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What are the current travel restrictions for South Korea?

Entry restrictions

South Korea has restricted the entry of all travelers who have been in the Hubei Province of China in the past 14 days. Chinese nationals with passports issued in the Hubei Province are also not allowed to enter the country. Korean visas issued by the Wuhan Consulate in the Hubei Province are invalidated. Nationals of China and travelers arriving from China must have visas to transit through South Korea. Travelers arriving from China with a diplomatic, consular, official, service or special passport or who are nationals of Albania, Andorra, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Ireland, South Korea, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Palau, San Marino, Slovenia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Vatican City and Venezuela may still transit through South Korea without a visa. South Korea has suspended visa exemptions for nationals of Japan, passengers with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao passports. Short-term visas (type C-1 and C-3) issued on or before April 5 are invalidated. Visa exemptions for 90 nationalities with normal passport are temporarily suspended, except for airline crew or passengers with an APEC Business Travel Card. Travelers with a visa on an expired passport must present a printed "Visa Grant Notice" and the expired passport to the immigration upon arrival. Until January 7, direct flights from the UK are temporarily suspended.

Entry requirements

Foreign nationals residing in South Korea on most types of long-term visa will need to apply for a re-entry permit at a local immigration office or at the airport before undertaking any travel out of South Korea. Those traveling with a re-entry permit will also be required to have a medical examination no earlier than 48 hours before they plan to return to South Korea, and to obtain a medical certificate in English or Korean demonstrating COVID-19 negative status. All foreign travelers who have been in Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Philippines or Uzbekistan in the past 14 days must have a medical certificate with a negative Coronavirus (COVID-19) PCR test result issued at most 48 hours before arrival to enter South Korea. From January 8, all foreign travelers must present a medical certificate with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued within 72 hours of their departure. Airlines will not board passengers without this negative PCR test result. Arriving passengers must submit the PCR test result on an original form issued by the testing center in the country of origin (in the English or Korean language) to quarantine authorities. Authorities will deny entry to individuals who do not fulfill this requirement. Policies regarding testing upon arrival and quarantine are unchanged by this announcement. Merchant seamen with a visa must have a medical certificate with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued at most 48 hours before departure. The certificate must be in English and the passengers must have two copies of the certificate. All flights must arrive at Incheon International Airport (ICN) between 5:00 am and 8:00 pm. From December 10, short-term visitors must provide passport information to lodging facility owners, who must forward it to the Ministry of Justice. Failure to comply could result in a fine of 500,000 won (approximately $500). More information is available on hikorea.go.kr

Quarantine requirements

All arriving passengers are required to download and respond to daily questions via a Self-Diagnosis Mobile App for 14 days. Foreign travelers on short-term travel are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a government-designated facility, at their own expense. The nightly cost at these facilities could range from $100 to $150 USD per night (approximately $1,400-$2,100 USD total). Travelers that fall into this category will be required to sign a release form agreeing to these conditions prior to boarding a plane. Travelers who refuse to sign the form will be denied boarding. In some cases, Korean authorities have permitted immediate blood relatives or spouses of long-term residents to self-quarantine at their family’s home. For this, travelers would need to provide proof of relationship (e.g., marriage or birth certificate), and should understand that Korean immigration officials have the final authority to approve quarantine arrangements. Travelers who are long-term or residential visa holders are required to self-quarantine at their own residences and must undergo a COVID test within 3 days. All travelers who exhibit symptoms will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing on arrival at the airport and may be subject to additional procedures. Chinese nationals who are traveling on business under the Fast Lane program and their family members are exempt from the quarantine requirements; however, they must self-monitor their health conditions for at least 14 days before departure and must hold a medical certification of a negative COVID-19 testing result issued within 72 hours before departure. They will receive an additional test upon arrival, after which they must stay at a designated quarantine facility for up to 1-2 days until receiving the result. Once receiving a negative test result, they will be allowed to end their quarantine.

Transiting rules

Nationals of Egypt, Mongolia, Russia, Sudan, Thailand and Yemen are restricted from transiting through South Korea on their way to or from those countries. Most travelers transiting through Korean airports (who do not pass through immigration) have no quarantine requirement for stays less than 24 hours. However, transit passengers may need to undergo temperature checks or fill out health questionnaires. Transit passengers should confirm entry requirements at their onward destination. Symptomatic individuals will be subject to a COVID-19 test and hospitalization if found positive. Passengers who do not show symptoms and/or test negative may continue their journey. Please note, there are no COVID testing facilities available in airport transit areas. Travelers should confirm with the airline(s) before departure that their bags have been checked through to their final destination (as transit passengers are not able to collect and re-check in baggage on arrival in Incheon Airport).

If you are planning to travel to South Korea at this time, it is recommended that you stay up to date on current restrictions and follow proper safety measures while in public.