Introduction to the Korean Arrival Card

When traveling to South Korea, one of the essential documents you need to complete is the Korean Arrival Card, also known as the Disembarkation Card. This card is typically provided on your flight or at the airport before you land in South Korea. It serves as an official declaration of your entry into the country and provides the Korean immigration authorities with necessary information about your visit. The card is usually a small paper form, and you must fill it out accurately to avoid any delays or issues during the immigration process. In this guide, we will walk you through every section of the Korean Arrival Card in English, providing detailed steps, examples, and tips to ensure you complete it correctly and avoid common mistakes.

The Korean Arrival Card generally consists of several key sections, including personal information, flight details, purpose of visit, address in Korea, and declaration of items. Each section requires specific details, and understanding what to enter in each field is crucial. For example, if you are a tourist, you need to specify your hotel address, while business travelers might need to provide their company’s address. We will cover all these scenarios in detail.

Before we dive into the step-by-step guide, it’s important to note that the Arrival Card is separate from the K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization), which is required for visa-free travelers. However, as of 2024, the K-ETA requirement has been waived for many nationalities until December 2024, but you still need to complete the Arrival Card. Always check the latest requirements on the official Korean immigration website before your trip.

Personal Information Section

The first section of the Korean Arrival Card is for your personal information. This includes your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and gender. It’s vital to ensure that all this information matches exactly with what is on your passport to prevent any discrepancies during immigration checks.

Full Name

In the “Full Name” field, you should write your name exactly as it appears on your passport. This includes your first name, middle name (if applicable), and last name. Do not use nicknames or abbreviations. For example, if your passport says “John Michael Smith,” write “John Michael Smith” and not “John M. Smith” or “John Smith.”

Common Mistake: Many people make the error of writing their name in reverse order (e.g., “Smith John”) or using their local naming conventions, which can cause confusion. Always follow the order on your passport.

Date of Birth

Enter your date of birth in the format specified on the card, which is usually DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY. However, the Korean Arrival Card typically uses the YYYY-MM-DD format or allows you to fill in separate boxes for year, month, and day. For example, if you were born on January 15, 1985, you would write “1985-01-15” or fill in the boxes as 1985, 01, 15.

Common Mistake: Mixing up the month and day formats is a frequent error, especially for travelers from countries that use MM/DD/YYYY versus DD/MM/YYYY. To avoid this, always double-check the format on the card itself.

Nationality

Write your nationality as it appears on your passport. For example, if you are a U.S. citizen, write “United States” or “USA.” If you are from the United Kingdom, write “United Kingdom” or “UK.” The card may have a dropdown or list, but if it’s a blank field, write the full name of your country.

Common Mistake: Using informal abbreviations like “US” instead of “United States” might be accepted, but it’s safer to use the full name to avoid any issues.

Passport Number

Enter your passport number exactly as it appears on your passport, including any letters and numbers. For example, if your passport number is “AB1234567,” write “AB1234567.” Do not include spaces or special characters unless they are part of the number.

Common Mistake: Transposing numbers or letters is common, so carefully compare what you write with your passport. Also, ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in Korea.

Gender

Select or write your gender as indicated on the card. This is usually a checkbox for Male or Female. If it’s a blank field, write “M” for Male or “ Flight Details Section

The next section is for your flight details, which includes your flight number, departure airport, and arrival airport. This information helps Korean immigration track your entry and exit.

Flight Number

Write your flight number as it appears on your boarding pass. For example, if you are flying on Korean Air flight KE123, write “KE123.” If you are flying on a codeshare flight, use the operating airline’s flight number. For example, if you booked a Delta flight but it’s operated by Korean Air, use Korean Air’s flight number.

Common Mistake: Using the marketing airline’s flight number instead of the operating airline’s flight number can cause confusion. Always check your boarding pass for the correct flight number.

Departure Airport

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Korean Arrival Card English Filling Guide: A to Z Detailed Steps to Help You Easily Complete and Avoid Common Mistakes

Introduction

The Korean Arrival Card is a mandatory document for all foreign nationals entering South Korea, regardless of whether you are traveling for tourism, business, or other purposes. It is typically distributed on your inbound flight or available at the airport before immigration. The card collects essential information for immigration control, including personal details, travel itinerary, and declarations. Filling it out accurately is key to a smooth entry process. This guide will break down each section with examples and highlight common pitfalls.

Section 1: Personal Information

Full Name

  • Step 1: Locate the “Name” field on the card.
  • Step 2: Write your full name exactly as it appears on your passport’s machine-readable zone (MRZ). This includes first, middle, and last names without abbreviations.
  • Example: Passport name: “Anna Karenina Smith” → Write “Anna Karenina Smith”.
  • Tip: If your passport has a surname first, ensure you follow the passport order. For instance, if the passport reads “SMITH ANNA KARENINA”, write it as “SMITH ANNA KARENINA”.
  • Common Mistake: Omitting middle names or using a maiden name if not on the passport.

Date of Birth

  • Step 1: Find the “Date of Birth” section, which may have separate boxes for YYYY, MM, DD.
  • Step 2: Enter your birth year, month, and day in the correct order. The Korean format is YYYY-MM-DD.
  • Example: Born on July 20, 1990 → YYYY: 1990, MM: 07, DD: 20.
  • Tip: Use two digits for month and day (e.g., 07 for July).
  • Common Mistake: Entering the day and month in reverse (e.g., 20/07/1990 instead of 1990-07-20).

Nationality

  • Step 1: In the “Nationality” field, write the country name as listed in your passport.
  • Step 2: For dual nationals, use the passport you are presenting for entry.
  • Example: If you hold a Canadian passport, write “Canada”.
  • Tip: Avoid using demonym forms like “Canadian”; stick to the country name.
  • Common Mistake: Writing “Korean” if you are of Korean descent but hold another passport; always use the passport nationality.

Passport Number

  • Step 1: Copy the passport number from the bio page.
  • Step 2: Include all characters exactly; if there are letters and numbers, maintain the sequence.
  • Example: Passport number: “C12345678” → Write “C12345678”.
  • Tip: Check for similar-looking characters like ‘O’ vs ‘0’ or ‘I’ vs ‘1’.
  • Common Mistake: Adding spaces or hyphens that are not in the passport.

Gender

  • Step 1: Select Male or Female via checkbox or write M/F.
  • Example: If you are female, check Female or write “F”.
  • Tip: Ensure it matches the gender on your passport.
  • Common Mistake: Selecting the wrong gender due to haste.

Section 2: Flight and Travel Details

Flight Number

  • Step 1: Write the flight number from your boarding pass.
  • Step 2: Use the airline code and number (e.g., KE123 for Korean Air).
  • Example: Flying on Asiana Airlines OZ201 → Write “OZ201”.
  • Tip: If you have a connecting flight, use the flight that brought you to Korea.
  • Common Mistake: Using a domestic flight number instead of the international one.

Departure Airport

  • Step 1: Enter the airport code or name of your departure city.
  • Step 2: For example, if flying from New York, write “JFK” or “John F. Kennedy International Airport”.
  • Tip: Use IATA codes if space is limited (e.g., LAX for Los Angeles).
  • Common Mistake: Writing the city name instead of the airport.

Arrival Airport in Korea

  • Step 1: Specify the Korean airport you are landing at, e.g., ICN for Incheon International Airport.
  • Example: If landing at Gimpo Airport, write “GMP” or “Gimpo”.
  • Tip: Incheon (ICN) is the main international airport; ensure you use the correct code.
  • Common Mistake: Confusing with other airports like GMP if you are actually landing at ICN.

Date of Arrival

  • Step 1: Enter the date you arrive in Korea in YYYY-MM-DD format.
  • Example: Arriving on October 5, 2024 → “2024-10-05”.
  • Tip: Use the local Korean date, which is the same as UTC+9.
  • Common Mistake: Using the departure date instead of arrival date.

Section 3: Purpose of Visit and Address in Korea

Purpose of Visit

  • Step 1: Select or write your purpose, such as Tourism, Business, Visiting Family, etc.
  • Step 2: Be specific if required; for tourism, you might write “Sightseeing” or “Vacation”.
  • Example: For a business trip, write “Business Meeting” or “Conference”.
  • Tip: If your purpose is not listed, write it clearly in the blank space.
  • Common Mistake: Selecting “Other” without explanation, which may lead to questions.

Address in Korea

  • Step 1: Write the full address of your accommodation in Korea.
  • Step 2: Include street name, building number, city, and postal code if known.
  • Example: “123, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06132, South Korea”.
  • Tip: For hotels, use the hotel’s full address; for Airbnb, use the exact address provided.
  • Common Mistake: Writing only the hotel name without the address, or using an incomplete address.

Section 4: Declaration of Items

This section is for declaring any restricted or dutiable items you are bringing into Korea.

Currency Declaration

  • Step 1: If you are carrying more than $10,000 USD (or equivalent in other currencies) in cash or negotiable instruments, you must declare it.
  • Step 2: Write the amount in USD or KRW.
  • Example: Carrying $15,000 → Declare “15,000 USD”.
  • Tip: This includes cash, traveler’s checks, and money orders.
  • Common Mistake: Not declaring amounts over the limit, which can lead to fines or confiscation.

Restricted Items

  • Step 1: Declare items like fresh food, plants, animals, or large electronics.
  • Step 2: List each item with quantity.
  • Example: “2kg of dried fruits” or “1 laptop”.
  • Tip: Check Korean customs website for prohibited items; e.g., pork products are banned due to African swine fever.
  • Common Mistake: Assuming small amounts don’t need declaration; always declare if unsure.

Section 5: Signature and Date

Signature

  • Step 1: Sign the card in the designated area.
  • Step 2: Your signature should match the one on your passport if possible.
  • Example: Use your usual signature; no need for cursive if you normally print.
  • Tip: Do not sign for others unless you are a guardian.
  • Common Mistake: Forgetting to sign or signing in the wrong place.

Date

  • Step 1: Enter the date of signing in YYYY-MM-DD format.
  • Example: If signing on the flight on October 5, 2024, write “2024-10-05”.
  • Tip: Use the date of arrival if signing on the plane.
  • Common Mistake: Using the wrong date format.

Additional Tips and Common Errors to Avoid

  • Language: Always use English unless specified otherwise. Do not use your native language unless it’s a bilingual card.
  • Legibility: Write in block letters or print clearly to avoid misreading.
  • Corrections: If you make a mistake, cross it out neatly and write the correct information nearby. Do not use white-out.
  • Multiple Travelers: Each person, including children, must have their own card. Parents fill out for minors.
  • Keep a Copy: Take a photo of your completed card before submission for your records.
  • Submission: Hand the card to the immigration officer along with your passport; you may receive a sticker or stamp as proof.

Conclusion

By following this A-to-Z guide, you can confidently fill out your Korean Arrival Card without errors. Remember to double-check all details against your passport and travel documents. If you encounter any issues, politely ask the flight attendants or airport staff for assistance. Safe travels to South Korea!

(Note: This guide is based on standard procedures as of 2024. Always verify with official sources for the latest updates.)