TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
General Travel Restrictions:
- Only Korean nationals are allowed to enter Korea. Non-Korean passengers with marriage visa (F-6 Visa) are allowed to enter South Korea.
- NO ENTRY restriction is imposed on Non-Korean passport holders.
- All Philippine passengers who are transiting from Incheon to China will not be accepted due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Passenger Restrictions for PAL flight PR468 on June 30, 2021 to South Korea:
- Please be informed that aircraft occupancy rate for this charter flight is limited. Only Korean nationals are allowed to take this flight.
Launch of K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization)
Korea shall officially implement ETA in September 2021 following pilot test from 03 May to 31 August 2021.
- Summary: Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is a travel permission granted to foreign nationals who are eligible for visa-free entry into Korea. Eligible travellers are required provide personal and travel related information through the relevant website in advance.
- Eligibility:
Due to COVID-19, the eligible persons for ETA will be nationals of 21 countries that can currently enter Korea without a visa.
21 countries: United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Nicaragua, Dominican Federation, Barbados, Venezuela, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Malta, Ireland, Guyana, Monaco, Vatican City, San Marino, Andorra, Albania, Slovenia, Guam, New Caledonia, Palau
- Application and fee
Travelers are required to apply for ETA through Korea ETA website (www.k-eta.go.kr) or mobile phone app (m.k-eta.go.kr) at least 24 hours before departure.
Fee for ETA is 10,000 KRW. During the pilot test (i.e May to August 2021), ETA is optional and application fee will be waived during this period.
- Result Notification: The result will be sent to the applicant's email address.
- Validity: ETA will be valid for 2 years once issued.
- Benefits: Foreign nationals who received ETA will be exempted from submitting arrival card, enabling them to clear immigration quickly
COVID-19 Health Requirements
Updates from the Korean Quarantine Office (May 10, 2021)
Immigration procedures for vaccinated persons entering Korea from overseas have been changed (Only when vaccination is completed in Korea - Not applicable if vaccination has been completed overseas).
If "Korean and Long-term stay Foreigner with Valid Visa" have a "Certificate of Immunization" issued by "Director of Centers for Disease Control & Prevention", and If the following provisions are satisfied, they ("Korean and Long-term stay Foreigner with Valid Visa") will be allowed entry without PCR negative conformation. Immigration procedures are simplified, and it will be changed to self-isolation (Related Cost: Passenger's own expenses).
After the 2nd vaccination of the vaccine that requires 2 vaccinations (or the 1st vaccination of the vaccine that requires once)
2 weeks have elapsed after vaccination is completed
PCR Negative test result immediately after entry
No symptoms
Departure from Korea 2 weeks after vaccination
Entry into Korea is not allowed for travelers from mutant virus epidemic countries (South Africa, Brazil, etc.)
If passenger do not have a “Certificate of Immunization”, they will follow the previous regulations.
Updates from the Korean Quarantine Office (April 28, 2021)
It is mandatory to submit PCR negative confirmation for all arrival passengers to Korea.
If the PCR negative confirmation is not submitted or a confirmation does not meet the standards, foreigners are not allowed to enter Korea, and Koreans are required facility quarantine (the cost is shouldered by the passenger).
Koreans who do not submit PCR confirmation or submit confirmation which does not meet the standards, those who are tested positive will be taken to a hospital, not a facility quarantine, so there is no cost or disadvantage in this case.
According to the quarantine law, passengers in the following case will be fined 2 million Korean won from those who enter the country after 00:00L on May 10, 2021.
1) A Korean who has not submitted a confirmation or submitted a confirmation that did not meet the criteria AND
2) There are symptoms that may be suspected of COVID-19 AND
3) A person who is positive from a diagnostic test at quarantine office.
Exception: Passengers under 14 years old, Passengers who is not required to submit the negative confirmation (i.e., Flight attendants, a person exempt from quarantine for humanitarian and official purposes or quick turn, and a person who the authority allows exceptions to the obligation to submit the confirmation)
Effective February 24, 2021 (KST), all travelers arriving in the Republic of Korea, regardless of nationality, are required to submit a document proof of NEGATIVE RT-PCR test result.
- Validity period of PCR negative confirmation: Recognized if issued within 72 hours of the departure date of the aircraft or ship (Example, accepted if issued between February 20 and February 23 when boarding an aircraft departing at 23:00 on February 23)
- Agency for issuing PCR negative confirmation: Embassy-designated organization for issuing PCR negative confirmation
- Only negative RT-PCR confirmations issued by designated organizations are accepted. Even if it has been inspected by a designated institution, ANTIGEN, ANTI BODY, SALIVA TEST, etc. results are not accepted.
Upon submission of RT-PCR negative confirmation
- Koreans, Long-term stay foreigners: Self-isolation
- Short-term stay foreigners: Will be moved to a facility designated by the Republic of Korea Government to quarantine 14 days. The fee will be passenger’s own expenses.
Non submission of PCR negative confirmation:
- Koreans: Take PCR test upon arrival. After the PCR test, they will be moved to a facility designated by the Republic of Korea Government to quarantine at facility for 7 days at their own expense and self-quarantined at their home for the remaining 7 days.
- Foreigners: Denied boarding to Korea
Children under 6 years old, regardless of nationality, do not need to submit a Negative PCR Test Result before entering Korea. But, children under 6 years old who are accompanied by parents who show any COVID symptoms must undergo testing upon arrival in Korea.
All arrivals including Koreans departed from U.K. and South Africa must submit a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before their departure.
All inbound travelers are required to quarantine themselves for 14 days upon their arrival in Korea
- Korean nationals shall quarantine at the facility for 7 days at their own expense and self-quarantined at their home for the remaining 7 days.
- Quarantine Facilities are randomly assigned and cannot be changed for personal reasons. Transportation from the airport to the facility will be provided.
- The Facility Quarantine Agreement/Consent Form (refer to attachments) must be completed and submitted to the airlines to get a boarding pass for a flight to Korea. Passengers who do not hand in a signed form can be denied entry to Korea.
- Updated! (July 22, 2021) Download Facility Quarantine Agreement for Korean Nationals and Foreign Nationals
PRINTED Certificate (in Korean or English) from a designated hospital by the Embassy with passenger’s name, passport number or ID which verifies that the passenger tested negative from a COVID-19 PCR test issued within 72 hours before flight departure time.
Passengers must have two copies of the certificate. It must include the date of examination, and the presence or absence of fever, cough, chills, headache, difficulty of breathing, muscle pain and pulmonary symptoms (X-ray scans are not required), and must be signed by a medical examiner.
The following changes have been made to the items required in the medical certification:
- Name (Must match the name in the passport)
- Birth Date
- Test Method (PCR, LAMP, TMA, SDA)
- Date of Test
- Test Result
- Date of Issue
- Name of the Laboratory
Nationals and residents of Korea (Rep.) are required to install 'Self-quarantine safety protection mobile app'.
Returning Foreign Workers of South Korea with E-9 visas must submit a “Confirmation of Self-quarantine.” If the person fails to submit the confirmation or do not agree with the 14-day self-quarantine, the government may deny entry. For passengers coming from the Philippines, the confirmation should be noted by the Employment Permit System (EPS) Center located in the Philippines.
Note: Entrants from certain countries may be required to carry and submit a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate pursuant to relevant provisions.
Required documents:
- Valid passport
- copy of alien registration
- re-entry permit application
o Application: Immigration (branch) Offices across the nation (including at ports and
airports); Application can be filed at the airport, on the day of departure without any
prior reservation
o Making an online (visit) reservation at the HiKorea website is necessary to visit a
jurisdictional immigration (branch) office.
o Application is also available at immigration offices at ports and airports on the
departure day, without making prior reservations.
- letter of explanation
o Travelers for the purpose of business activities, journalism, or academic activities can
apply for a "Medical Examination Exemption Certificate" by submitting supporting
documents proving the purpose of travel. (Please visit www.hikorea.go.kr for more
information on this exemption)
PH Bureau of Immigration (BOI) Declaration of acknowledging the risks involved in travelling. Click to download the BOI Declaration form.
Registration to PAL’s passenger contact tracing forms:
All passengers must register to the PAL Passenger Information Form as early as 24 hours before their flight. A separate form shall be filled out by passengers whose COVID-19 test will be taken with any of PAL’s Partner Laboratories, please register to PAL Laboratory Partner e-CIF as early as 5 days before departure
SEA CREW:
- Seaman's Book
- Original Copy of the Letter of Guarantee
- Seafarers who plan to enter Korea through airplane or vessel for the purpose of joining a vessel which is anchored or to be anchored in Korea must secure a visa prior to entry.
For the latest advice, information and resources, go to:
- http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_3272/view.do?seq=760721
- Read the updated Notice on Re-entry permit System and Submission of Diagnosisfor Re-entry into the ROK
- https://www.iata.org/en/programs/covid-19-resources-guidelines/covid-gov-mitigation/
- https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php
Credit: https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/ph/home/covid-19/DepartingFromThePH/SouthKorea