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South Korea – Degree 3: Reconsider Travel

Entry, Exit and Visa Demands

• Passport legitimate at period of entry.
• No visa necessary for stays lower than ninety days for business or tourism.
• Visa necessary for all the purposes, including work, teaching English, as well as for remains more than 3 months.

Exceeding your authorized stay or not possessing a visa that is valid bring about detention and fines.

• In the eventuality of an overstay, make an application for a visa expansion through the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) before trying to go out of the nation. Additionally check with KIS regarding alterations in visa category.

Army Personnel/DOD and their own families on purchases:

• Consult DOD Foreign Clearance Guide, and follow all directions.
• Enter Korea with DOD identification and travel instructions.
• Usually do not transit other nations such as for example Asia with out a passport and visas that is appropriate.
• Family Members/Dependents of Military Personnel/DOD on instructions must provide upon arrival passports legitimate for a minimum half a year as well as A a-3 couch visa.

U.S. National Executive Branch workers on formal business and DOD workers assigned to your U.S. Embassy (Including family members members/dependents):

• Enter Korea by having a diplomatic or formal passport and a diplomatic or formal ROK visa obtained through your sponsoring agency.
• Get nation clearance utilizing Department of State’s eCC system or DOD APACS system.

HIV/AIDS regulation: The Department of State is unacquainted with any entry that is such for site site visitors or foreign residents in Korea.

Go to the Embassy of Korea site for present visa information. Please read our Customs Ideas web page.

Security and safety

Public Demonstrations: Demonstrations and rallies are typical in Southern Korea, specially close to the U.S. Embassy, Seoul City Hall, and areas surrounding installations that are military. You ought to avoid places where demonstrations are using spot and workout care within the vicinity of every big gatherings, protests, or rallies. Also demonstrations meant to be calm can change confrontational and escalate into violence.

North Korea (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK): An armistice contract, supervised by the United Nations, has maintained peace that is general the Korean peninsula since 1953. Tensions periodically flare up because of provocative functions by North Korea, including ballistic missile and nuclear tests and restricted armed incursions into ROK-held territory. Some provocations have actually escalated into geographically restricted skirmishes. Southern Korea regularly conducts training that is military and civil protection drills. North Korea usually issues strongly-worded and threatening communications, usually regarding the these workouts. Please see our reality Sheet on North Korea.

Weather-related Activities: hefty rains and flooding may possibly occur through the June – August monsoon period or even the might – November typhoon period. See general details about normal catastrophe preparedness in the U.S. Federal crisis Management Agency (FEMA) site.

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): to get safety communications by email and work out it much easier to find you in a crisis, register in ACTION.

In the event that Embassy becomes alert to any certain and legitimate risk to the safety and safety of U.S. residents, we are going to notify you through our internet site, social networking, and email.

Criminal activity: for many site site site visitors, Southern Korea stays an extremely country that is safe. Common crimes happen with greater regularity in major urban centers, tourist internet web sites, and crowded areas.

• Simply Take routine security precautions.
• Look closely at your environments.
• Report any issues to neighborhood authorities.

Violent criminal activity is certainly not typical; however, stay vigilant:

• Workout care in crowded activity, nightlife, and shopping districts.
• If traveling at consider traveling in groups night.
• Make use of legitimate taxis or general public transport just.

Victims of Crime: Call 112 for crisis help or to report a criminal activity to authorities that are local. We could:

• Assist you in finding appropriate health care bills;
• Help you in reporting a criminal activity to authorities;
• Contact loved ones or buddies in your stead;
• Explain Korean judicial procedures in basic terms;
• Offer a crisis loan for repatriation to your united states of america and/or restricted support that is medical situations of destitution;
• Assist you in finding rooms and trip plans to your united states of america;
• Substitute a lost or stolen passport.

Sexual attack: In 2017-2018, the Embassy received a few reports of intimate attack from U.S. residents. Many instances included ladies assaulted by acquaintances after having a drink socially. Specialized medical center units and police are for sale in Southern Korea to however assist victims solutions in English and responsiveness into the criminal activity are not necessarily constant. Generally speaking, intercourse crimes aren’t penalized as furfling harshly in Southern Korea as with the usa as well as the road to prosecution is really a challenging one for victims.

Lost or Stolen Passports: If for example the passport is taken, register a written report during the nearest authorities section.

Do not purchase fake and pirated items, even in the event accessible. It really is against South Korean legislation to buy these goods and against U.S. legislation to create them in to the united states of america. The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Division when you look at the U.S. Department of Justice has more info.

Prevent fraud and frauds: See Department of State and FBI internet sites to learn more.

Tourism: The tourism industry is typically managed and guidelines in regards to to guidelines and security inspections are frequently enforced. Dangerous areas/activities are identified with appropriate signage and expert staff is typically readily available in help of prepared tasks. In the eventuality of a personal injury, appropriate hospital treatment is acquireable through the entire nation. Outside of an important metropolitan center, it could take additional time for very first responders and doctors to support someone and offer life-saving help. U.S. citizens ought to purchase evacuation insurance that is medical. See our website to learn more about insurance agencies for international protection.

Neighborhood Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties: whilst in Korea, you will be at the mercy of regional laws and regulations. You may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned if you violate Korean laws. Remember that:

• Immigration violations can cause arrest, fines, and deportation.
• There is certainly small threshold for unlawful medications.
• In the event that you send unlawful medications to/ from Korea, you will end up prosecuted.
• Commercial disputes can lead to charges that are criminal filed under regional guidelines.

Remember that some crimes are prosecutable in the us, no matter regional law. For examples, see our web site on crimes against minors abroad as well as the Department of Justice internet site.

Arrest Notification: If you might be arrested or detained, ask officials to inform the Embassy. See our website for more information.