What the South Korea visa rules mean for Cyprus travellers
Cyprus citizens do not need a full visa for South Korea, but they must obtain an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) online before they fly — valid for stays of up to 30 days. An eTA is linked to your passport number and is usually approved within minutes to a few days; airlines check it at check-in, so apply before you book non-refundable travel.
The main option is the K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization), which costs 10,000 KRW.
Documents to prepare
Whatever your visa status, South Korea applies the same entry conditions to every traveller:
- Passport validity: The UK government says that to enter South Korea as a tourist for up to 90 days your passport must have an expiry date after the date you are leaving South Korea, and that on a long-term visa it should have an expiry da…
- Travel insurance: No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for short-term visitors to South Korea. The UK government says medical and dental care is usually of a good standard but can be expensive, and advis…
- Return or onward ticket: The UK government tells British travellers that they can enter South Korea for up to 90 days for short-term business or tourism and must have an onward or return ticket.
- Proof of funds: No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for South Korea.
South Korea entry rules compared
South Korea lets 22 passports in without a visa, issues eVisas to 1 and requires an embassy visa from 87. Cyprus citizens are treated the same way as Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Croatia. Overall the Cyprus passport ranks #17 in the world with 122 visa-free destinations.
More travel options
Planning a longer trip in Asia? With a Cyprus passport you can also visit 19 countries in the region without a visa, including United Arab Emirates, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
In the other direction, South Korea citizens can visit Cyprus visa-free for up to 90 days.