KETA Special Characters: How to Enter Your Name Correctly

When completing your K-ETA application, you should avoid using special characters unless they are clearly supported by the system.

In most cases, the K-ETA form requires applicants to enter their name and personal details exactly as shown in the machine-readable zone (MRZ) of their passport. The MRZ consists of the two lines of text at the bottom of your passport’s photo page and uses only standard English alphabet letters (A–Z), without accents or special symbols.

Names With Accents or Special Marks

If your name contains special characters such as:

• Accents (é, ñ, ü, ç)

• Apostrophes (’)

• Hyphens (-)

• Umlauts (ä, ö, ü)

• Other diacritical marks

You should enter your name exactly as it appears in the MRZ, which typically removes accents and converts characters into standard letters.

For example:

• José → JOSE

• Müller → MUELLER (or MULLER, depending on the passport MRZ)

• O’Connor → OCONNOR

Always follow the spelling shown in the passport MRZ, not necessarily the visual spelling printed above it.

Do Not Add Extra Symbols

Do not include:

• Special punctuation marks

• Emojis

• Extra spaces

• Symbols such as &, /, #, or *

Entering unsupported characters may cause:

• Application errors

• Delays in processing

• Mismatches with passport information

Your K-ETA information must match your passport exactly. Even small differences in spelling may lead to verification issues at check-in or immigration.

To avoid problems, use only standard alphabetical characters unless the form clearly allows otherwise.