Government Likely to Soon Lift Suspension on Short-Term Chinese Visa Issuance... Will China Also Ease Restrictions?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] As the positive rate among short-term entrants from China recently dropped to the 0-1% range, the government is expected to soon lift the restrictions on issuing short-term visas to China.

According to quarantine authorities on the 9th, the government is likely to discuss lifting the suspension of short-term visa issuance for Chinese nationals at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting scheduled for the 10th or next week. The restriction on issuing short-term visas to Chinese nationals (excluding diplomatic/public service, essential business operations, and humanitarian reasons) was implemented on the 2nd of last month due to the spread within China and was scheduled to end at the end of this month. However, the positive rate among short-term stayers tested at airports last week (January 29 to February 4) was 1.4% (25 confirmed cases out of 1,788 tested), a stable and low level compared to the initial surge that once reached the 30% range. On the 7th, only 1 out of 335 short-term foreign entrants tested positive. At a press briefing on the 7th, Ji Young-mi, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated that they are considering an early lifting of the short-term visa issuance restrictions in light of the stabilization of COVID-19 in China.

The two COVID-19 tests before and after entry will remain in place until the end of this month. However, for short-term foreign entrants, the requirement to undergo PCR testing at the airport will be maintained, but the procedure requiring a 4-5 hour wait for results will be eliminated. Additionally, quarantine facilities previously operated for short-term foreign entrants who test positive will no longer be operated by the government and will be replaced with self-quarantine. Since implementing quarantine measures for entrants from China, the government has operated two quarantine facilities near the airport with a capacity of 160 people. As of the 7th, only 7 people were housed in these facilities.

Some expect that if the government relaxes quarantine measures for entrants from China, China may also introduce similar easing measures. China had previously suspended the issuance of short-term visas to Koreans as a retaliatory measure and, starting from the 1st, has been conducting tests on entrants from Korea after arrival.