Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, short-term visa holders entering South Korea as of November 2021 must quarantine for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status (exceptions are made in some cases, such as for diplomats and rescue workers and family members). 

Upon entering South Korea, people are divided into two categories: those with long-term visas of more than 90 days and South Korean passport holders, and those with short-term visas of less than 90 days (such as tourist and business visas). 

There are plenty of students and YouTubers who have shared the process of entering South Korea during the pandemic. However, most are long-term visa holders with their own home they can spend their quarantine in. Unfortunately, there is very little information for short-term visas under 90 days. 

Not long ago, our editor found himself entering South Korea on a short-term visa, and he decided to share his experience.

You can check out his quarantine facility including the check-in process, food, etc. here.

We hope that this information can be of help for those who are looking to come to South Korea in the near future, for studies or business, on a short term visa.

Applying For A Short Term Visa

This article will be useful for those who need to visit South Korea for urgent matters, including business trips, short-term employment and business relations. Our editor applied for a short-term business visa called C-3-4. 

Applying for a short-term visa is not without hurdles, and the most troublesome parts were receiving an invitation letter from a Korean company and getting a health check-up.  

Once you have successfully submitted all documents required, you will receive this grant notice. You must bring this with you when you enter South Korea. Although the validity period of the visa above says March 7, 2021, the 90-day visa period will actually be counted from the day you enter the country.

Our editor entered South Korea on December 13, which means that his visa will expire on March 13, 2021.

Before Getting On The Plane To South Korea

At present, the South Korean government does not require a negative COVID-19 test for entry from most countries. In other words, if you obtained a visa, you should be able to enter South Korea. 

However, as procedures vary depending on the country you depart/transit from, it is a good idea to look for the latest updated information before you get on the plane.  

Although you may not need a negative COVID-19 test to enter, you still have to quarantine for 10 days when you arrive to South Korea if you are a short-term visa holder. Depending on what country you fly from, you might have to quarantine once again when you come back from South Korea.

Airport empty of people

You will likely be reminded multiple times about the need to quarantine when you arrive to South Korea: when you check-in, when you apply for a visa, and before you board the plane. You will also be asked to fill out documents related to COVID-19.

For your safety, we advise everyone to enter a medical insurance before you travel. Make sure that the insurance has a COVID-19 coverage. Our editor made sure to enter an insurance that lasted throughout his stay in South Korea. 

What You Need To Submit Upon Entry

As usual, you need to fill in the Traveler Declaration Form as well as the Arrival Card before you enter South Korea. However, added to these are new forms related to COVID-19, remember to fill out all documents.

You need to fill out these two pages as you will be required to submit them upon arrival. The one to the right is mainly in Korean, but the information is also presented in English. 

Remember to check "Agree" (동의함), confirming that you are fully aware of the agreement and all details. Among other, you will be asked to agree to be quarantined at your own expense for 10 days. And don't forget to put your signature at the end of the document.

You are also asked to download two apps, which you can do so upon entering Korea.

We recommend that you read and fill out the documents while on the plane to avoid stress and delay when you arrive.

Process For Entry Into South Korea

1. After Getting Off The Plane

After arriving in South Korea and getting off the plane, you will be handed this yellow document to submit at a quarantine checkpoint. It mainly asks you if you have any symptoms related to infectious diseases. Make sure to fill it out truthfully and in detail, and hand it over to the first quarantine checkpoint.

2. Download The App "자가격리자안전보호"

Source: Channelling Mr Toad

- For Android
- For Apple

Make sure to download the app "자가격리자안전보호", and then head over to the non-Korean passport area. You are not allowed to take pictures while waiting in the queue, but we will do our best to explain it as clear as possible. Luckily, most of the staff are in English in case you need any help.

Before immigration, you should see a desk where you will be asked to show that you have downloaded the app. The staff will ask you what language you prefer on the app, and they will fill in your personal information based on the documents you have filled out on the plane.

You will be reminded not to change any of the settings of the app.

You may be worried that you need to have a Korean telephone number, but according to our editor he just wrote the phone number he uses in his home country (and they never called to verify!). However, you are required to have a South Korean contact phone number.. 

3. Checking Contact Number

You will be asked to fill out your contact number in South Korea. Please note that staff will call up the number and ask about your contact person about his or her relationship with you. So make sure to let your friend or contact person know in advance when to expect a call.

After this procedure, those who will do their quarantine at a government facility at their own expense will be separated from long-term visa holders with their own residence. Our editor was assigned an accommodation at at Incheon Airport.

4. Immigration

Proceeding to immigration, the procedures haven't changed much. However, you can't use the automatic immigration clearance machines, and the whole process is more time-consuming than before. 

Probably because of his short-term visa, our editor was taken to a separate room to once again verify his documents and confirm his identity.

Actually our editor had an address in Seoul where he could stay. But because he arrived on a short-term visa, he was asked to stay in one of the facilities provided by the South Korean government. 

5. Verification Of Documents By Immigration Officers

Our editor has held a long-term visa in South Korea before, so him entering on a short-term visa this time seemed curious to the Immigration.

After having guided him to a separate room for an interview, they asked him to sign a document where he agreed to stay in one of the facilities provided by the South Korean government for his quarantine.

The editor asked if he could quarantine somewhere else, say if he had a rental contract for an apartment in Seoul. However, the officer said that even in that case, it would not be possible due to him arriving on a short-term visa.

After signing the documents, our editor had to scan his fingerprints and take a photo before he was allowed to collect his luggage.

6. After Luggage Claim

After claiming your luggage, hand over the declaration form that you filled out on your flight, and you are ready to go.

If you want to exchange money, there is a HANA Bank on the B1 Floor where you can get Korean won. Once you go to your hotel for your quarantine, you might not be able to exchange money.

7. Heading To Hotel For Quarantine

After you come out from the airport, you will be escorted to the facility where you will spend your quarantine.

On the bus going there, you can choose any seat you like. However, as many COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at the airport, try to keep distance from other people. 

Our editor had to wait for 2 hours before his bus finally departed. 

Our editor also noted that they seemed to put people in different groups depending on country of origin. Asian people where put together, as were western people and people from the Middle East. 

Our editor recalls that he got off the plane at 6:32 p.m. and could exit Immigration at 7.10 p.m. However, he had to wait until around 9.00 p.m before getting on the bus.

When he finally arrived at the hotel in Yongin at 10:26 p.m, he was more than tired after a long and exhausting day. 

The article above can be used as reference for those of you entering South Korea on a short-term visa. If you want to find out more about staying at a quarantine hotel, check out our editor's quarantine diary!

If you have questions or comments about the blog post, please leave a comment below or email us at help@creatrip.com.