No visa needed

Do citizens of the United Arab Emirates need a visa for South Korea?

Citizens of the United Arab Emirates don’t need a visa for South Korea and can stay up to 90 days. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of the United Arab Emirates: the passport opens 127 countries visa-free; Abu Dhabi — Seoul: ≈ 6,900 km, about 9 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Stay: 90 days

Can I travel to South Korea without a visa on a United Arab Emirates passport?

Yes, citizens of the United Arab Emirates don’t need a visa for South Korea for up to 90 days. A valid passport is enough.

South Korea visa rules at a glance

With a United Arab Emirates passport you can visit 127 countries visa-free, 34 with a visa on arrival and 26 with an e-visa; 11 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the United Arab Emirates passport ranks 2nd of 199.
United Arab Emirates passport: visa-free access to 127 countries; South Korea passport: 114.
Citizens of the United Arab Emirates and South Korea can travel together visa-free to 105 countries, for example: Armenia, Palestine, Tajikistan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Seychelles, Greece, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.
Citizens of South Korea, in turn, don’t need a visa for the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates visa for citizens of South Korea

Travelling to South Korea: good to know

Abu Dhabi — Seoul: about 6,900 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 9 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: +5 hours.
Local time: Abu Dhabi 12:00 — Seoul 17:00.
Local currency: South Korean Won.
Languages: Korean.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ ₩1,357.
South Korea is the 136th closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of the United Arab Emirates.