COUNTRY GUIDE · UPDATED 7 OCTOBER 2026

Australia visa guide for South Korean passport holders.

South Korean passport holders can check ETA 601 for a short visit or Working Holiday 417 for an extended holiday with short-term work. The Republic of Korea 417 age range increased to 18–35 inclusive on 1 July 2026.

START WITH THE PASSPORT

Which visa should you check?

Check the passport and the real trip purpose. A Korean residence address does not make another passport ETA or Working Holiday eligible, and an ETA does not permit employment.

The ETA (subclass 601) may fit a short visitor trip. Eligibility depends on your exact circumstances. Home Affairs decides applications.

Explore official visa options · Read the relevant visa page · Korean Working Holiday 417 → · Compare short-visit visas →

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC NOTE

What else should you know?

The Australian Embassy in Seoul says its visa office closed on 30 June 2026. An eligible ETA application uses the official Australian ETA app, not ImmiAccount. For a different visa lodged in ImmiAccount, attach requested information there; Embassy staff cannot assist with individual visa matters.

Australian Embassy in Seoul

SHORT VISIT / ETA 601

Check the South Korean passport, then use the official ETA app

Home Affairs lists South Korea among the passport jurisdictions eligible for an Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601). It is the passport you will travel on that matters; South Korean residence or a residence card does not make another passport eligible. Check the full ETA requirements for your own circumstances before applying.

An ETA is for tourism, visiting family or friends, a cruise or permitted business visitor activity. It generally allows multiple entries while valid, with a stay of up to three months after each entry. It does not permit employment. Apply from outside Australia using the official Australian ETA app, which has a service charge. Each traveller needs an individual application. If you cannot use the app or need a different purpose or stay, compare another suitable visa rather than using an ETA website.

Home Affairs ETA passport list and app steps · Compare short-visit visas → · Visitor 600 guide →

APPLYING WHILE IN SOUTH KOREA

The Seoul Embassy no longer has a visa office

The Australian Embassy in Seoul says its Home Affairs visa office closed on 30 June 2026. An eligible ETA application uses the official Australian ETA app. For a different visa lodged in ImmiAccount, attach requested information there. Embassy staff cannot give individual visa assistance, and an ETA cannot be lodged by emailing or visiting the Embassy.

Biometrics are not an automatic step for every visitor. If Home Affairs asks for them, follow your own request letter and check the current overseas-services directory for the place where you are. Watch the relevant application channel and email for requests and the written decision before making non-refundable travel commitments. Application-channel guidance checked 7 October 2026.

Current Embassy visa instructions · Home Affairs: ETA app · Current overseas-services directory · Biometrics guide →

EXTENDED HOLIDAY WITH WORK

Republic of Korea passport: Working Holiday 417

If your purpose includes short-term work during an extended holiday, check the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) instead of using an ETA to take a job. From 1 July 2026, Home Affairs lists Republic of Korea passport holders aged 18–35 inclusive for first-417 eligibility. Its deadline is 11:59 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on the day before your 36th birthday. The first application is made online from outside Australia. Read the official page for passport, prior Working Holiday Maker, funds, health, character and dependent-child criteria.

A first 417 normally permits a 12-month stay from first entry, short-term work subject to the usual six-month same-employer rule unless an exemption or permission applies, and up to four months of study. For a second or third 417, check the separate specified-work and location requirements. The UK passport exception to specified work does not automatically apply to a Korean passport. Read the grant notice for your actual conditions and entry period.

First Working Holiday 417 criteria · Home Affairs: Korea age change · Second 417 criteria · Compare working holiday routes →

DOCUMENTS TO PREPARE

Build a clear, consistent application

For ETA, follow the prompts for that visa. The points below are useful preparation questions, especially if you need to consider Visitor 600; they are not a fixed attachment list for a short-visit visa. For a Working Holiday visa, use its own eligibility and evidence page.

  • Passport and identity documents that match your application.
  • A simple account of your travel dates, purpose and accommodation.
  • Evidence that you can fund the trip, or details of a supporter.
  • Relevant work, study, family or residence evidence that explains your circumstances.
  • Invitation details if you are visiting someone.
  • Clear scans and translations where required.

Home Affairs can request additional evidence, biometrics or health checks. See its document preparation advice and our biometrics guide.

PERSONALISE THIS GUIDE

Where do you live now?

Your residence affects where you may need to complete local steps. Choose it and your travel purpose to get a tailored starting plan and checklist.

This guide starts with South Korea. Change the selection if it does not describe your travel document. For citizenship not identified or not applicable, choose Other or Not sure below.
Choose “Other” for a non-citizen passport, certificate of identity or refugee travel document. If you cannot identify the type, choose “I am not sure”. Read the passport and travel-document guide →

Different citizenship? Choose a different passport country.

Prepared by MyAusVisa with AI assistance · Sources reviewed 7 October 2026