China to South Korea

How this access rule is documented

1. Current official routeVisa required

   Other ordinary adult visitor passports require a Korean visa

   For the listed ordinary passports, a visitor must obtain a Korean visa before standard short entry because the current official entry guide expressly says countries absent from the K-ETA eligibility list must apply for a visa.

   • This is the ordinary adult-passport, standard short-visitor baseline; it does not establish work, study, residence, diplomatic, official, United Nations, crew, ABTC, cruise, or other special-document treatment.
   • The cited April 2026 Ministry of Foreign Affairs entry guide ties the complement to absence from the live K-ETA eligibility list and expressly directs an unlisted country to apply for a visa.
   • The result is not inferred from portal silence: the same official guide expressly identifies narrow exceptions for Korean nationals, age groups, registered foreigners, valid-visa holders, transfer or transit routes, and other special categories.
   • The guide separately directs readers to the Jeju visa-free and transfer-passenger schemes. Those itinerary- or destination-specific exceptions do not establish an unconditional ordinary-passport classification for Korea as a whole.
   • The temporary K-ETA exemption remains effective through 31 December 2026 (KST) for its separately listed passports; no code in this policy is in the current K-ETA eligibility or temporary-exemption groups.

   Official sourcesEmbassy of the Republic of Korea in Malaysia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Things to know before entering KoreaKorea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice: K-ETA eligible countries and applicantsKorea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice: Extension of the temporary K-ETA exemptionEmbassy of the Republic of Korea to Switzerland: Temporary K-ETA exemption list through 2026Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice: K-ETA FAQ: Who is eligible for the application exemption?