Foreign International Students' COVID-19 Tests Expanded to 3 Times Before and After Entering Korea

Submission of Negative Test Certificate Before Entry and Two Tests During 2-Week Self-Quarantine

On the 14th, passengers are waiting to be tested at the COVID-19 testing center located in the west side outdoor area on the B1 floor of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Foreign students entering Korea are required to self-quarantine for 2 weeks after arrival. They must undergo a total of 3 COVID-19 tests: before departure in their home country and twice after entering Korea.

On the 27th, the Ministry of Education announced the "2021 First Semester Foreign Student Protection and Management Plan."

Foreign students must take a PCR test within 72 hours before departing from their home country airport and submit a negative test certificate during airport quarantine. Entry will be denied if the certificate is not submitted. If COVID-19 symptoms are suspected during airport quarantine, a PCR test will be conducted at the airport.

After arrival, they must take a PCR test within one day at a clinic under the jurisdiction of their self-quarantine area. An additional PCR test must be taken before the 14-day self-quarantine is lifted.

Following last year, this year as well, the government will implement step-by-step management measures at the entry stage, including 14-day self-quarantine, providing transportation from the airport to the school, and monitoring. Foreign students will be encouraged to take online classes in their home countries, and their arrival times will be staggered to ensure entry within the quarantine capacity of universities and local governments.

Universities must establish foreign student entry management plans and share entry information with local governments. Additionally, universities will be guided to admit foreign students only after securing independent living spaces such as single rooms in dormitories and temporary quarantine facilities.

Ministry of Education 2021 First Semester Foreign Student Protection and Management Plan

Due to the emergence of COVID-19 variants, foreign students from the UK and South Africa, where the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) is restricting entry, will not be allowed to enter for the time being. The CDSCH is limiting the issuance of new visas, temporarily suspending irregular flight permits, and restricting re-entry permissions after departure.

The Ministry of Education also plans to actively recommend universities to have foreign students from countries requiring special management self-quarantine in separate dormitories or temporary quarantine facilities and to check their health status at least twice a day.

In the second semester of last year (July to December), a total of 30,000 foreign students entered Korea, which is a 65% decrease compared to the first semester and an 84% decrease compared to the second semester of 2019. By country, Chinese and Vietnamese students accounted for 67%, Japanese students 2%, and students from 153 other countries 33%.

Among the 56,000 foreign students who entered Korea from March last year, when COVID-19 began spreading, until last month, a total of 165 were confirmed positive (excluding domestic infections). Of these, 41 were confirmed at airport quarantine and 124 during self-quarantine after entry. There were no reported cases of further transmission from infected foreign students. The infection rate among foreign students was 0.3%, about half the rate of other foreigners at 0.73%.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "For this semester as well, we will do our utmost to protect and manage foreign students based on cooperation between the government, universities, and local governments."