Visitors to South Korea don't need to quarantine anymore
This week, travel to South Korea is one step closer to "normal," as the country has dropped a major portion of its COVID-19 restrictions. As of April 1, South Korea no longer requires vaccinated visitors to quarantine upon arrival. This marks the end of a major COVID-19 requirement and, perhaps, just the change travelers were hoping to see when considering travel to the country.
South Korean officials announced the move last month, even as health officials there continue to track high levels of COVID-19 spread. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's travel health notice for South Korea currently is at "Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19," and the agency urges U.S. citizens to avoid travel to the country. Likewise, South Korean government data shows the country is seeing hundreds of thousands of new cases of the virus each day. With high levels of vaccination there, though, The New York Times recently reported leaders have felt comfortable continuing forward with plans to loosen travel restrictions.
What the changes mean
According to the memo posted on Visit Korea, under the new protocol, fully vaccinated travelers can now enter the country without needing to go through quarantine procedures previously in place. Again, these changes are already in effect, as of April 1.
Vaccinated international visitors must register their vaccination status with the country's Q-code website, where they will be provided with a QR code that will be scanned while going through immigration upon arrival.
The Q-code site requires travelers to enter personal information, their passport number and travel information, as well as vaccination records.
One important note is that there are still testing requirements in place, even for fully vaccinated visitors. South Korea requires a PCR test that must be taken within 48 hours of departure.
Another important procedure to know before traveling to South Korea relates to the Electronic Travel Authorization form required for all U.S. citizens visiting the country. South Korea's K-ETA program launched in 2021 as a way to provide visa-free entry for international visitors. The electronic form allows visitors 90 days in the country, visa-free. Visitors can complete the application up to 24 hours before boarding a flight to South Korea, and the form is valid for two years once approved.
Getting to South Korea
Visit Korea reports airlines are seeing a "surge" in travelers booking trips to South Korea this year, and certainly the loosening of requirements will only lead to more travel to the country.
Whether you're looking to find the cheapest fare to South Korea or you've been saving up miles in the hope of redeeming them for a prime seat on a long-haul flight to Asia, there are a number of options over the coming months.
Departing from the New York area for the next few months, one of the cheapest options I found was in early May, on a round trip out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul aboard Star Alliance carrier Turkish Airlines. The $953 economy round trip is all on Boeing 777s. There's a sizable layover in Istanbul -- 20-plus hours. However, if you're able to carefully plan your sleep, this gives you a day in Istanbul without having to pay for a hotel. So, it could be a way to explore an extra city without an extra charge.
Departing from the West Coast, I found round trips from Los Angeles to Seoul for 73,500 miles (plus $81.77) on United Airlines. According to TPG's latest valuations, 73,500 MileagePlus miles are worth about $889. Compare that to the cash fare for the same itinerary on United, which is $1,606 for the economy ticket.
Meanwhile, you can get a cost-saving redemption if you decide this trip is the one when you want to cash in a larger sum of miles for a great seat. The same itinerary in business class goes for 350,000 miles -- worth about $4,235 according to TPG's valuations. The cash fare for that business-class round trip goes for $4,915.
Related: How to get to South Korea on points and miles
Where to stay
Checking a few different U.S.-based hotel chains, one trend I found is that you might be better off booking in cash while staying in Seoul -- mostly because there are some pretty inexpensive nightly rates.
Among the best options I saw was the Aloft Seoul Myeondong. The Marriott Bonvoy property is available for just $68 per night.
Related: 9 things to do on your next trip to Seoul
Bottom line
If you want to travel to South Korea, you're still going to have to go through COVID-19 testing. South Korea requires a negative test to get there, and the U.S. government still requires a negative test for your return trip.
At the same time, if you've been waiting the last two years for the right opportunity to travel there, you'll face fewer COVID-19 restrictions than at any point in the pandemic.
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