[Update as of November 24] We are facing a turning point with regard to the quarantine requirements for those traveling to South Korea. The mandatory quarantine for travelers entering Korea has been lifted as of October 7 regardless if you are vaccinated or not.
Based on recent requests and from our research, Wonderful has collected as much helpful information for anyone traveling to Korea, to make the process easier to understand and to provide solutions for people in quarantine.
Stage 1: Before traveling to Korea!
Travelers who could previously travel to Korea under a visa-free entry agreement are now required to apply for K-ETA approval before traveling to Korea. The K-ETA is valid for multiple trips over a period of 2 years and the application fee is 10,000 KRW per person. Please check this website for further details on how to apply. As of Apr 1, 2022, they expanded the number of the countries from 50 to 96.
Also, you can register on the Q-code system before entering the country. It's not a mandatory procedure, but if you get it done before coming to Korea, the process at the Incheon airport will be much quicker and simple.
- Accommodation
According to KCDC, the government quarantine facilities are still open for those on short-term visas and came positive after entering Korea [Edited on 24 November 22]
Some guesthouses and accommodations listed on sites like airbnb.com, agoda.com, or booking.com indicate that they can be used for self-quarantine. There is no official list of such places, so it might always be good to double-check with the accommodation staff regarding this. Wonderful is able to assist with calling the nearest health center to double-check if the accommodation can be used for self-quarantine.
Another question we often get asked is if one is able to quarantine with a partner or a friend. Like most other government policies regarding quarantine, there are no clear or set guidelines on this. It seems that a lot would depend on the quarantine facilitator or the Covid-19 team at the airport. However, we do know that, if you are a married couple with a marriage certificate, you should be able to quarantine together. However, this would also depend on whether the accommodation that you are going to stay in is conducive to allowing for 2 people to be quarantined, and whether you arrive in Korea at the same time if any of you are showing symptoms. Even if you are not married, there is still a possibility that you can be quarantined together if your place of quarantine is large enough, but you need to ask the quarantine facilitator at the airport.
For people traveling with pets, you might also be interested in knowing whether you can be quarantined with your pet. This is possible as long as your accommodation allows for quarantine with pets.
Useful links:
- Transportation
As of Apr 1, 2022, anybody can use regular public transportation whether or not you need to quarantine or not.
Stage 2: Arrival in South Korea
If you are exempted from quarantine and have no symptoms at the moment when you arrive in Korea, you are basically free! You can go directly to your accommodation. If you would like to take a PCR test within 3 days of your arrival, as long as you have a long-term visa, you can get a test for free at the local public health center.
- For those who are in need of quarantine
If you are not eligible for quarantine exemption, you should go under quarantine. You would also need to declare if you have symptoms or not. If you do have symptoms, the officers will assist with getting a PCR test, and you would be placed at a hospital if you turn out to be positive and have severe symptoms. If you just have mild symptoms, you can go to your accommodation and be quarantined.
If you are not vaccinated and have non-symptoms, you can go directly to your accommodation and go under quarantine.
As we mentioned above, even in such a case, you can still use regular public transportation when traveling.
- Groceries/Food
You can plan ahead for your food/groceries. This is especially important if you have a particular diet or just want to eat something other than ramyeon for 7 days. :)
Based on our years of experience helping foreigners with grocery/food orders in Korea, Wonderful has written a great article giving tips on how to shop for groceries in Korea. A foreigner's Guide to Online Grocery Shopping with Homeplus/Emart/Market Kurly etc For food orders, you might want to check this article summarizing some food delivery options.
Foreigner's Guide to Food Delivery in Korea
Many foreigners might find it difficult to make payments on the apps and give instructions for contactless food orders. Wonderful's assistants are able to make payments on your behalf and give instructions so that the food courier can just leave the food at your door and send a message notification.
- Wi-Fi/Sim card
You might also find that your current Wi-Fi connection at the hotel is spotty and unreliable, or that you might need a sim card to connect with your loved ones back home. Wonderful can help purchase a mobile Wi-Fi router with a temporary data plan to give you the freedom you need. We have included a suggestion for a reliable Wi-Fi router service below. Travel sim card vendors are also able to ship sim cards to locations in Korea as well, so you have options in terms of connectivity.
Useful Links: - Wifi Dosirak
- Online Shopping
While most can wait out the 7 day quarantine period, some of you might need some items asap, for example, if you need a charger for your mac book, or if your phone stops working and you need a replacement phone delivered asap, Wonderful can get this done. We can look for items with the fastest shipping times, and we can even arrange for a courier to pick up items and deliver them to your accommodation on the same day. We would make the purchases on your behalf so you do not need to meet or directly interact with the couriers or delivery people. You can check this link for some popular Korean shopping sites:
Stage 3: Getting out (If you go under quarantine)
Even before leaving your accommodation, it is always a good idea to prepare in advance so that you can get back to work/ or at least hit the ground running. Of course, planning your transportation to your next accommodation might be necessary, especially if you are a family and need large transportation options, or if you plan on leaving your quarantine location really early and cannot get a taxi. Some popular apps like Kakao taxi or T Map Taxi can be great if you know some Korean. If you need help, Wonderful can always schedule a transport van in advance to help you on your way. If you are new to South Korea, you might also need help with getting cleaners for your new place, purchasing furniture, setting up your internet, and settling in. Wonderful has years of experience helping expats get this done all over Korea, not just in Seoul. You can make your request a few days before your move and our assistants would check for the best-priced options that can work for you. For online orders or furniture orders, if you are unable to navigate Korean payment systems, you can just send us a list of the items you need, and our assistants would confirm the total price and make the purchase on your behalf. We would also coordinate the delivery when possible to reduce any issues caused by miscommunication.
Whatever request you may have, our assistants would be happy to review and see how best to assist.
Useful Links: Ikea Korea Furniture
Conclusion
We tried to give the most useful tips on what to expect when quarantining in Korea and how to make the quarantine process smooth and seamless. But we also recognize that we might have missed out on some things. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment and we would be happy to improve. We hope you have a safe journey to South Korea!
If you need help with online shopping, payment, delivery and shipping in Korea, we would be happy to provide assistance. You can reach us on Facebook, Kakao Talk or Email.
Regarding our pricing, we charge for the time taken working on your request by the minute, for as low as 1250 KRW per minute, depending on your preferred pricing package. There are NO processing fees when you pay us via bank wire transfer. (You will pay only the cost of the item(s)). When we charge your bank card, there is an 8.5% processing fee that goes to the payment processor for their services. We do NOT benefit from this fee. For more information regarding our pricing, please follow this link.
You might also find these links useful: - Top 10 Useful Things to Know Before Traveling to or Moving to Korea by Wonderful