South Korea Will Drop COVID-19 Test Requirement for Travel on Sept. 3

Starting on Sept. 3, South Korea will no longer require inbound travelers to complete a pre-departure test prior to entering the country.

According to Visit Korea, starting on Saturday, travelers must undergo a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival, register via Korea’s Q-CODE system, and complete the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization before travel. However, those three mandates will be the last remaining COVID=19 requirements for travelers heading to South Korea.

South Korea started the process of normalizing travel protocols in April when it lifted its quarantine requirement for vaccinated travelers. In July, the country dropped quarantine requirements for all travelers, vaccinated and unvaccinated.

While the restrictions are still more stringent than many European countries, South Korea’s new protocols are still less-strict than some of its Asian neighbors including Japan, which continues to impose some of the more extensive barriers, and Taiwan.

Others, including Thailand, lifted all requirements earlier this summer.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently has South Korea in its Level 3: COVID-19 High travel advisor list, which recommends travelers be vaccinated before traveling to South Korea. While that is the highest level outside Level 4: Special Circumstance, a majority of the most popular tourist destinations for North Americans, including France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Spain, and more,   are also in Level 3.