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Effective April 1, 2023, South Korea has temporarily exempted travelers from twenty-two countries and regions from the requirement to obtain a Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) before entry. The exemption will be in place through at least December 31, 2024. Among the locations covered by the exemptions are the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. According to the notice by South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the temporary policy is intended to support the revitalization of the country’s tourism industry, which has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Continue Reading South Korea Announces Travel Authorization Exemptions

Effective May 23, 2022, South Korea has loosened its pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements for foreign nationals. Specifically, foreign nationals seeking to enter the country can now present either a negative PCR test or a supervised rapid antigen test (RAT). Previously, only PCR tests were accepted. The RAT must be conducted by a health care provider such as a hospital or clinic; at-home RATs are not accepted. South Korea’s move represents another incremental relaxation of the country’s COVID-19 entry requirements and follows the easing of quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers in April.
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Continue Reading South Korea Updates COVID-19 Entry Requirements

As of April 1, 2022, fully vaccinated travelers entering South Korea through designated airports, including Incheon Airport, will be exempt from the government’s seven-day quarantine requirement. To be eligible for the exemption, travelers must upload proof of their vaccination status and negative COVID-19 test results and obtain a “Q-code” through an online application before entry. Travelers are advised to carry a print-out of the Q-code at the time of entry.
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Continue Reading South Korea Updates COVID-Related Entry Requirements

Updated April 1, 2022: Effective April 1, 2022, South Korea will no longer require certain long-term visa holders to obtain a reentry permit prior to traveling overseas.  Specifically, long-term visa holders who either hold residence cards or are waiting for residence cards to be issued and whose travel period outside South Korea does not exceed one year will no longer need to apply for a reentry permit prior to international travel.  The government’s announcement is a significant relaxation of reentry requirements for foreign nationals, which were increased in mid-2020 in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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Continue Reading South Korea Drops Reentry Permit Requirement for Many Long-Term Visa Holders

Effective January 20, 2022, South Korea will require all international arriving passengers to present documentation of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of their departure date. At present, passengers arriving from overseas must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure. The South Korean government’s announcement is a response to the rapid spread of the omicron variant.
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Continue Reading South Korea Updates Pandemic-Related Entry Requirements

In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, many countries have imposed both inbound and outbound restrictions on international travel. These restrictions can affect the ability of foreign national residents to reenter their host countries after even brief trips abroad. With the holidays approaching, resident foreign nationals who wish to travel outside their host countries must plan well in advance to ensure compliance with all departure and reentry requirements. Failure to do so could negatively affect their immigration status.
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Continue Reading COVID-Related Departure and Reentry Requirements: Plan Ahead for International Travel

Busy airport after sunset

Starting May 3, South Korea implemented the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) pilot program, an optional system for foreign nationals from 21 visa-exempt countries, including the United States. In April, the South Korean Ministry of Justice confirmed the pilot program would continue until August, after which the program would become mandatory for visa-exempt foreign nationals in September 2021.
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Continue Reading South Korea Will Mandate Electronic Travel Authorizations for Foreign Travelers Beginning in September