Despite the record number of COVID-19 infections, South Korea is pressing ahead with its plans to reopen the country to travelers, ending quarantine requirements for people vaccinated against the virus.
South Korea’s cultural production has crossed borders in recent years with K-Pop groups such as BTS, Blackpink, and SuperM; TV Show Made History squid game (which broke Netflix viewing records in 2021); The Oscar-winning movie parasite.
But since the start of the pandemic, its borders have essentially been closed to tourists, with strict entry rules beginning to loosen only recently. In February, the government reduced the quarantine period from 10 to seven days, and from April 1, the quarantine will be completely abolished for vaccinated arrivals.
When will South Korea open its borders to tourists in 2022?
starting April 1international Tourists will be able to visit South Korea without quarantine – provided they are vaccinated against COVID-19. This applies to visitors from most countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and others. The only exceptions are visitors from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Myanmar, who will still be required to quarantine for seven days.
New South Korea entry rules
If you plan to visit South Korea this year, you will be required to have a booster dose to bypass the quarantine if more than 180 days have passed since the last recommended dose of the base vaccine schedule. This is 180 days after the second shot or 180 days after a single Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
You will also be required to apply for a QR code which will then be scanned at the immigration department, according to the tourism board. You can obtain this through the Q-Code system in South Korea by entering information such as passport number, country of departure, airline, phone number, and vaccine records.
What are the restrictions in South Korea?
South Korea was once one of the world’s pandemic success stories, taking some of the toughest tactics against the virus than any other country. But South Korea is now grappling with record numbers of new cases, hosts and deaths.
The highly infectious omicron variant is driving a record wave of infections, the Korea Agency for Disease Control and Prevention said. According to the New York Times, the country has recorded its highest number of daily infections since the pandemic began on March 17.
Keen to fend off the latest wave, the government continues to require people to wear face masks in indoor and outdoor public spaces and on public transportation. But other restrictions such as the need to provide proof of vaccination to enter places such as restaurants, cinemas and theaters have been suspended.
The government has also eased social distancing measures, and is set to ease curfew restrictions in the coming weeks. Currently, venues such as restaurants, cinemas, karaoke rooms and restrooms must close at 11 p.m. according to current guidelines.
