Korea raises PCR test requirements

Starting July 25, quarantine process for international travellers will be strengthened. Due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Korea, all international travellers must receive a PCR Test within 1 day after arrival (by 23:59 on the next day). The previous 3-day leeway has been shorten to 1 day. Travelers must stay in their accommodations until they receive a negative PCR Test result. If the test result comes back positive, they must quarantine for 7 days.

Effective July 14, travelers can input their test result on the Q-code system after entry. In addition, to provide easier access to COVID-19 screening, COVID-19 Test Centers will be expanded to more airports in Korea. Currently there are 3 test centers in Incheon International Airport and 1 test center in Gimhae International Airport. Jeju International Airport will get a test center within the month of July and other airports will be add with the increasing number of visitors.

If the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, the Korean government is considering to limit the 48-hour pre-entry test method strictly to PCR tests only. Currently, Korea accepts negative test results through either a 48-hour PCR test or a 24-hour RAT methods long as they are supervised by health authorities as a pre-entry requirement.