South Korea Offers Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Group Tours from September

Key Points

• South Korea will allow visa-free entry for organized Chinese tour groups from September 29, 2024, to June 30, 2025, expanding access beyond Jeju Island to the entire country.
• Chinese tourists lead South Korea’s inbound market, with recent data showing a rapid recovery and record spending by foreign visitors, boosting the national economy.
• South Korea is also expediting immigration processes for international event attendees and medical tourists, while airlines and casinos ramp up operations to capture increased demand.

Summary

South Korea is introducing a visa-free entry policy for organized Chinese group tours from late September 2024 through June 2025, in a bid to boost tourism and deepen ties with China. This marks the broadest easing of travel restrictions since the pandemic, with Chinese tourists already leading the country’s tourism rebound. Alongside the visa waiver, South Korea is accelerating immigration for major event attendees and medical tourists, while airlines and casinos are scaling up operations to benefit from the surge in foreign visitors.