Visa Stay Days Counter 체류 기간
How many days do you have left in Korea, and when is the last day you can legally do something about it? Arrival day counts as day one. Most people get that wrong.
How Korea counts your stay
The day you land is day one, even if you land at 11:50 pm. So a 90-day visa-free stay that begins on 1 March ends on 29 May. Immigration officers count exactly this way and the airline check-in desk on your way out will too. If your maths gives you one extra day, that extra day is an overstay.
Visa-free and K-ETA visitors get the number of days printed on their entry record. Registered residents (students, workers, working-holiday makers, spouses) get an expiry date printed on the Alien Registration Card. That date is the one that matters, not the visa sticker in your passport.
Extending your stay
If you hold an ARC you can apply to extend from four months before the expiry date until the expiry date itself. Book an appointment on HiKorea, bring your ARC, passport, the application form, a fee stamp and proof of why you are staying (enrolment letter, employment contract, bank balance for some visas). Apply early: appointment slots in Seoul run out weeks ahead in February, August and December.
Visa-free stays generally cannot be extended. The exceptions are documented emergencies: hospitalisation, a cancelled flight with no alternative, a natural disaster. Wanting more time with your friends is not an emergency, however sincere.
If you overstay
Fines start in the hundreds of thousands of won for a few days and rise with the length of the overstay, up to 30 million won for long periods. An overstay can also mean an entry ban of one to ten years. If it has already happened, go to an immigration office and report it before you fly. Voluntary reporting is treated far more leniently than being caught at the airport.
Questions people ask
Does the day I arrive count as day one?
Yes. Arrival date is day one. Plan your departure using the last legal day shown above, not a day later.
Can I leave and come back to reset the 90 days?
Sometimes, but not reliably. There is no written rule, and immigration can refuse entry if it looks like you are living in Korea on tourist stays. Two long visa-free stays back to back is a common reason for questions at the desk.
Where do I find my expiry date?
On the back of your ARC, the line "체류기간 만료일". It is also on HiKorea under "My page" if you have an account.
Is the K-ETA still required?
K-ETA has been waived for many countries since 2023 and the waiver has been extended several times. Check the official K-ETA site for your nationality before you fly; the rule changes with little notice.
Last checked: September 2026, against Korea Immigration Service guidance. Rules change; confirm on HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or call 1345.