Is Q-Code required to enter South Korea? This question is still common in 2024. In the previous article, we elaborated about the history behind Q-Code and its evolving purpose from a COVID-19 monitoring platform to general infectious disease monitoring platform. We also listed the countries of embarkation where Q-Code registration was still a requirement prior to entering Korea.
In August 2024, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) updated the list of countries under quarantine inspection. The list was set to be effective from September 2024. There has been no further announcement since that announcement and hence in October 2024, the list of countries with Q-Code requirements is still based on the last announcement by KDCA in August 2024.
The important notes from KDCA announcement in August 2024 related with Q-Code are as follows:
- Q-Code registration requirement is formally classified into two: strict quarantine inspection area and quarantine inspection area. Travelers coming from countries under strict quarantine inspection area are required to register Q-Code upon entering South Korea. On the other hand, travelers coming from quarantine inspection area are required to register Q-Code only when exhibiting symptom(s) of disease under monitoring.
- There are 21 countries with strict quarantine inspection or compulsory Q-Code registration. Most of the countries are located in Middle East (13 countries)
- Symptom-based Q-Code registration is applied to 138 countries, which is an increase from the previous announcement (102 countries)
- There are now three kinds of diseases that are considered highly infectious and thus leading to strict quarantine inspection: plague, animal influenza, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). This is a decrease from the previous announcement (10 diseases)
- Other diseases that are monitored via Q-Code based on the symptoms exhibited by travelers include cholera, yellow fever, polio, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, zika virus, measles, lassa fever, crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever, and mpox (10 diseases). This is an increase from the previous announcement (5 diseases).
List of Countries with Q-Code Registration Requirement (as of October 2024)
If you enter Korea from the following countries, you are required to complete Q-Code registration or fill out health declaration form prior to entering Korea. Your Q-Code will be scanned at the health screening gate. Alternatively, you can submit the health declaration form that has been filled out to the health officer.
| No | Continent | Country | Disease(s) under Monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asia | Bahrain | MERS |
| 2 | Cambodia | Animal influenza | |
| 3 | China (Guangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Chongqing) | Plague, animal influenza | |
| 4 | Iran | MERS | |
| 5 | Iraq | MERS | |
| 6 | Israel | MERS | |
| 7 | Jordan | MERS | |
| 8 | Kuwait | MERS | |
| 9 | Lebanon | MERS | |
| 10 | Mongolia | Plague | |
| 11 | Oman | MERS | |
| 12 | Qatar | MERS | |
| 13 | Saudi Arabia | MERS | |
| 14 | Syria | MERS | |
| 15 | United Arab Emirates | MERS | |
| 16 | Yemen | MERS | |
| 17 | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo | Plague |
| 18 | Madagascar | Plague | |
| 19 | America | Mexico | Animal influenza |
| 20 | United States (Michigan, Colorado, Texas) | Plague, animal influenza | |
| 21 | Europe | United Kingdom | Animal influenza |
List of Countries with Symptom-based Q-Code Registration Requirement (as of October 2024)
If you enter Korea from the following countries, you will only be required to complete Q-Code registration only if you exhibit symptom(s) of infectious disease under quarantine inspection, for example: high fever, red rash, or watery eyes. If your body temperature is normal and there is no noticeable symptom of disease under quarantine inspection, you do not need to do Q-Code registration upon entering Korea.
| Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| Asia (22 countries) | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Vietnam |
| Africa (51 countries) | Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| America & Oceania (51 countries) | Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela |
| Europe (14 countries) | Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I am flying from United States to Korea, do I need Q-Code?
A: If you fly to Korea from Michigan, Colorado, or Texas, you will be required to register Q-Code or fill out the health declaration form. If you fly to Korea from other states, you are not required to register Q-Code unless you exhibit symptom(s) of disease under monitoring.
Q: I am flying to Korea from London, do I need Q-Code?
A: Yes, all passengers entering Korea from United Kingdom are required to complete Q-Code registration prior to entering Korea.
Q: I will be having a flight from Philippines to South Korea, am I required to register Q-Code?
A: No, as of October 2024, travelers from Philippines are not required to do Q-Code registration when entering South Korea. However, if you exhibit certain symptom, for e.g. high fever, red rash, or watery eyes, you are expected to complete Q-Code registration.
Q: I have filled out the health declaration form. Do I have to complete Q-Code registration?
A: Q-Code and health declaration form serve the same purpose, which is for infectious disease quarantine inspection. If you have filled out the health declaration form, you do not need to complete Q-Code registration. You can submit the health declaration form to the health officer at the health screening gate.