Korea's Automated Immigration Gates (SES): Who Must Register

What is Smart Entry Service (SES)?

SES is Korea’s automated immigration gate, run by the Ministry of Justice. It checks your passport against your fingerprints and face, so you complete immigration yourself instead of queuing for an officer. Korean citizens who have been issued a resident registration card can use it with no pre-registration. Foreign nationals aged 17 or over holding a Korean residence card can use it straight away too, and short-term visitors aged 17 or over can use it when departing. Only some travellers (children, and citizens without a resident registration card) need to register first.

Automated gate vs staffed counter

Automated gate (SES)

Passport scan + fingerprint and face check
No pre-registration for resident-card holders
No passport stamp (ask an officer if you need one)

Staffed counter

Face-to-face check by an officer
Passport is stamped
Use it when the gate is not available to you (e.g. travelling with an infant)

Worried about crowds on arrival? See the live arrivals and baggage status.

Who can use it

Use it without registering

• Korean citizens issued a resident registration card (registration is recommended if the card is more than 30 years old)
• Foreign nationals aged 17+ holding an alien registration card or a domestic residence report card
• Short-term visitors aged 17+ — departure only

Register first

• Korean citizens aged 14+ without a resident registration card
• Korean citizens aged 7 to 13 (register together with a legal guardian)
• Registered foreign residents aged 7 to 16 (under 14: with a legal guardian)

Nationals of the US, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Germany — places with a reciprocal automated-gate agreement with Korea — can also use the gates once enrolled in SES.

Where and how to register

Only for travellers who need to register.

Airports and seaports

• Incheon Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2
• Gimpo, Gimhae, Daegu, Jeju and Cheongju international airports
• Busan Port and Incheon Port (international)

Immigration offices

• Seoul, Busan, Incheon and Suwon Immigration Services
• Seoul Southern, Daejeon, Gwangju and Cheongju Immigration Offices
• Seoul Station branch office

1
Go in person: under-14s must be accompanied by a legal guardian.
2
Bring: your passport, plus your residence card if you are a registered foreign resident. Korean children aged 7 to 13 also need a detailed basic certificate and a family relation certificate issued within 3 months, and the guardian’s ID. Foreign children need a document from their own government proving the relationship (e.g. a birth certificate) and the guardian’s ID.
3
Fingerprints and face: as a rule, the index fingers of both hands are registered, and a front-facing photo is taken by camera.
4
Done: you can use the gates right away, until your passport expires.

Registered or not, always carry your passport — the gate only starts once the passport is placed on the reader.

How to use the gate

1
Place the photo page of your passport on the reader.
2
When the entrance door opens, step into the gate.
3
Put the registered finger (shown on the screen) on the fingerprint reader, then look at the camera for face recognition.
4
When the exit door opens, walk out — you are done.

Note: SES is operated by the Ministry of Justice and is separate from Smart Pass, Incheon Airport’s own departure service. Do not confuse the two.

FAQ and tips

Q.How long is registration valid? — If you pre-registered, from registration until that passport expires. Resident-card holders do not need to register at all.
Q.Does it work at airports abroad? — No. Korea’s gates are for entering and leaving Korea only. Programmes such as US Global Entry need a separate application.
Q.What if the gate does not recognise me? — Ask the staff nearby for help, or use a staffed counter.
If your fingerprints are hard for the machine to read, you may not be able to use the gates. You also cannot take an infant through the gate with you.

Sources: Ministry of Justice, Korea Immigration Service — Smart Entry Service guide; Government24 ‘Korea Smart Entry Service’ (updated 2026-08-05). Checked 2026-10-06.