China To Benefit From South Korea’s New Visa-free Policy For Group Tourists Starting September 29

Published on September 7, 2025

Starting September 29, 2025, South Korea will temporarily present visa-free introduction for Chinese group visitors arsenic portion of a broader inaugural to boost inbound tourism. This caller argumentation will stay successful spot until June 30, 2026, and will let groups of 3 aliases much Chinese nationals to sojourn South Korea without a visa. Under this arrangement, participants tin enactment for up to 15 days, provided they participate and exit together connected nan aforesaid formation aliases vessel.

The argumentation is specifically designed to heighten tourism while preventing abuse. All travelers will acquisition regular migration checks astatine airports and seaports to guarantee that nary introduction rules are violated. Only group tours arranged done authorized channels will beryllium eligible for nan program. South Korean agencies designated by nan Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Chinese agencies approved by South Korean negotiated missions successful China will beryllium allowed to shape these group tours.

To suffice for nan program, some Korean and Chinese recreation agencies must spell done a general nickname process. Agencies will request to taxable business licenses and impervious of authorities approval. Once applications are reviewed, nan Ministry of Justice will finalize nan registrations and notify nan agencies. These agencies will besides beryllium responsible for submitting beforehand rider lists to migration authorities to guarantee that nary travelers pinch a history of visa overstays aliases introduction violations are included.

The screening process will thief place individuals who whitethorn beryllium taxable to introduction restrictions, pinch results communicated to nan agencies nary later than 12 hours earlier presence by air, aliases 24 hours earlier presence by sea. Any individual flagged arsenic a imaginable consequence will beryllium excluded from nan visa-free programme and will beryllium required to use for a regular visa.

To further reenforce nan integrity of nan system, nan South Korean authorities has besides announced tighter oversight measures for recreation agencies. Domestic agencies pinch records of unauthorized tourer departures will look penalties erstwhile applying for caller aliases renewed designations. For much superior infractions, specified arsenic instances of absconding tourists, nan agency’s nickname whitethorn beryllium canceled immediately. The period for revoking licenses has besides been lowered: nan erstwhile complaint of 5 percent unauthorized departures has been reduced to 2 percent.

In summation to these restrictions, agencies will besides beryllium required to comply pinch bans connected organizing low-cost tours aliases forced shopping programs, which person been a interest successful nan past. Agencies must besides complete mandatory training to guarantee they are acquainted pinch nan caller regulations and standards. Failure to meet these requirements could consequence successful penalties aliases nonaccomplishment of designation.

Foreign agencies will beryllium taxable to akin scrutiny. Those pinch superior administrative violations successful nan past 2 years will beryllium excluded from eligibility for designation. The South Korean authorities has besides stated that if nan complaint of unauthorized departures from an overseas agency exceeds 2 percent, sanctions will beryllium applied, which could scope from corrective orders to nan outright cancellation of their designation. Any suspension aliases cancellation of an agency’s nickname will besides widen to its expertise to grip wide visa applications, including group e-visa submissions.

In mentation for nan surge of travelers during China’s National Day vacation successful early October, group recreation agencies tin statesman submitting lists of travelers starting September 22, a afloat week earlier nan visa-free introduction argumentation takes effect. The South Korean authorities has besides scheduled a registration guidance play from September 8 to 19, during which clip agencies will beryllium supported done nan process. The last confirmation of designations will hap by September 19, ensuring a soft modulation into nan caller program.

This inaugural is simply a important move to promote tourism betwixt South Korea and China, offering easier entree for group travelers while maintaining strict oversight to guarantee compliance pinch nan program’s rules. By balancing accrued tourism pinch robust enforcement measures, South Korea intends to pull much world visitors while safeguarding its borders from imaginable abuses of nan visa-free introduction system.