South Korea eVisa for Indians: Who Can Apply Online

The rules below come from the Korea Visa Portal, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Delhi, the Consulates General in Mumbai and Chennai, and the VFS Global-run Korean Visa Application Centres (KVAC), as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For fees, documents and every Korean visa type, see our South Korea visa guide for Indians.

Which Indians can apply for a Korean e-Visa?

The Visa Portal's e-Visa page lists the statuses of stay that can be issued electronically. For Indian applicants they fall into four groups.

In every case the Korean side, or a recognised facilitator, plays a role. You cannot pick the e-Visa yourself as a first-time visitor.

Can an ordinary Indian tourist apply for a Korea visa online?

Only partly. Korea's missions in India state that Indian nationals must apply through the Visa Portal and a KVAC operated by VFS Global. You fill in the e-Form online, but the application is completed in person. The official sequence is:

1. Confirm your visa type and the document checklist for your KVAC.
2. Fill out the e-Form on the Visa Portal and print it.
3. Submit it with your documents at the KVAC for your jurisdiction. VFS says no appointment is needed at the Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad centres; you walk in during submission hours.
4. Check the status on the Visa Portal. In Chennai and Bengaluru you get a 14-digit reference number (starting 170 for Chennai, 171 for Bengaluru).

Incomplete applications are not accepted at the counter. The Chennai-jurisdiction centre accepts applications no earlier than 89 days before travel, and since 21 September 2026 the Mumbai-jurisdiction centres accept them only if your travel date is within one month of submission.

What does the in-person route cost and how long does it take?

The Embassy's revised fees, effective 1 August 2026, are INR 3,600 for a single entry of up to 90 days, INR 5,400 for a single entry of more than 90 days and INR 8,100 for a multiple-entry visa. A VFS service charge is added, and it differs by centre.

Express short-term single entry costs Rs. 6300/-. In the Mumbai jurisdiction, first-time tourist visa applicants are not eligible for express. The New Delhi and Kolkata centres (Embassy jurisdiction) did not publish fee or timing pages that we could read, so confirm there.

Is there any visa-free option for Indians instead?

Two narrow ones, neither of which is an e-Visa:

• Jeju Island: Indians flying directly to Jeju with no stop elsewhere in Korea can enter without a visa or K-ETA, because India is not among the 23 excluded countries. The KVAC gives the stay as up to 30 days, and you need permission from the Jeju Immigration Office to travel on to the mainland.
• Transit: Indians holding a valid visa or permanent residency for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or one of 32 European countries can enter visa-free for up to 30 days when transiting Korea to or from those countries, with a confirmed onward ticket within 30 days.

There is no visa on arrival for Indians.

Which online steps are not visas?

Two online services often get mistaken for an e-Visa:

• e-Arrival card: since an Embassy notice of 10 March 2025, travellers entering with a visa can submit the arrival card online at www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr from 3 days before arrival. It records your arrival; it does not grant entry.
• Look-alike visa portals: the Consulate General in Chennai has warned about counterfeit Korea Visa Portal websites. The genuine portal is www.visa.go.kr.

Mistakes to avoid

• Choosing the e-Visa option as a first-time business visitor. The C-3-4 e-Visa needs at least 3 earlier C-3 entries since 1 January 2012.
• Applying for a tourist visa when the trip is for business; the Mumbai-jurisdiction checklist warns against this.
• Submitting too early. Chennai-jurisdiction centres take files no earlier than 89 days before travel, and the Mumbai jurisdiction currently requires travel within one month.
• Ignoring the three-month rule: after a refusal you may reapply only after three months, and the Chennai consulate does not disclose reasons for non-issuance.

The Mumbai-jurisdiction tourist checklist asks for a day-by-day itinerary, a refundable hotel booking and a confirmed, refundable e-ticket. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does South Korea have a K-ETA option for Indian passport holders?

No general K-ETA route is listed for Indians: Korea's missions in India state that Indian nationals must obtain a visa before travel. The exceptions are direct trips to Jeju Island, which need neither a visa nor a K-ETA, and visa-free transit for holders of qualifying US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand or European visas.

Can a medical tourist from India get a Korean e-Visa?

Yes, if the C-3-3 medical tourism visa or G-1-10 patient visa is applied for by a recognised medical travel facilitator. Otherwise you submit a medical tourism file at a KVAC, with a doctor's reference letter and an invitation from the Korean medical institute.

How do I track a Korean visa applied through VFS in India?

Track it on the Korea Visa Portal with the 14-digit reference number from the centre, your passport number, date of birth and name. VFS also e-mails you when the decision returns to the centre.

Is a Korean e-Visa cheaper than a sticker visa?

Our record of the official pages does not list a separate e-Visa fee. The published Embassy fees from 1 August 2026 are INR 3,600 for a short single entry, INR 5,400 for a long single entry and INR 8,100 for a multiple-entry visa.