Currently, visa-free visit of Korea is limited because of the pandemic. The following information is valid as of Oct. 21, 2021. This information will be updated regularly. However, for more details and accurate information, we highly recommend you to contact nearby Korean Consulates.
Visa
From September 1, 2021, visa-free or visa-waived foreign visitors should obtain K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) at least 24 hours before boarding to Korea. You can apply for K-ETA on the K-ETA official website (www.k-eta.go.kr) or mobile App (K-ETA). The fee is 10,000 KRW (about 9 USD). Once you get the K-ETA, it is valid for 2 years. Please be aware of the private websites imitating official K-ETA website.
(1) At present, under the situation of pandemic, only passport holders from the following countries can apply for K-ETA. (49 countries including the USA, UK, and EU countries)
Albania, Andorra, Barbados, Dominica, Guam, Guyana, Holy See, Ireland, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Palau, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Slovenia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela
(21 countries, effective from May 3, 2021)
Greece, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Romania, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Sweden, Spain, Slovakia, Estonia, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Croatia, Portugal, Poland, France, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland
(28 countries, effective from Sep. 1, 2021)
Please visit www.k-eta.go.kr or watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQQ4us41aqI and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9v0xUQjEWU&t=10s.
(2) The list of K-ETA suspended countries is as follows. (63 countries) For nationals of these visa-free entry suspended countries can apply for K-ETA only for "Priority Entry (Business) Persons." To attend a conference, however, visa is required.
Asia (17 countries) Macau, Malaysia, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kuwait, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Hong Kong
Americas (23 countries) Guatemala, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Brazil, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, El Salvador, Uruguay, Jamaica, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Peru, Canada, Argentina, Honduras, Paraguay, Ecuador
Europe (4 countries) Russia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia
Oceania (11 countries) Nauru, New Zealand, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Australia
Africa (8 countries) Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Morocco, Mauritius, Botswana, Seychelles, Eswatini, Tunisia
(See https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/board/viewboarddetail.do?bbsSn=1723&tmpltNm=notice&bbsId=2)
(3) Passport holders from the other countries should apply for a visa to enter Korea.
Please contact nearby Korean Embassy/Consulate for more accurate information.
Quarantine
1. You need to have a proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued within 72 hours of departure. (This also applies to Korean passport holders.) Failure will result in denial of boarding at departure airport.
(For example, if your flight is scheduled for departure at 10 AM on March 10, 2021, the test result needs to be issued no earlier than 00:00 AM of March 7, 2021.)
2. There will be a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon entry. However, those who have been fully vaccinated by WHO-approved vaccines may apply for the exemption for attending academic conferences (or for visiting parents/children in Korea). Please contact us to lightcone2021@gmail.com if you want to apply for the exemption. We have to contact the Ministry of Education before you apply to a Korean Consulate. But if you depart from the following countries, you are NOT eligible for the exemption and you should have 14-day quarantine upon arrival to Korea. In this case, the cost, which does not exceed KRW 2.1 M (about US $2,000), should be paid by the traveler. (This list is updated every month.)
Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Eswatini, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman,
Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Surinam, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad Tobago, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zimbabwe
(36 countries, effective during Sep. 1-30, 2021)
Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Djibouti, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Suriname, Trinidad Tobago, Uzbekistan, Zambia
(20 countries, effective during Oct. 1-31, 2021)
Angola, Brazil, Djibouti, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Surinam, Trinidad Tobago, Uzbekistan
(16 countries, effective during Nov. 1-30, 2021)
3. Before you return to your home country after the workshop, you may need to have a COVID-19 PCR test result to enter your home country. This is required by your home country, so please check it carefully when you make a travel plan. The LOC of LC 2021 will be happy to assist you to find a legal place for the PCR or antigen test.
If you have an US passport, please visit https://kr.usembassy.gov/022420-covid-19-information/ for more information.
The following site of Korean Air would be also useful.
https://www.koreanair.com/at/en/travel-update/covid19
At present, there is no direct flight from abroad to Jeju airport. All passengers should land on Incheon airport and then take domestic flights from Gimpo or other domestic airports to Jeju. Before taking the flight to Jeju, the 14 days quarantine rule applies unless you are exempted from the quarantine. This rule applies not only to foreigners but also to Korean passport holders who are coming from abroad. Please contact us to lightcone2021@gmail.com before you make a plan for flight to Jeju from abroad. If you are already in Korea for visiting or working at Korean institutions, there is no restriction on your flight to Jeju.
The current COVID-19 situation in Korea can be found at http://ncov.mohw.go.kr/en/.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2021
