South Korea to Latvia visa requirements

South Korean ordinary passport holders do NOT need a visa to visit Latvia for tourism. As a Schengen visa-exempt nationality, you may enter for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. ETIAS (a pre-travel authorization, not a visa) is expected from late 2026 but is NOT yet required as of June 2026. Latvia is a member of the Schengen Area, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is on the EU list of third countries whose nationals are exempt from the short-stay visa requirement. A South Korean ordinary passport holder can therefore travel to Latvia for tourism, business, family visits, or transit without any visa, staying up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the entire Schengen Area combined (not 90 days per country). The passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended departure date and issued within the previous 10 years. Border officers may still ask for proof of onward/return travel, accommodation, sufficient funds, and travel medical insurance. The one upcoming change is ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System): a EUR 20 online authorization that visa-exempt travelers, including South Koreans, will need before boarding to Schengen. ETIAS is officially expected to become operational in the last quarter of 2026, followed by a transitional and grace period, so it is NOT mandatory as of 1 June 2026. South Korea remains visa-exempt regardless; ETIAS is an authorization, not a visa. Until ETIAS launches, a valid passport alone is sufficient. Travelers should monitor the official EU site (travel-europe.europa.eu/etias) for the confirmed start date before any trip later in 2026.