiative will go into effect in November 2023 to make Europe safer and to enhance immigration and border restrictions. ETIAS is being developed by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems, eu-LISA. The institution already maintains critical European systems such as the Visa Information System (VIS), Eurodac, and the Second Generation Schengen Information System (SGIS) (SIS II). Schengen member nations already collaborate and share information about international visitors who enter the territory.
When a traveller files an ETIAS application, all information submitted is checked and compared to security databases. This will assist the system in determining if a person lied on their application or committed fraud.
South Korean citizens will be required to apply online for the ETIAS travel authorization before departure to guarantee they are registered with the European system and can simply and swiftly pass border check. Travelers entering Europe will be refused admission if they do not have a visa from the European Union.
The ETIAS requirements for Korean citizens include having a valid South Korean passport with a validity period of three months beyond the visit to Europe; a credit or debit card to pay the ETIAS fee online; and an active email address where the approved ETIAS visa waiver for South Koreans will be sent. ETIAS will be connected to the traveller’s passport electronically.
VISITING EUROPE WITH ETIAS FROM SOUTH KOREA
With the confirmation of the EU visa waiver, qualified South Korean visitors will be able to visit any of the Schengen zone countries in Europe for the duration of the ETIAS travel authorization, which is 90 days.
The ETIAS visa waiver for Koreans is valid for three years or until the traveller’s passport expires, whichever comes first. This implies that the traveller can return to the EU zone as many times as he or she wants during this time, as the ETIAS E.U. visa waiver is a multi-entry travel authorization with no time restriction, valid for up to 90 days each time.
Many of the same regulations will apply to entering Europe in the future as they do now, such as restrictions on carrying arms and the import and export of alcohol and tobacco, but the most recent changes to the border control procedures referred to in the ETIAS programme will help Immigration and Border Authorities maintain control over who is coming and going. The European ETIAS visa waiver will be made mandatory for all South Korean nationals.
ETIAS APPLICATION FOR SOUTH KOREANS
The application for the ETIAS visa waiver for Koreans will be accessible in November 2023 as an easy-to-use online platform where Korean visitors to Europe will need to fill out a form with their contact information, travel document information, and answers to some basic security questions.
The ETIAS application procedure should take no more than 10 minutes and will be forwarded to the ETIAS entity for screening, which will analyse the traveller’s information to verify there are no security dangers by running the European visa waiver application against multiple security databases.
The ETIAS application for South Korean citizens will include providing contact information for each qualified passenger, precisely as it appears on the passport, as well as answering questions concerning security and past travel arrangements.
South Korean nationals must give the following information on the online form: their complete name, address, date of birth, country of citizenship, and sex. Each applicant must specify the nation from which they want to enter the Schengen Zone for the first time. Security inquiries probe an applicant’s health, previous visits to war zones, and criminal background.
The ETIAS application should take no more than 10 minutes. The ETIAS system will handle the application once the applicant has completed the form and made the payment. The data given will be compared to security databases such as Interpol, Europol, EURODAC, VIS, and SIS II. If the application is granted, the applicant is contacted by email.
If an application raises an alert, it will be manually reviewed by a specialist team. The applicant will be contacted if more papers are required. In the event of a denial, the passenger will be notified through email. If ETIAS is rejected, they will have the option to appeal the decision.
All South Korean passengers who submit an ETIAS must pay the ETIAS charge via credit or debit card. ETIAS status notifications will be sent to the applicant’s email address. The applicant will be permitted to travel to the Schengen Area once authorised.