I currently live in Japan but have a US passport. I booked a flight to South Korea from Dec 14-16, but my passport expires in mid January.. do you think I’ll be allowed into the country or is my best bet to cancel the trip? Thanks..
Your passport must be **valid for the duration of your stay** in South Korea. You should also have at least 1 blank passport page for the entry stamp.
If your passport is about to expire, you should **renew it before applying** for a K-ETA. The electronic travel authorization is only valid with the passport you use to apply. The details on your ETA must match your passport exactly.
That seems pretty much well explained to me.
No, definitely not. I have firsthand experience with this. You will be refused travel at the airport here as there is not enough time left on your passport for international travel (3-6 months). What you can do is go to your embassy and ask for an emergency passport, it will cover your trip there and back. It will invalidate your current passport immediately. Once you land back in Japan the emergency passport will also become invalid and you’re passportless and need to apply for a new one.
You can check this kind of stuff on [TravelDoc](https://www.traveldoc.aero) btw, if anyone is curious. Although, I would assume that your passport cannot expire before your allotted 90 days as a tourist. Contact the South Korean embassy and your airline.
6 comments
ummm… January comes after December?
>do you think I’ll be allowed into the country
If you’re entering as a tourist, Probably not. Most countries require a minimum of 6 months remaining in the passport for tourist.
You might want to consult the Korean embassy before you cancel the trip though.
Just fill out the forms and go to the embassy to get an emergency passport, they can issue it in a day.
[https://www.ketasouthkorea.com/visa-requirements](https://www.ketasouthkorea.com/visa-requirements)
Your passport must be **valid for the duration of your stay** in South Korea. You should also have at least 1 blank passport page for the entry stamp.
If your passport is about to expire, you should **renew it before applying** for a K-ETA. The electronic travel authorization is only valid with the passport you use to apply. The details on your ETA must match your passport exactly.
That seems pretty much well explained to me.
No, definitely not. I have firsthand experience with this. You will be refused travel at the airport here as there is not enough time left on your passport for international travel (3-6 months). What you can do is go to your embassy and ask for an emergency passport, it will cover your trip there and back. It will invalidate your current passport immediately. Once you land back in Japan the emergency passport will also become invalid and you’re passportless and need to apply for a new one.
You can check this kind of stuff on [TravelDoc](https://www.traveldoc.aero) btw, if anyone is curious. Although, I would assume that your passport cannot expire before your allotted 90 days as a tourist. Contact the South Korean embassy and your airline.