The single most important fact for an Indian passport holder planning Korea is a negative one: K-ETA is not available to you. Korea's electronic travel authorisation exists only for citizens of its visa-waiver countries, and India is not one of them. There is no version of the form an Indian can fill in, which means every website offering "K-ETA for Indians" is charging a fee for a document that cannot exist. Plenty of them rank well in search. That is the whole scam.
What you need instead is a visa — for tourism, the C-3-9 — and the process is old-fashioned but predictable.
The process
Applications go in person through VFS Global or BLS International centres in six Indian cities; there is no fully online route. The embassy decides, the centres only collect.
Timing is the part that catches people. Ten to twelve working days is the normal run, express is five to seven where offered, and peak seasons — April to May and October to November, which are exactly when Korea is at its best — stretch to fifteen. Apply first, then buy the non-refundable flight, in that order.
Fees, as revised in August 2026
| Visa | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single entry, up to 90 days | ₹3,600 |
| Single entry, over 90 days | ₹5,400 |
| Multiple entry | ₹8,100 |
The VFS or BLS service charge sits on top. If an agent quotes you a figure far above this table, the difference is their margin, not the visa.
The documents, and what they are really for
The checklist reads long but has one logic: the embassy wants evidence that the trip is funded and that you will come home.
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Photo, 35×45mm, white background — the spec is enforced
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Passport with six months' validity beyond travel
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Six months of bank statements
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Income-tax returns for two years
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Salary slips and a no-objection certificate from your employer, if employed
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A cover letter saying who you are, why Korea, and your dates
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Flight and hotel bookings
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The e-Arrival Card, submitted online before you land — this replaced the paper
arrival form and applies to visa holders too
Thin paperwork, not refusal on merit, is how most Indian applications fail. A salaried applicant with clean statements and an ITR history is routine; a thin file invites questions no cover letter can answer.
Jeju is a different question
Jeju Island admits Indian passport holders without a visa for up to 30 days — but under its own rules, with real failure modes, and the Indian embassy in Seoul has formally warned travellers about relying on it casually. If Jeju is your plan, read the dedicated guide before booking anything.
Nothing here is legal advice, and visa rules move without notice. Confirm against the Korean embassy in India or your VFS/BLS centre before paying for anything — and never against a site that also sells you the visa.
