What are the Latest Covid Restrictions if You're Flying to South Korea?
Whether you're a tourist, resident or citizen, you'll have to quarantine for 14 days if you want to enter South Korea. Tourists have to go to government facilities at a cost of about $100 a day. Residents, long-term visa holders and citizens have to go to their homes or Airbnb for quarantine. All have to download a tracking app.
The latest information on immigration restrictions country by country can be found on the IATA website.
Korean Air also keeps up to date information on entering South Korea broken down country by country here.
For quarantine details, the US embassy has guidelines on its site.
Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlines its visa requirements here, tells you what to expect from the mandatory quarantine here.
If you're positive for the coronavirus after entering South Korea, you will have to bear part of the cost for treatment. So it's good to get some travel insurance before coming.
Here's the Korean government's general notice for travelers.
Many visa exemptions have been canceled. Affected nations: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini (Swaziland), Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Marshall Isl., Mauritius, Micronesia (Federated States), Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Fed., Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Isl., South Africa, Spain, St. Lucia, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates or Uruguay with a normal passport. This does not apply to airline crew, passengers with an APEC Business Travel Card or those with a diplomatic, an official or a service passport.
Passengers with a Re-Entry Permit issued by Korea (Rep.) who left Korea (Rep.) after 1 June 2020 must have a medical certificate issued in English or Korean at most 48 hours before departure from the first embarkation point. The certificate must have a negative Coronavirus (COVID-19) PCR test result or indicate if the passenger has symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19). This does not apply to: passengers with status Diplomats (A-1), Government Officials (A-2, A-3) or Overseas Korean (F-4); and passengers with a diagnosis exemption form; and nationals of Korea (Rep.).
Passengers are not allowed to transit through Korea (Rep.) for more than 24 hours.
To check airline departure and arrival schedules, go to Incheon International Airport's website.
Here's the experience of a correspondent for The Points Guy website. Note that he was able to go to an Airbnb because he had resident status in Korea. All people on short-term visas have to pay to go to a government-designated quarantine hotel.
And if you want to see what it's like one of the actual government-sponsored hotels for two weeks, here's a YouTuber who shows her whole 14-day experience in 45 minutes.