Trip readiness checklist for South Korea
South Korea's etiquette runs on age and two hands. Here's the trip-readiness checklist for South Korea: what to pack, when to go, entry rules for your passport, and the official sources to confirm before you fly.
Build my free South Korea checklistEntry rules for a US passport
Up to 90 days visa-free
Up to 90 days visa-free.
- US passport valid for your whole stay (six months' validity is the safe habit; some airlines enforce it at check-in even where the country doesn't)
- K-ETA: US passport holders have been exempt under a temporary waiver that Korea has extended year by year — check the K-ETA site for your travel dates before you fly
- The e-Arrival Card, filed online within 3 days before landing (replaces the paper form)
- Proof of onward or return travel — a booking on your phone is enough
Source: U.S. Department of State, checked September 14, 2026. Other passports get their own answer in the app. Confirm at the official source before you book.
What to pack
South Korea is high-tech, four-season, and very walkable. Pack for the season (winters are cold, summers hot and humid), comfortable shoes, and slip-ons for the floor-seating spots.
Season-appropriate layers
Winters are properly cold; summers hot and humid with a rainy spell (Jun–Jul). Match your gear to the season.
Slip-on walking shoes
You'll remove shoes at temples, guesthouses, and some floor-seating restaurants.
A portable charger
You'll lean on your phone for maps, translation, and the T-money card.
A light umbrella
Handy for the summer rainy season and surprise showers.
When to go
Spring (cherry blossom, Apr) and autumn foliage (Oct–Nov) are gorgeous and busiest. Summer is hot, humid, and rainy; winter is cold but quieter (and good for skiing). Avoid the Chuseok and Seollal holidays for travel chaos.
Money & getting around
South Korea uses the won (KRW) and is largely cashless — cards and mobile pay work nearly everywhere. Grab a T-money card for buses, subways, and even convenience stores. Tipping isn't customary. Public transit is cheap, fast, and signed in English.
Local quirks worth knowing
South Korea's etiquette runs on age and two hands. Get those right and everything else is forgiven with a smile.
Two hands for everything social
Give and receive drinks, cards, and change with both hands (or right hand supported by the left). It reads as instant respect.
Never pour your own drink
Fill others' glasses and someone will fill yours — that's the system, and it works beautifully.
Quiet on the subway, and those seats stay empty
Priority seats for the elderly stay vacant even in crush hour. Don't be the exception.
The banchan refills are free
The small side dishes covering your table refill on request at no charge. Yes, all of them. Yes, really.
A week in South Korea, the list starts here
Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once the app has your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.
- Passport & travel documents1
- Phone charger & adapter1
- Wallet, cards & some local cash1
- Toiletries bag1
- Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
- Underwear7
- Socks7
- T-shirts / tops5
What am I forgetting?
A real answer from TripHappens for a sample week in South Korea, departing in five weeks with a checked bag and nothing packed yet. Yours is built from your own trip.
Seoul in late October. Five weeks out, nothing packed yet.
- 1.
The e-Arrival Card window
Korea's entry guide says the e-Arrival Card is filed online within three days before landing, and K-ETA exemption for US passports is a year-by-year waiver. Check the K-ETA site for your October dates now, and set a reminder for the arrival card the week you fly.
- 2.
Layers for autumn Seoul
Late October is peak foliage season and genuinely four-season weather, so days and nights split hard. Pack layers you can shed while walking, not one heavy coat.
- 3.
Foliage-season crowds and bookings
October to November is the busiest stretch in Korea alongside cherry blossom season. Book anything time-sensitive — palaces, day trips, popular restaurants — before you land rather than deciding that morning.
Entry, advisories & health
Safety-critical — always confirm live at the official source before you book.
Entry and visa requirements depend on your nationality. Confirm the current rules for South Korea with the official source below before you book.
U.S. State Department travel advisory for South Korea — check the current level and any alerts before you go.
CDC traveler health page for South Korea — recommended vaccines, health notices, and a packing checklist.
Get the full South Korea checklist
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