COVID-19 Update: Introduction of new re-entry permit and medical certificate submission requirement in Korea

The South Korean government implemented the new requirements involving re-entry permit and medical certificate submission for foreigners effective from June 1, 2020 to protect the health and safety of its citizens and foreigners staying in South Korea in response to the global spread of COVID-19, which can be summarized as below.

(1) Registered aliens (regardless of their nationality) seeking re-entry into South Korea after they travel outside of South Korea on or after of June 1, 2020, an Application for Re-entry Permit has to be submitted at the airport at departure. Re-entry will be restricted if a foreigner leaves South Korea without obtaining a re-entry permit in advance and his/her alien registration card will be revoked automatically if he/she does not apply for re-entry permit at their departure.

(2) A diagnosis report issued by a local medical institute must be presented when boarding, and submitted to the Korean immigration authorities, which is issued within 2 business days (excluding holidays) before the departure date. Those without a written diagnosis report are not permitted to re-enter South Korea. The following important note shall be included on "Diagnosis Report".

- A diagnosis report must be written either in Korean or English and be issued by an authorized local medical institute. However, under exceptional circumstances, a diagnosis report written in languages other than English or Korean, can be accepted when submitted with a full English or Korean translation with 'translation certificate' (notarization for the translation is NOT required).

- It must include the date of examination (valid only when examined within 48 hours in advance of departure date), and the presence or absence of fever, cough, chills, headache, difficulty of breathing, muscle pain, and pulmonary symptoms (X-ray scans are not required), and must be signed by a medical examiner (it does not have to include a COVID-19 test result).