1: Arrival Card – It is a pretty basic form to give Korea information of your visit. The form will ask the following questions:
· Full name
· Nationality
· Passport number
· Home address
· Occupation
· Address on where you will be staying in Korea
· Flight Number
· Signature
2: Customs Declaration Form – This is the form that is in accordance with the “Customs Act”. Pretty much it is a longer form asking you what did you bring with you and how much money did you bring. There is a front and back side to it. The questions are:
· Full Name
· Date of Birth
· Passport Number
· Occupation
· Length of Stay
· Purpose of Visit
· Flight Number
· Countries visited on this trip prior to entry to Korea
o If you had like a layover somewhere else before your final stop in Korea
· Address in Korea
· Phone number
After you fill out these basic questions, there is a section where it will say “Goods Subject to Declaration”. These are “Yes & No” check boxes. Read through them and check Yes or No to whichever applies to you.
After all said and done with the forms, you will go through customs. There are usually two sections (one for Korean Citizens and one for Foreigners). You will give the custom staff (immigration officer) your arrival card, declaration form and passport. They will tell you to place your fingers (it was the index fingers for me) into the fingerprints box (yes, you are fingerprinted). They will then take your picture. Sometimes they will ask you basic questions such as “purpose of your visit” or sometimes they won’t. After the immigration clearance (after you are done with the custom part of it all), you are cleared to go get your baggage and enter the beautiful Korea.
**Note: if you are from USA, you are allowed to stay in South Korea for 90days without a Visa. I would suggest reading up on Visas if you are expecting to stay longer than 90days. Few good websites to visit:
· English.VisitKorea.OR.KR
· VisitSeoul.Net
· Seoul.USEmbassy.Gov
· Travel.State.Gov
And there you have it…after the long flight, custom area and baggage claim, you are finally able to enjoy your time in South Korea. Like always, if you have any comments, questions or anything at all, feel free to leave me a message. Safe travels…xoxo