nme7

The actual transfer process at ICN, as of May 4th, 2022, is really easy. All you have to show is a ticket for your next flight. You go through security and up to the departure level. That is it.

Andrew Kim

I never thought the recent knowledge I acquired would ever get a chance to be shared. That there, my friend, is the Korean "manner legs." What happens is when two communicating adults face each other, and one is significantly taller than the other, the tall one spreads his legs laterally as shown to bring his eyes more level with the other person's. Supposedly a respectful way of letting the other know they are willing to communicate as "equals."

ExpatExp

This is interesting. Thank you.

BuildingMyBento

Does this take place in a chaebol boardroom, too?

BRITINJAPAN4

My Korean contact say the public and free centers are closing up and tough to find these days. Is this correct, is the arrival test still important, i will have a pre departure test abd another before I leave a week later.

elcasar

Traveling to Korea in July. We are all vaccinated and boosted except my daughter who is 11, so too young to be vaccinated yet, but will be turning 12 years old 15 days before our departure. It has been over 180 days since her second COVID vaccine. So does she have to have her booster on her birthday or the day after in order to have been boosted 14 days before arrival and be considered fully vaccinated and avoid quarantine?

I'm confused about the current requirements. I understand we need to get a PCR within 48h of departure. How do we avoid quarantine? Is there an app that must be filled out or just show test results and vaccination records on arrival? And what is this about testing after arrival?

nme7

I entered early May 2022. Korea is asking all passengers entering to fill out the information before arriving in Korea. See this Q Code website .

Once you arrive, there will be 2 lines. One line for those with Q code, another line for those without. The Q code line, while it was physically longer, moves fairly quick. I showed the Q code and they let me enter Korea easily. I did have my vaccinations registered in Korea before so that might have made it easier to enter.

Andrew Kim

I can only answer the second part. Since you're boosted, you will avoid quarantine. But there's a fast and slow way to pass through customs. The fast is to preupload your vax and 48 hour pcr results here: https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/dk-en/br...=761156&page=1

Completing all parts is not possible until realistically the day before your departure since they want the pcr results. But once everything's entered you are sent a QR code in as fast as a few seconds (so no human eyes ever look over the info you sent). Scan this QR code at Incheon airport and they simply let you through. Be sure to bring backup paper printouts of everything. The slow way is for those who haven't done that to fill out additional paperwork at Incheon and answer oral questions.

Even if you clear all this, you must take a 2nd pcr test within 24 hours of landing in Korea. Many take it at Incheon airport itself prior to heading to their accommodations. It takes some 5-7 hours for them to email you the results so meanwhile you must quarantine at your hotel until they tell you you're negative. But people who arrive after the testing center closes for the night head straight to the hotel with the promise they will test somewhere in the city within 24 hours. This method supposedly takes longer, because downtown testing sites often give next day results, so even if you test in the morning of your first full day, you might have to do hotel quarantining that entire first full day (except for being let out to roundtrip taxi to the testing site). For people on shorter stays that could be a significant loss of a whole day.

*not quarantining = avoiding the 7 day ordeal that unvaxxed/partially vaxxed visitors must still do. But everyone "quarantines" until the results of their 2nd pcr are known (hours-1 day).

mikesaidyes

Great news. Antigen tests accepted for entry starting MAY 23. Still need PCR on day of arrival/day after. On June 1, they give more time until Day 3. No details yet other than this general article - check your Korean embassy site for the updated info in a few days/weeks. They'll post it in the Notices section.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2022051...f4NotkSDcmT49k

sol95

I think you might mean MAY 23

Long Train Runnin

Well I can give some real life feedback on the COVID process here in S. Korea.

I entered on 5/12 from Sofia Bulgaria on a SOF-FRA-DOH-ICN routing.

Tested negative via PCR test taken at Sofia Airport 4 hours before my flight.

Uploaded everything to the Q-Code site and got my QR code.

Entry was pretty straight forward with the Q-Code and I had my reservation for the T2 testing center.

Took about 2.5 hours from the door opening in ICN to me going through the immigration and testing along with my airport ride to my hotel attached to Seoul Station.

All in all, I was pretty impressed with how smooth things went to be back in East Asia after all the covid craziness.

Had dinner in my hotel and passed out after a 27 hour travel experience from hotel room in Sofia to hotel room in Seoul.

Call at 8:30AM from the testing center that I was positive on arrival.

Had some trouble with the health department and getting assigned someone who spoke English. By 5pm it was confirmed that I would be transferred to a quarantine center at 7:45pm.

Left my hotel room and as promised an ambulance was waiting for me. They transported me a comically short distance to the facility where I am in quarantine.

Things were a little rocky at check in since I don't speak Korean. Eventually once I set up an account on KakaoTalk things were a little smoother and I did my initial health check in.

Thankfully, about half of the announcements are in English or the PA system and I got assigned a single room. Its currently my 3rd night here.

The food is okay although as someone who doesn't enjoy kimchi there is often lots I elect to skip eating.

Overall, I am bummed I missed my trip to Mongolia, but I knew this was a risk I was taking by transiting this way.

I had until now avoided catching COVID despite working in NYC throughout the entire pandemic. So, I guess getting it here and getting put in government quarantine is my usual way of "go big or go home".

So far no one has really mentioned how much all of this is going to cost.

Will update my post when I finish this process, but if you are a foreigner who tests positive on arrival this is what its like.

aj411

Sorry to hear about that end result in ICN. Leaving this week for Korea and crossing fingers I don’t end up the same.

Question on her airport timing and testing. Did your flight come into T2? How long from plane to testing center? I have a 3:15 arrival and a 5pm test time at T1 this week(T1 testing) No checked bags. Hoping that is doable to get door to door.

aj411

interesting. I double-checked here and all of the labs in our area (US, MN) use 37 to 40 cycle pcr tests.

aj411

Confused on arrival testing. My associates in Korea said not needed but everyth8ng I found said it was.

so is this arrival test all on the honor system? Do they check results at hotels, on departure, etc?
Is the test really required?

Long Train Runnin

I would say it was about 90 minutes from door opening to being on the curb heading to the testing center.

FWIW it was not very busy and they helped me pretty much instantly. I would say you will be fine with that appointment and if you are a little early I doubt they will make you wait.