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ARTICLE · 31 MARCH 2022

South Korea Drops Reentry Permit Requirement For Many Long-Term Visa Holders

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Effective April 1, 2022, South Korea will no longer require certain long-term visa holders to obtain a reentry permit prior to traveling overseas.

South KoreaImmigration

Effective April 1, 2022, South Korea will no longer require certain long-term visa holders to obtain a reentry permit prior to traveling overseas.  Specifically, long-term visa holders who either hold residence cards or are waiting for residence cards to be issued and whose travel period outside South Korea does not exceed one year will no longer need to apply for a reentry permit prior to international travel.  The government's announcement is a significant relaxation of reentry requirements for foreign nationals, which were increased in mid-2020 in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Reviving the Reentry Permit Exemption

Traditionally, long-term visa holders who carry a residence card have been exempt from the requirement to obtain a reentry permit before traveling overseas.  However, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government revoked that exemption on June 1, 2020.

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