South Korea’s government has decided to ban visa-exempt and visa-free entry for travellers coming from countries who imposed entry bans on Korea, as a reciprocity decision amid coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun announced.
A total of 88 nations will be subject to Korea’s temporarily entry restriction, out of the 148 countries that imposed an entry ban for this country, VisaGuide.World reports.
The latest decision will be applied on 54 countries with visa waiver agreements including France, Thailand and Russia as well as 34 countries with reciprocal visa-free entry programs such as Australia and Canada, Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun revealed.
“While maintaining the basis of openness, the government will strengthen [entry] restrictions in accordance to the principle of reciprocity,” Chung pointed out.
Chung said that the government would expand entry restrictions for aliens, unless for emergency cases, during a meeting where were discussed the ways to stop the spread of the virus.
There are only a few countries without entry bans on South Korea, including Britain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Mexico, Venezuela.
At present, 116 nationalities are eligible to enter Korea without the need to obtain a visa, through either of those mechanisms.
Travellers who are nationals of countries with a visa waiver agreement will also be able to enter the country without a visa for tourism or temporary visits. A total of 69 countries have visa waiver agreements with Korea, including Britain, France, Germany, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Mexico.
Citizens of 47 countries are allowed to enter due to visa-free agreement, including Australia, Argentina, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, while Canadian citizens are allowed to stay for six months.
From the latest government move could be exempted citizens coming from countries that have not imposed travel restrictions to Korea, such as Britain, Mexico, the United States and Venezuela.
South Korea will also take other precautionary measures in the fight against coronavirus as the country has 10,564 cases of infections, while 222 persons have died, so far.