TheRepublic of Korea passport (Korean: 대한민국 여권;Hanja: 大韓民國 旅券;RR: Daehan Minguk yeogwon), commonly referred to as theSouth Korean passport, aretravel documents issued to aSouth Korean citizen to facilitate their international travel. Like any otherpassport, South Korean passports serve as proof for passport holders' personal information, such asnationality and date of birth.
South Korean passports are issued by theMinistry of Foreign Affairs and delegated to Provincial Governments and Municipalities. Korean Passports have been printed by theKorea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO) since 1973.[5] On 21 December 2021, issuing of the next generation biometric passports to South Korean citizens had begun, which was delayed by one year as planned due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[6][4]
Ordinary passport (일반여권): Issued to ordinary citizens. Ordinary passports are issued for one, five, or ten years of validity, depending on age of bearer (see below for details).
Diplomatic passport (외교관여권): Issued to President, Prime Minister, Minister and Parliamentary secretaries, Permanent Secretaries of Foreign Affairs of Korea,Military attaché ofKorean Armed Forces, diplomats and citizens who serve under diplomatic terms. These passports guarantee special treatment in other countries.
Official passport (관용여권): Issued to members of Parliament of Korea, members of Provincial Legislatures and civil servants in Government of Korea, Provincial Governments and Local Municipalities during his or her term. AlsoMilitary personnels ofKorean Armed Forces exceptMilitary attaché also possess Official Passport.
Required documents for new passport application for first adult passport application/passport renewal after 3 years of expiration. First adult passport application cannot be done online.Ordinary passport
Passport Application Form (여권 발급 신청서)
Passport Photographs (여권 사진)
One piece of accepted primary photo ID (Some documents also function as proof of South Korean citizenship)
Welfare registestion card for handicapped persons (장애인 복지카드)
Veteran's Cars (보훈증)
Civil Servents card (공무원증) (Must present if applying Diplomatic and official passport)
Foreign passport (if dual nationality) → Must bring supporting documents (such as Notarised affidavit of Identity,Deed poll, Official certificate of name change or any other supporting documents) that suggests bearer of the foreign passport and the applicant are the same person, if the name on the foreign passport is different than the name in other documents.
For applicants under 18:
Additionally accepted primary ID:
Youth Benefit Card(청소년증) → Issued by all city/municipality governments for purposes of youth benefits such as youth discount.
Accepted proof of South Korean citizenship (choose one or more of below) (All documentsMUST be original or certified copy, printed copies or uncertified copies areNOT accepted.
Certificate of Naturalisation (귀화증서) → for Naturalised Korean Citizens
Certificate of restoration of citizenship (국적회복사실증명서) → for persons who restored South Korean citizenship after renouncing it
Issued by the MINDAN and Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan
Certificate of Registration (国民登録完了証明書, Kokumin Tōroku Kanryō Shōmeisho) → forKorean diasporas living in Japan who completed registration for South Korean citizenship
Birth certificate of any country that includes parental information → MUST bring proof of at least one parent's proof of citizenship such as certificate of family relationship (가족관계증명서 또는 제적등본)
Juminhyo (住民票) +Resident Card orSpecial permanent resident certificate[8] (特別永住者証明書及び在留カード) those specifying "韓国" (Kankoku, South Korea) in the "Nationality" (国籍) field. → Accepted for persons who are applying at the passport offices in South Korea and Embassy / Consulate offices located in Japan. Mainly forKorean diasporas living in Japan(Zainichi Kankoku Chōsenjin) who hold permanent residency in Japan and registered South Korean citizenship.
U.S Green Card orEmployment Authorization Document that specifying "KOR" in the "Nationality" field. → For persons who arelegally residing in the United States of America. Undocumented residents should bring other supporting documents. Accepted only if applying at the Embassy / Consulate offices located in the United States and Canada.
Canada Permanent Resident Card that specifying "KOR" in the "Nationality" field. → For persons who arelegally residing in the Canada. Undocumented residents should bring other supporting documents. Accepted only if applying at the Embassy / Consulate offices located in the United States and Canada.
South Korean ordinary passports are dark blue, with theNational Emblem of the Republic of Korea emblazoned in gold in the top right of the front cover. The words "대한민국 여권" (Korean) and "REPUBLIC OF KOREA PASSPORT" (English) are inscribed below the Emblem, whereas the international e-passport symbol () is inscribed on the bottom right of the front cover. Lastly, the stylizedTaegeuk pattern with dotted circles is embossed on the left side of the front cover.
Type (PM or PR or PS): PM passports can be used for multiple entries, while PS passports are valid for a single entry. PR passports are for Koreans who are permanent residents of countries other than Korea.[9] However, the PR type passport has been abolished as of 21 December 2017, and permanent residents of other countries now receive an ordinary passport.[10]
Issuing country code:KOR
Passport number: Includes a total of nine digits; in passports issued from 25 August 2008 onward, the passport number will retain the same 9 digits, but the Issued Local code will be changed to a single letter 'M' denoting PM passports and 'S' for PS passports. The remaining 8 digits will be the serial number.
Surname: Passports from other nations such asBulgaria[11] andGreece[12] have the bearer's name written in the local script alongside theLatin alphabet. However, in the South Korean passport, only theLatin alphabet is permitted for use in thesurname andgiven name sections. Their local script name is written in the separatehangul name section.
The message inside South Korean passports are written in bothKorean andEnglish. The message in the passport, nominally from the South KoreanMinister of Foreign Affairs, states:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea requests all whom it may concern to permit the bearer, a national of the Republic of Korea, to pass freely without delay or hindrance and to provide every possible assistance and protection in case of need.
The South Korean government has been issuingbiometric passports since February 2008 for diplomats and government officials, and for the general population since 24 August 2008.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed the "Committee for Promoting e-Passports" in April 2006, which scheduled to issue biometric passports during the second half of 2008. On 4 September 2007, media reports indicated that the South Korean government had decided to revise its passport law to issue biometric passports which included fingerprint information: First to diplomats during the first quarter of 2008, and to the general public during the second half of the year. Some civil groups have protested the fingerprinting requirement as excessive as theICAO only requires a photograph to be recorded on the biometric chip.
On 26 February 2008, theParliament of Korea passed a revision of the passport law. A new biometric passport was issued to diplomats in March, and to the general public shortly thereafter. Fingerprinting measures would not be implemented immediately; however, they began on 1 January 2010.
The appearance of the new biometric passports is almost identical to the former machine-readable versions, and they both have 48 pages. However, the space for visas was reduced by six pages. These pages are now reserved for identification purposes, notices and other information, as well as the bearer'scontacts. In the new biometric passports, the main identification page has moved to the second page from inside the front cover. The note from the Foreign Affairs Minister is still shown on the front page and the signature is shown on the page after photo identification.
Inside the first page, a caution for the biometric chip is written both in Korean,
주의 이 여권에는 민감한 전자 칩이 내장되어 있습니다. 여권을 접거나 구멍을 뚫거나 극한 환경(온도,습도)에 노출하면 여권이 손상될 수 있으니 주의하여 주시기 바랍니다.
and in English,
Caution This passport contains sensitive electronics, For best performance please do not bend, perforate or expose to extreme temperatures or excess moisture.
The passport holders' contact information that was originally held inside the back cover has also been moved to the last page of the new passport.
From 21 December 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a new biometric passport. The passport has been redesigned entirely with improvements in security. The identification page is made ofpolycarbonate in order to make it harder to forge. The colour of the cover of the ordinary passport has changed from green to navy blue. The bearer's personal ID number (Resident registration number of South Korea) is removed from the passport for greater security. The new passport was originally intended to be issued from June 2020 for diplomatic and official passports holders and December 2020 for those holding an ordinary passport. However, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the number of traveling citizens declined resulting in the delay of the new passport's introduction until late 2021 or whenever the current passport booklet stock is depleted.[16] Diplomatic and officials passports are issued as planned.
Travel banned by the South Korean government due to safety concerns or admission refused
Visa requirements forSouth Korean citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens ofRepublic of Korea. As of April 2025, South Korean citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 190 countries and territories, tied with theJapanese passport as the second most powerful passport in the world in terms of travel freedom, according to theHenley Passport Index.[17]
Additionally,Arton Capital's Passport Index ranked the South Korean passport fourth in the world in terms of travel freedom, with a visa-free score of 174, tied with theSwedish,Polish andHungarian passports, as of April 2025.[18]
The South Korean (Republic of Korea) constitution considers North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) as part of its territory, although under a different administration. In other words, the South does not view going to and from the North as breaking the continuity of a person's stay, as long as the traveler does not land on third country, i.e. non-Korean, territory.
However, because of the political situation between the South and the isolatedsocialistJuche government ofNorth Korea, it is almost impossible to enter the North from the South across theKorean DMZ (exiting South Korea via thenorthern border). Tourists wishing to enter North Korea have to pass through another country, and most enter fromChina, because most flights to/fromPyongyang serveBeijing.
South Koreans are generally not allowed to visitNorth Korea, except with special authorizations granted by theMinistry of Unification and North Korean authorities on a limited basis (e.g. workers and businessmen visiting or commuting to/fromKaesong Industrial Complex). South Koreans who are allowed to visit North Korea are issued aNorth Korean visa on a separate sheet of paper, not in the South Korean passport. The Republic of Korea passport can be used to enter North Korea, because passport is one of the government's approved identity documents, but it is being only to prove the bearer's identity, not to determine the bearer's legal residence.[19] South Koreans can also use other government approved identity documents such asNational ID Card andDriver's License, because the South Korean government treats North Korea as part of South Korea and expects South Korean IDs to be accepted.
In 1998, visa-free travel to the tourist resort ofMount Kumgang and theKaesong Industrial Region was made possible under the "sunshine policy" orchestrated by South Korean PresidentKim Dae-jung. Those wishing to travel across the DMZ were given special travel certificates issued by theMinistry of Unification throughHyundai Asan. In July 2008, a female tourist named Park Wang-ja was shot to death by a North Korean guard on a beach nearMount Kumgang, which led to the suspension of the tours. As of March 2010 all travel across theDMZ has now been suspended due to increasing tensions between North and South Korea. However, in 2018,Kim Jong-un and others went to South Korea through the DMZ and met up with South Korean officials. They discussed reunification.[20]
There are four landborder checkpoints in South Korea for inter-Korea travel.
^But sometimes passport scan error occurs because of braille. So now braille is added only if requested.
^For the first time in 60 years since the introduction of the conscription system, the restrictions on the validity period of multiple-entry passports for those who have not completed their military service have been abolished. Now, regardless of military service status, all adults aged 18 and older are issued 10-year multiple-entry passports. Even individuals who have not fulfilled their military service can now travel abroad by simply stating an oath to complete their service upon returning, instead of requiring prior approval. Passports with a validity of 5 years are issued only to minors or those listed as habitual passport losers.).
^If a person who stated an oath to complete his service renounce South Korean citizenship without completing military service by obtaining foreign citizenship, re-obtaining South Korean citizenship will not be allowed and not even be eligible for applying returning resident visa (F-2 status, 재외동포 비자) until the age of 40, which is the age limit of being conscripted during the wartime, as disadvantage for the perjury. This disadvantage does not apply for persons who renounced South Korean citizenship before making oath, including those who obtained foreign citizenship by birth or before turning 18 or those who gain foreign citizenship involuntarily, that generally not required to renounce foreign citizenship or South Korean citizenship.
^Persons who emigrated before turning 19 are deferred from military duty until 35, and waivered from military service at the age of 35, which is the age limit of military service during non-wartime.
^For those who provide documents of a family member's death or who is in a critical condition.
^Issued to: 1) Stateless persons, 2) Refugees, 3)Special permanent residents (Tokubetsu Eijyusha) who did not registered for South Korean citizenship, and 4) Foreign nationals who are not able to obtain passport from their country of citizenship.
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
