Already decided that the KORAIL Pass fits your trip? The purchase and the seat reservation are separate steps. KORAIL instructs travelers to buy the pass, choose the actual departure days, then reserve eligible trains through My Ticket. A pass alone does not reserve a specific KTX seat. The sequence below follows KORAIL’s official pass guide, checked October 8, 2026. Screen labels and policies may change, so confirm them on KORAIL before paying.

If you have not compared prices yet, start with our official KORAIL Pass fare table and break-even guide. This page focuses on how to book and board, avoiding a second, inconsistent price list.

Before purchase: four checks

  1. Eligibility: KORAIL offers this pass to foreign visitors; people with Korean nationality cannot use it under its published rules. Enter the name and passport details of the actual traveler, because the pass is not transferable.
  2. Train coverage: Check that your planned journeys use eligible KORAIL trains. The current KORAIL pass guide, checked October 8, 2026, excludes metropolitan railways and temporary tourist trains. Confirm your exact service in the pass booking screen.
  3. Travel days: The Select Pass gives you 2, 3, 4 or 5 selected days within 10 days from the start date. Count the dates on which you will board eligible trains, including your return leg.
  4. Seats and alternatives: Look at individual ticket prices and available trains first. If you require a seat at a fixed time, check availability before treating the pass as a solution to a sold-out departure.

KORAIL’s guide says a valid passport and credit card are needed to purchase the pass. Use the official KORAIL site or a seller specifically identified by KORAIL, and review the total and refund conditions in that channel before final payment. A third-party platform may use different fulfillment steps.

Purchase the pass

On KORAIL’s Pass page, choose Book KORAIL Pass. Select the passenger type, pass duration and starting date that match your itinerary. Enter each traveler’s passport information exactly as shown on the document. Review the currency, names and selected dates before paying.

Keep the pass number or the email address used at purchase. You will need it to find the pass in My Ticket. If you purchased through an authorized seller, follow that seller’s instructions for registering or retrieving the pass; do not assume the seller’s voucher is itself a reserved train seat.

KORAIL says the pass type, passenger type and personal information cannot be changed after purchase; its FAQ advises refunding and buying a new pass if those are wrong. Its published rules also say refunds are unavailable after the pass’s starting date. Read the current conditions for your exact purchase before completing payment.

Register travel days and reserve seats

The KORAIL guide gives this order:

  1. Open My Ticket and find your pass using the pass number or purchase email.
  2. Open the pass Details and add each actual departure date. The dates must fit the Select Pass validity window.
  3. Return to the pass list and choose Seat Reservation.
  4. Search for your departure and arrival stations, date and train. Confirm that the selected train is eligible for the pass.
  5. Choose an available standard-class seat, finish the reservation and retain the seat-reservation ticket alongside the pass.

Booking-window check, October 8, 2026: KORAIL’s pass guide now says pass seat reservations open two months before departure. Its earlier one-month wording has changed. The general ticketing guide also gives a two-month window and specifies 07:00 KST for ordinary tickets; the pass guide does not separately state an opening hour. Check your exact date and train in Seat Reservation and follow any special release notice. Our KTX booking-window guide includes example calendar dates.

KORAIL allows up to two reserved tickets per person per day with the pass. If you need to change a reserved train, cancel the old reservation under KORAIL’s current rules before searching for another. First-class seats require an additional payment according to the official guide.

A pass is not a promise of a seat. KORAIL says that when reservations are sold out, a pass holder may use a standing place with a valid pass and passport under its rules. That may be unsuitable for a long ride, a traveler who must sit or a tightly timed connection. Check your particular train before relying on this option.

At the station and on board

Carry the same passport used for the named pass. Have the valid pass and, if you reserved a seat, its reservation ticket ready to show. KORAIL says a ticket displayed through its mobile website is valid but a screenshot of a train ticket is not. Make sure you can load the original pass and reservation if your phone has limited connectivity or power; ask KORAIL about an acceptable alternative before travel if you cannot.

Check the departure station, not only the city. Seoul-area journeys may leave from Seoul, Yongsan, Cheongnyangni or another station. Confirm that your selected service is eligible for the pass, leave time to reach the platform and verify the train number.

Common booking mistakes

  • Buying a pass before calculating whether separate tickets cost less. Use the price comparison guide.
  • Choosing two travel days when the third train journey falls on a different date.
  • Treating Pass+ as free subway travel. The tourism organization’s Pass+ explainer says its local-transport card requires a separate charge and top-up.
  • Assuming a pass reserves a seat automatically, or assuming a sold-out reserved train will meet your accessibility or comfort needs.
  • Presenting a screenshot in place of a valid pass or ticket.

If the official booking screen does not match this guide, follow KORAIL’s live instructions or contact its customer service before paying. The Korea Tourism Organization’s train guide provides general rail-travel context. For service names after the September 2026 high-speed integration, use the current KORAIL booking screen and KORAIL’s integration notice; older references to a separate SRT service may be outdated.

Arriving by air before your first train? Check our Incheon Airport AREX guide for the airport-to-Seoul leg. For local travel after a KTX ride, the Korean subway and bus phrases guide may be useful.