Korea to temporarily allow visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists from Sept. 29

Tourists fill the Haeundae Beach on July 2 in Busan. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

 
Korea will temporarily allow visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists starting Sept. 29 in an effort to boost inbound travel, while tightening oversight of designated travel agencies to prevent abuse of the system.
 
The program, which will run until June 30, 2026, permits groups of three or more Chinese nationals to enter Korea without a visa under the B-2 tourism and transit category for a period of up to 15 days.  
 

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Participants must enter and leave on the same flight or vessel and will undergo regular immigration checks at airports and seaports.
 
Only travelers recruited through official channels will be eligible for this program. Korea-based agencies designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and China-based agencies approved by Korean diplomatic missions in China will be authorized to organize such group tours.  
 
Agencies on both sides must apply for designation by submitting required documentation, including business licenses and proof of government approval. The Ministry of Justice will finalize registrations and notify both domestic and overseas agencies.
 
Immigration authorities will screen advance passenger lists submitted by designated agencies to check for individuals subject to entry restrictions, such as those with a history of visa overstays.  
 
The results of these checks will be communicated to agencies at least 12 hours before arrival, or 24 hours in the case of sea travel. Any high-risk individuals identified during screening will be excluded from the visa-free program and will be required to apply for a regular visa.
 

A picture of a tourist in downtown Jeju City [JEJU TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

 
The government also announced stricter oversight measures for travel agencies. Domestic agencies with records of unauthorized tourist departures will face penalties when seeking new or renewed designation.  
 
Agencies implicated in intentional or collusive absconding incidents will see their designation canceled immediately, while the threshold for revoking licenses is tightened from a quarterly unauthorized departure rate of 5 percent to 2 percent.  
 
Agencies will also be required to comply with bans on low-cost tours and forced shopping programs and participate in mandatory training.
 
Overseas agencies will face similar scrutiny. Those with serious administrative sanctions in the past two years will be excluded from designation, and sanctions will escalate depending on the rate of unauthorized departures, ranging from corrective orders to outright cancellation once the rate exceeds 2 percent.  
 
Any suspension or cancellation will also apply to the agency’s ability to handle general visa and group e-visa applications.
 
To accommodate a surge of travelers during China’s National Day holiday in early October, group travel lists may be submitted beginning Sept. 22, a week before the policy takes effect. Government ministries will guide agencies through the registration process from Sept. 8 to 19, with final designations to be confirmed by Sept. 19.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]