Chinese tourist groups will be able to travel to South Korea visa-free from 29 September 2025

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This temporary visa waiver programme will be in effect until 30 June 2026.

To boost local tourism, South Korea will exempt Chinese tourist groups from visas, starting 29 September 2025.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced a temporary visa waiver programme for Chinese tourist groups on Wednesday (6 August), effective from 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026.

The South Korean government believes this initiative will increase domestic spending and stimulate the tourism market by driving up travel demand.

This temporary visa waiver follows China’s unilateral decision to grant visa-free entry to South Korean citizens last November. According to the Xinhua News Agency, people-to-people exchanges between China and South Korea have since increased rapidly.

In addition, to facilitate the participation of foreigners in international conferences held in South Korea, the government also plans to ease the eligibility for fast-track immigration screening from 2026. The eligibility threshold for fast-track access will be lowered from events with 500 or more foreign participants to those with 300 or more.