Korea immigration help: 1345 hotline, e-Arrival Card and HiKorea

Which official contact point should I use for my question?

Our sources name four official contact points. The table sets out what they give for each one. Where a cell says "not stated", our sources do not cover it, which does not mean the answer is no.

The sections below take each one in turn, starting with the phone line.

How do I call the 1345 Immigration Contact Center from inside Korea?

From a phone in Korea, dial 1345 with no area code. HiKorea's home page marks this as a paid call for callers in Korea.

Our sources do not say whether the number can be dialled from a foreign SIM card that is roaming in Korea, or from a Korean prepaid SIM. If you will rely on a local SIM for calls, read our guide to voice-call support on a Korean prepaid SIM before you arrive, and save the number in your phone so you are not searching for it at the airport.

When is the 1345 line open, and what does a call cost?

HiKorea lists the hours of the 1345 hotline as 09:00–22:00, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. HiKorea's home page gives the same window for the contact centre: 09:00–22:00, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Our sources give no hours for Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays, and they do not say what a caller hears outside the listed hours. Plan any call for a weekday within that window, and check the Korean public-holiday calendar if your question is urgent.

On cost, HiKorea marks the in-Korea number as a paid call. Our sources do not give a price per call or per minute. Check your phone plan or your provider's rates before a long call.

Which languages does the 1345 line answer in?

Our sources do not list the languages the 1345 line answers in, so we cannot tell you whether a call will be taken in English, Japanese or any other language.

The one language list in our sources belongs to HiKorea itself. For HiKorea, our sources record language support as: 한국어, English, 中文.

That list describes HiKorea, not the phone line, so do not read it as a promise about the hotline. Have your passport and any reference numbers to hand before you call.

Our related pages are linked below.

How do I reach the Immigration Contact Center from outside Korea?

For callers outside Korea, the HiKorea home page lists these overseas inquiry numbers: +82-2-1345, +82-2-6908-1345~6.

The second entry is printed on the source as a range, with a tilde before its last digit. Our sources do not spell out each number in that range or say which one to try first.

Our sources do not give separate hours for overseas calls, and they do not say whether these numbers are charged differently from the in-Korea line. Our sources give hours only for the in-Korea number; they do not give hours for the numbers used from outside Korea. Check your provider's rates for international calls first.

Is there another way to contact the centre besides the phone?

Our sources list a fax number for civil petitions (the Korean term used is FAX민원): 1577-1346.

They do not explain what a fax petition can cover, whether it can be sent from abroad, or how quickly it is answered.

HiKorea also lists this address: (13809) 경기도 과천시 관문로 47 정부과천청사 (1동).

Our sources do not say whether this address receives visitors in person, and they do not list an email address or an online chat for the contact centre.

How does the e-Arrival Card work, and is it free?

HiKorea's home page names the official e-Arrival Card site, to tell it apart from phishing look-alikes: www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr.

HiKorea lists the filing fee for the e-Arrival Card as ₩0. On payment, its home page puts it this way: The official e-Arrival Card site (www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr) charges no fee. A site asking you to enter payment information is a phishing look-alike, not the official service.

Our sources do not say who has to file an e-Arrival Card, how far ahead of arrival it can be submitted, or what information it asks for. Before you travel, open the official site yourself by typing the address above, rather than following a search advert or a link in a message, and read its current instructions.

Do I need an arrival card if I already have K-ETA?

The K-ETA website says: Travellers with K-ETA approval are exempt from submitting the arrival card when entering Korea, allowing faster passage through entry immigration.

That statement refers to "the arrival card". Our sources do not say in so many words whether it covers the electronic version as well as any paper form, so check the e-Arrival Card site if you are unsure.

If you do not hold an approved K-ETA, our sources do not set out the arrival card rules for your situation. Check the official e-Arrival Card site before you travel.

On whether K-ETA is a visa, the K-ETA website's answer is No, and it notes that the final decision is made by an immigration officer at the port of entry.

Who do I contact about a K-ETA application?

The K-ETA website lists its own centre. On how to reach it, the website says: In principle the K-ETA Center does not provide telephone or face-to-face consultations; questions must be submitted through the Ask Us inquiry form.

The website does give a phone number for the centre, 02-2666-0463, with the same note that telephone and in-person consultations are not provided in principle.

On where to apply, the K-ETA website says: K-ETA application is available only at "www.k-eta.go.kr" or the mobile app (K-ETA). It also warns: Similar agencies and phishing sites charge high fees while claiming to act as a K-ETA application or expedited-service agent.

On timing, it states: Eligible nationals must obtain K-ETA approval before boarding the flight or ship; applying after boarding or while already in Korea may lead to refusal of approval or entry restrictions.

If your plans change after approval, the website says: If travel information changes after K-ETA approval, it must be updated on the K-ETA website's Update Travel Information page, or entry may be denied.

For eligibility, the fee, processing and validity, see our K-ETA guide. For what happens to the fee if an application is refused, see our page on the K-ETA refund policy.

What if I cannot get through, or a site asks me to pay?

You call 1345 outside the listed hours. Our sources do not name an out-of-hours immigration line. Otherwise, call back on a weekday within the listed hours.

You call on a public holiday. The hours HiKorea lists for the hotline exclude public holidays, and our sources give no holiday hours.

An e-Arrival Card site asks for card details. HiKorea's home page says the official site charges no fee and that a site asking for payment information is a phishing look-alike. Close it and type the official address yourself: www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr.

An agency offers to speed up your K-ETA. The K-ETA website says: Applications are reviewed in the order they are received, and there is no expedited service to speed up processing for specific applications.

You see a 3DS error message when paying the K-ETA fee. The K-ETA website says: A 3DS payer-authentication error at payment must be taken up with the card issuer, not with the K-ETA centre.

What should I sort out before I fly?

1. Save the 1345 number for use in Korea, and the overseas numbers above if you may call before you leave.
2. Note the weekday hours above in your own time zone.
3. If you are travelling on K-ETA, check your approval and update your travel information on the K-ETA website if your plans have changed.
4. If you need an e-Arrival Card, file it on the official site, typing the address yourself.
5. Keep your passport and any application reference numbers to hand before you call or write to any of these services.

We checked the details on this page against the HiKorea and K-ETA websites in September and October 2026. Phone numbers, hours and fees can change, so confirm them on the official sites shortly before you travel.