Since the beginning of the pandemic outbreak early last year, nations have modified and adapted different regulations to fight the spread of the different COVID-19 variants. In South Korea, policies have been updated in the wake of the omicron variant to maintain the new normal lifestyle that most Koreans are getting accustomed to. In this article, Ziptoss would briefly discuss the latest COVID-19 self quarantine exemptions and regulations as of December 2021.
- Required Document: COVID-19 Negative Certificate
Exemptions:
- Children below 6 years old.
- People that are exempted from quarantine due to humanitarian reasons or official/diplomatic duties.
- South Korean seafarers holding a Korean passport and a seafarer’s book that departed from Singapore.
Guidelines
- Must be issued within the last 3 days or 72 hours before the departure date.
- Certification should preferably be either in Korean or English language, if not a validated translation should be submitted as well.
- Digital copies are not accepted. Certification must be submitted in the form of a physical document or hardcopy.
- The testing methods must be based on gene amplification detection.
Notes:
- Please refer to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency or Korean embassy websites to see the updated list of countries with designated testing centers for any changes.
- People who would test positive for COVID-19 after not submitting a negative PCR test result or those who submitted a substandard negative confirmation test would be subjected to pay a penalty of 2,000,000 won or 1,690 USD. However, minors under the age of 14 years of age are exempted from this policy.
- Regulations Upon Entry
Permitted Passengers
- Long-term visa holders (more than 90 days)
- Short-term employment visa holders
- Korean Nationals
- Diplomat visa holders
- Government official visa holders
- The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel (ABTC/APEC) cardholders
- Agreement visa holders
- F-4 Overseas Korean visa holders
- Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) holders from qualified nations
- Quarantine Guidelines
- A quarantine period of 10 days is required for every passenger regardless of vaccination status or nationality.
- For long-term foreigners and Korean nationals, the 10-day quarantine period can be done within their own residence.
- For short-term foreign residents, the 10-day quarantine period must be spent at a government-managed quarantine facility at their own cost. However, self-quarantine is possible provided that there is confirmation of staying with either a relative that is a long-term resident or of Korean nationality.
Exemptions:
- People who have completed their vaccinations in South Korea through COOV app and have obtained a printed vaccination certificate.
- People who have completed their vaccinations overseas and possess an approved Quarantine exemption form that was submitted in advance.
Notes:
- The purpose of the visit should be either of the following: humanitarian purposes, academic business, academic public interest, or visiting immediate family members.
- Accepted vaccines are those that are accepted by the World Health Organization: Pfizer, Moderna, Covishield, Sinopharm/Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Janssen.
- Must be after 14 days after receiving the second/full dose of the vaccine.
- The quarantine exemption application documents should be submitted to screening agencies such as the consulate, embassy, or other relevant ministries.
For further information: You may contact the Korea Immigration Service (+82-1345).
