South Korea: Officials lift all social distancing measures from April 18 /update 89

Event

South Korea will lift all social distancing measures from April 18 amid lower COVID-19 activity. Limits on private gatherings and business hours are no longer in effect.

Domestic Measures
Facemasks are mandatory in public places, indoor public areas, and on public transport. Public places like food establishments are no longer required to limit business hours or enforce mandatory contact tracing and vaccine or PCR test entry requirements. Close contacts and cohabiting family members of COVID-19 patients are no longer required to undergo compulsory self-isolation. However, authorities recommend cohabiting family members take a PCR test within three days of the patient testing positive and conduct a rapid antigen test on the seventh day or last day of their family member's self-isolation period.

International Travel Restrictions
South Korea permits entry for residents, including long-term visa holders. Visa-free and visa-waiver programs have resumed for some countries and territories; an updated list of permitted locations is available here. Inbound air and sea passengers must present evidence of a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 and 72 hours respectively before departure; exceptions are possible for children under age six, as well as South Korean nationals traveling for humanitarian reasons or who have tested positive for COVID-19 between 10 and 40 days before their flight, among others. Arrivals are subject to mandatory screenings at points of entry. Authorities in Seoul require inbound passengers remaining in the city to undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival. Most foreign residents must obtain permits before departing South Korea to facilitate any planned re-entry. Additionally, South Korean nationals are prohibited from traveling to areas in Russia and Belarus that border Ukraine from March 8 amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Permitted inbound international travelers who are not fully vaccinated must quarantine for seven days. Most fully vaccinated entrants who have registered on the Quarantine COVID19 Defence (Q-Code) website may enter without quarantine. South Korea considers a person fully vaccinated if they received a booster or completed two doses of the vaccine 14-180 days before departure. Fully vaccinated entrants from Myanmar, Pakistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan must still quarantine for seven days.

Entrants from Saipan and Singapore under travel bubble arrangements are exempt from quarantine. Unvaccinated nonresidents must quarantine at designated facilities at their own expense and undergo rapid antigen tests on days six and seven of arrival. Returning citizens, long-term residents, and some relatives of these groups can self-quarantine, except if from designated high-risk countries.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying travel if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments.

Resources

Ministry of Health and Welfare COVID-19
Quarantine COVID19 Defence (Q-Code)