Asia

South Korea Travel Advisory

Q: Do U.S. citizens need a visa for South Korea?

Visa requirements for South Korea depend on your passport and length of stay. Use TravelSafe's free Visa Checker to see the latest entry rules, passport validity requirements, and any visa-on-arrival options.

Q: Is South Korea safe for solo travelers?

With the current advisory at Level 0 (No Advisory Data), South Korea is generally manageable for prepared solo travelers. Standard precautions apply: share your itinerary, keep digital copies of your passport, and register with STEP.

Seoul

Normal Precautions

By TravelSafe Research TeamLast updated 2026-07-18Source: U.S. State Department ↗

CapitalSeoul

LanguageKorean

CurrencyKRW · South Korean won

TimezoneUTC+09:00

Emergency

General Emergency

general emergency

112

Police

police

112

Ambulance

ambulance

119

Fire

fire

119

Tap any number to call from a mobile device

Essential Phrases

General

영어 하세요?

YONG-uh ha-SEH-yo?

Do you speak English?

실례합니다 / 죄송합니다

SHIL-ye-ham-ni-da / jwe-SONG-ham-ni-da

Excuse me / Sorry

이거 얼마예요?

ee-GUH uhol-MAH-ye-yo?

How much does this cost?

이해가 안 돼요

ee-HEH-ga an DWEH-yo

I don't understand

이거 주세요

ee-GUH ju-SEH-yo

I would like this

감사합니다

gam-sa-HAM-ni-da

Thank you

화장실이 어디에 있나요?

hwa-JANG-shil-ee uh-DEE-e it-NAH-yo?

Where is the bathroom?

네 / 아니요

neh / a-NEE-yo

Yes / No

Greetings

안녕하세요

ahn-nyong-ha-SEH-yo

Hello

Emergency

도와주세요! / 의사가 필요해요

do-WAH-ju-SEH-yo / ui-SAH-ga pil-YO-he-yo

Help! / I need a doctor

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to travel to South Korea right now?

We do not have a current U.S. travel advisory on file for South Korea. Always check the State Department's official travel.state.gov page before booking.

Do U.S. citizens need a visa for South Korea?

Visa requirements depend on your passport and length of stay. Use TravelSafe's free Visa Checker (linked in the Visa Requirements section above) to see the latest entry rules, passport validity requirements, and any visa-on-arrival options.

What are the emergency numbers in South Korea?

Emergency services in South Korea: general emergency 112; police 112; ambulance 119; fire 119. Tap any number in the Emergency section above to call directly from a mobile device.

Is South Korea safe for solo travelers?

With the current advisory at Level 0 (No advisory data), South Korea is generally manageable for prepared solo travelers. Standard precautions apply: share your itinerary, keep digital copies of your passport, and register with STEP (step.state.gov).

Always cross-check with official sources: travel.state.gov · cdc.gov

Newsletter

Get South Korea travel advisories by email

Weekly digest of new State Department alerts, scam warnings, and safety tips. Free, unsubscribe anytime.

Related Countries

AfghanistanL0 ArmeniaL0 AzerbaijanL0 BahrainL0 BangladeshL0 BhutanL0

Also in Asia · Browse all 250 countries →

Free Download

Get the Full Safety Brief

PDF with advisory, numbers, phrases, and embassy info — to your inbox.

📄 Send Me the PDF

← All Countries