South Korean passport ranking 2026 and visa-free countries list
Where the South Korean passport lets you travel without a visa arranged in advance, country by country, and how it ranks against 198 passports.
South Korea
Rank 6th of 93 ranks · joint with 10
Score
152
Visa-free
110
On arrival
33
eTA
9
e-Visa
21
Visa required
19
Already one of the strongest passports. For holders, a second residence is usually about where the family lives, studies or runs a business, not about travel.
Visa-free countries for South Korean passport holders (110)
Enter with the passport alone. Days shown are the usual maximum stay where the source states one.
- Albania90 days
- Andorra90 days
- Angola30 days
- Antigua and Barbuda180 days
- Argentina90 days
- Armenia180 days
- Austria90 days
- Azerbaijan30 days
- Bahamas90 days
- Barbados90 days
- Belarus30 days
- Belgium90 days
- Belize90 days
- Bolivia90 days
- Bosnia and Herzegovina90 days
- Botswana90 days
- Brazil90 days
- Brunei30 days
- Bulgaria90 days
- Chile90 days
- China30 days
- Colombia90 days
- Costa Rica90 days
- Croatia90 days
- Cyprus90 days
- Czechia90 days
- Denmark90 days
- Dominica180 days
- Dominican Republic90 days
- Ecuador90 days
- El Salvador90 days
- Estonia90 days
- Eswatini30 days
- Fiji120 days
- Finland90 days
- France90 days
- Georgia365 days
- Germany90 days
- Greece90 days
- Grenada90 days
- Guatemala90 days
- Guyana30 days
- Honduras90 days
- Hungary90 days
- Iceland90 days
- Ireland90 days
- Italy90 days
- Jamaica90 days
- Japan90 days
- Kazakhstan30 days
- Kiribati90 days
- Kyrgyzstan30 days
- Laos30 days
- Latvia90 days
- Lesotho60 days
- Liechtenstein90 days
- Lithuania90 days
- Luxembourg90 days
- Malaysia90 days
- Malta90 days
- Mauritius90 days
- Mexico180 days
- Micronesia30 days
- Moldova90 days
- Monaco
- Mongolia90 days
- Montenegro90 days
- Morocco90 days
- Netherlands90 days
- Nicaragua90 days
- North Macedonia90 days
- Norway90 days
- Oman14 days
- Panama90 days
- Paraguay30 days
- Peru90 days
- Philippines30 days
- Poland90 days
- Portugal90 days
- Qatar90 days
- Romania90 days
- Russia60 days
- Saint Lucia42 days
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines90 days
- San Marino90 days
- Sao Tome and Principe15 days
- Senegal90 days
- Serbia90 days
- Seychelles90 days
- Singapore90 days
- Slovakia90 days
- Slovenia90 days
- South Africa30 days
- Spain90 days
- Suriname90 days
- Sweden90 days
- Switzerland90 days
- Tajikistan30 days
- Thailand90 days
- Trinidad and Tobago90 days
- Tunisia90 days
- Türkiye90 days
- United Arab Emirates90 days
- Uruguay90 days
- Uzbekistan30 days
- Vanuatu120 days
- Vatican City
- Venezuela90 days
- Vietnam45 days
- Zambia30 days
Visa on arrival (33)
The visa is issued at the airport or border, normally for a fee.
- Bahrain14 days
- Bangladesh30 days
- Burundi30 days
- Cabo Verde30 days
- Cambodia30 days
- Comoros45 days
- Egypt30 days
- Ethiopia90 days
- Guinea-Bissau90 days
- India30 days
- Indonesia30 days
- Jordan30 days
- Kuwait90 days
- Lebanon30 days
- Madagascar90 days
- Malawi30 days
- Maldives30 days
- Marshall Islands90 days
- Myanmar28 days
- Namibia90 days
- Nepal90 days
- Palau30 days
- Rwanda30 days
- Samoa90 days
- Saudi Arabia90 days
- Sierra Leone90 days
- Solomon Islands90 days
- Sri Lanka30 days
- Tanzania90 days
- Timor-Leste30 days
- Tonga31 days
- Tuvalu30 days
- Zimbabwe30 days
Electronic travel authorisation, eTA (9)
A short online form before you fly, not a full visa application.
- Australia90 days
- Canada180 days
- Israel90 days
- Kenya90 days
- Mozambique30 days
- New Zealand90 days
- Saint Kitts and Nevis90 days
- United Kingdom180 days
- United States90 days
e-Visa (21)
A visa you apply for and receive online before travel. Not counted in the score.
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Chad
- Congo (DRC)
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Liberia
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- South Sudan
- Togo
- Uganda
Visa required (19)
Apply through the embassy, consulate or an appointed visa centre before travel.
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Eritrea
- Gambia
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Libya
- Mali
- Nauru
- Niger
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Syria
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Yemen
Territories with their own entry rules
Places such as Hong Kong, Macao, Bermuda or the Cook Islands set their own rules. They are listed here but not counted in the score.
Open without a visa arranged in advance (4)
- Guernsey180 days
- Isle of Man180 days
- Jersey180 days
- Puerto Rico90 days
Passports ranked close to the South Korean passport
Common questions
What is the rank of the South Korean passport in 2026?
On the XIPHIAS Passport Power Index (12 October 2026), the South Korean passport ranks 6th, joint with 10 other passports. It opens 152 of 193 countries without a visa arranged in advance; the top passport scores 167.
How many countries can South Korean passport holders visit without a visa?
110 countries are visa-free for South Korean passport holders. Counting 33 that give a visa on arrival and 9 that need only an online eTA, 152 countries need no visa arranged before travel. Another 21 offer an e-visa you apply for online, and 7 need a visa from an embassy.
Which countries give South Korean passport holders a visa on arrival?
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Comoros, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Palau, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Zimbabwe. Conditions apply at the border, usually a return ticket, proof of funds and a fee.
Do South Korean passport holders need a visa for the US, the UK, Canada or Schengen?
The United States: eTA (apply online, usually approved within days); the United Kingdom: eTA (apply online, usually approved within days); Canada: eTA (apply online, usually approved within days); the Schengen area (checked for France): visa-free; the UAE: visa-free; Australia: eTA (apply online, usually approved within days); Singapore: visa-free; Japan: visa-free.
Where the data comes from
Entry rules for this passport are taken from the Wikipedia article Visa requirements for South Korean citizens (revision 1377523295), read on 12 October 2026, which cites each destination’s own rules. The article is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the lists on this page are adapted from it and shared under the same licence.
Check before you travel
Entry rules change, sometimes overnight, and can depend on the purpose of the trip, the passport’s validity and the visas you already hold. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or official immigration website before you book. This page is general information, not legal advice.