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Quarantine Exemption for the Foreign Residents Vaccinated Overseas
The ECCK has been confident that foreign residents in Korea who have gone through the whole vaccination process overseas should be exempted from the quarantine procedure when returning to Korea as foreigners residing overseas (effective from July 1, 2021). We have reached out to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) for clarification regarding this matter.
On July 7, the KDCA delivered its clarification that the quarantine procedure will be waived if a foreign resident in Korea left for another country and completed the vaccination process in the country and requested a Korean embassy in the country to issue a quarantine exemption letter. When returning to Korea with the quarantine exemption letter and the negative result of the PCR test, the foreign resident in Korea will be exempted from the quarantine procedure as foreigners residing overseas.
The Korean government has reorganized the quarantine exemption system to promote quarantine exemption for those who have completed vaccinations overseas at a similar level to those who have completed vaccinations in Korea.
From July 1, if a person who has completed vaccination overseas applies for quarantine exemption, it will be reviewed by applying the quarantine exemption criteria such as for important business purposes, academic public interest, and humanitarian purposes. Also effective July 1, for those who have not been vaccinated, it is limited to “very important, urgent and inevitable” business purposes: essential business people such as executive level, and on-site essential tasks such as contract signing. However, for those who have completed vaccination overseas (regardless offoreigners residing overseasor foreign residents in Koreawhich ECCK received the clarification from the KDCA on July 7),it is not limited tovery important, urgent and inevitable business purposes. If a person who has completed vaccination overseas applies for quarantine exemption, it will be reviewed by applying the quarantine exemption criteria such as for important business purposes.
In order to be recognized as a complete vaccination, it applies only to those who are vaccinated in the same country and enter Korea after two weeks have passed. However, even fully vaccinated, those who enter the country from certain areas will not be exempt from quarantine. Nations that apply as such in the month of June are as follows: South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Brazil, Suriname, Paraguay, and Chile.
As for the overseas Koreans apply for exemption from quarantine for reasons such as visiting an immediate family member in Korea, quarantine exemption will be applied. Those applying for quarantine exemption for important business matters need to apply through Business Immigration Support Center (1566-8110, ww.btsc.or.kr). The examination department will review the qualifications and once approved, quarantine exemption letter will be issued.
<Criteria for Issuing Quarantine Exemption>
Those Not Yet Vaccinated
Those who Completed Vaccination (excluding those from area with prevalent variant virus cases)
Countries with No-Variant Cases
Countries with COVID-19 Variants (134 countries as of June 9, 2021)
1) Important Business Purpose: No limitation
1) Important Business Purpose: Limited to on-site essential tasks such as contract signing for executive level individuals
1) Important Business Purpose: No limitation
2) Academic and public interest purposes: No limitation
2) Academic and public interest purposes: Limited to participating athletes such as the Olympics
2) Academic and public interest purposes: No limitation
Quarantine Exemption for the Foreign Residents Vaccinated Overseas
The ECCK has been confident that foreign residents in Korea who have gone through the whole vaccination process overseas should be exempted from the quarantine procedure when returning to Korea as foreigners residing overseas (effective from July 1, 2021). We have reached out to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) for clarification regarding this matter.
On July 7, the KDCA delivered its clarification that the quarantine procedure will be waived if a foreign resident in Korea left for another country and completed the vaccination process in the country and requested a Korean embassy in the country to issue a quarantine exemption letter. When returning to Korea with the quarantine exemption letter and the negative result of the PCR test, the foreign resident in Korea will be exempted from the quarantine procedure as foreigners residing overseas.
The Korean government has reorganized the quarantine exemption system to promote quarantine exemption for those who have completed vaccinations overseas at a similar level to those who have completed vaccinations in Korea.
From July 1, if a person who has completed vaccination overseas applies for quarantine exemption, it will be reviewed by applying the quarantine exemption criteria such as for important business purposes, academic public interest, and humanitarian purposes. Also effective July 1, for those who have not been vaccinated, it is limited to “very important, urgent and inevitable” business purposes: essential business people such as executive level, and on-site essential tasks such as contract signing. However, for those who have completed vaccination overseas (regardless of foreigners residing overseas or foreign residents in Korea which ECCK received the clarification from the KDCA on July 7),it is not limited to very important, urgent and inevitable business purposes. If a person who has completed vaccination overseas applies for quarantine exemption, it will be reviewed by applying the quarantine exemption criteria such as for important business purposes.
In order to be recognized as a complete vaccination, it applies only to those who are vaccinated in the same country and enter Korea after two weeks have passed. However, even fully vaccinated, those who enter the country from certain areas will not be exempt from quarantine. Nations that apply as such in the month of June are as follows: South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Brazil, Suriname, Paraguay, and Chile.
As for the overseas Koreans apply for exemption from quarantine for reasons such as visiting an immediate family member in Korea, quarantine exemption will be applied. Those applying for quarantine exemption for important business matters need to apply through Business Immigration Support Center (1566-8110, ww.btsc.or.kr). The examination department will review the qualifications and once approved, quarantine exemption letter will be issued.
<Criteria for Issuing Quarantine Exemption>
For more information please visit the website of the Ministry of Health and Welfare; Link.
For more details, please contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare as well as Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s call center (#1339).