South Korea Names 42 Countries Eligible for Smart Entry Gate Access, Releases Full List

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  • South Korea announced 42 countries whose citizens can use Smart Entry Gates to access the country without manual checks
  • The Smart Entry Gate system uses biometrics and digital technology to verify a traveller's identity at the point of entry
  • No African country made South Korea's list of 42 nations eligible for the automated Smart Entry Gate system

South Korea has released a full list of 42 countries whose nationals are eligible to use Smart Entry Gates when arriving in the country, offering a faster and more automated border crossing experience.

A Smart Entry Gate is an automated access point that uses biometrics and digital technology to verify a traveller's identity, removing the need for manual document checks or physical keys at entry points.

South Korea lists countries whose citizens can use automated entry gates. Images for illustration purposes only. Photo Source: Getty Images/AHN YOUNG-JOON/DuKai photographerSource: Getty Images

South Korea's Smart Entry Gates

The South Korean government published the complete list of qualifying nations on its official website.

The 42 countries are:

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1. Germany

2. Taiwan

3. Hong Kong

4. Macao

5. Japan

6. France

7. Singapore

8. Hungary

9. United Arab Emirates

10. Italy

11. Mexico

12. Netherlands

13. Czech Republic

14. Portugal

15. United Kingdom

16. Australia

17. Finland

18. New Zealand

19. Greece

20. Malta

21. Slovenia

22. Poland

23. Denmark

24. Belgium

25. Ireland

26. Norway

27. Latvia

28. Bulgaria

29. Estonia

30. Liechtenstein

31. Romania

32. Sweden

33. Austria

34. Switzerland

35. Luxembourg

36. Spain

37. Croatia

38. Iceland

39. Lithuania

40. Slovakia

41. Cyprus

42. Canada

What this means for African travellers

The list is dominated by European nations, with a number of Asian territories and a handful of countries from the Americas and Oceania also included.

Notably, no African country appears anywhere on the list, meaning travellers from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and the rest of the continent will not qualify for the Smart Entry Gate system and must continue to go through standard manual border processing when visiting South Korea.

UK Announces 34 Countries Whose Citizens Can Apply for ETA After April 2, 2025UK ETA: 34 European countries became eligible to apply from 2 April 2025. The full list shows why Nigerians and other travellers still need UK visas as well.Oluwadara Adebisi, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews, 15 Sep 2026

UK names 82 countries eligible for ETA

Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that the United Kingdom had released a list of 82 countries whose citizens can travel to Britain with an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) instead of a visa.

The ETA allows eligible travellers to visit the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man for up to six months. The list includes countries in Europe, Asia and the Gulf, while Mauritius and Seychelles are the only African countries on the list.