In the last article about Q-Code requirements update, we listed the countries of embarkation where Q-Code registration was still a requirement to enter Korea as of April 2025.
At the end of June 2025, KDCA published another update to the list of countries under quarantine inspection. The list was set to be effective from July 1st, 2025 and valid until the next announcement.
The important notes from KDCA update for July 2025 onwards related with Q-Code are as follows:
- Similar with the previous announcement, Q-Code registration requirements are still categorized into two quarantine inspection levels of area under monitoring: strict quarantine inspection area and general quarantine inspection area. Travelers coming from countries under strict quarantine inspection area are required to register Q-Code or fill out health questionnaire upon entering South Korea. On the other hand, travelers coming from general quarantine inspection area are required to register Q-Code only when showing symptom of disease under monitoring.
- Three kinds of diseases are considered highly infectious and thus leading to strict quarantine inspection: plague, animal influenza, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). This is the same with the previous announcement.
- Diseases that are monitored via Q-Code based on the symptoms exhibited by travelers include ebola virus, cholera, yellow fever, polio, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, zika virus, measles, marburg hemorrhagic fever, lassa fever, crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever, and mpox (12 diseases). This is the same with previous announcement.
- There are 20 countries with strict quarantine inspection or compulsory Q-Code registration. Most of the countries are still located in Middle East (13 countries). This is a small increase compared to the previous announcement (18 countries).
- Southeastern and Mekong Triangle regions in Vietnam have been added into strict quarantine inspection area with strict Q-Code requirements in the June update due to animal influenza outbreak. All passengers departing to or transiting in Vietnam is now required to complete Q-Code registration upon entering Korea.
- Bangladesh have been added into strict quarantine area with strict Q-Code requirements in the June update due to animal influenza outbreak.
- Michigan has been removed from US region under strict quarantine inspection.
- Symptom-based Q-Code registration is applied to 164 countries (including China and United States), which is a significant increase compared to the previous announcement (151 countries). More countries in Oceania are added to general quarantine inspection area for July 2025, mainly due to dengue fever outbreak.
List of Countries with Mandatory Q-Code Registration Requirement (as of July 2025)
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.
Mandatory Q-Code registration or health questionnaire submission is applied to passengers who embark or transfer through any of the countries listed in the table below.
| No | Continent | Country | Disease(s) under Monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asia | Bahrain | MERS |
| 2 | Bangladesh | Animal influenza | |
| 3 | Cambodia | Animal influenza | |
| 4 | China (Inner Mongolia, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Hubei) | Plague, animal influenza | |
| 5 | Iran | MERS | |
| 6 | Iraq | MERS | |
| 7 | Israel | MERS | |
| 8 | Jordan | MERS | |
| 9 | Kuwait | MERS | |
| 10 | Lebanon | MERS | |
| 11 | Oman | MERS | |
| 12 | Qatar | MERS | |
| 13 | Saudi Arabia | MERS | |
| 14 | Syria | MERS | |
| 15 | United Arab Emirates | MERS | |
| 16 | Vietnam | Animal influenza | |
| 17 | Yemen | MERS | |
| 18 | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo | Plague |
| 19 | Madagascar | Plague | |
| 20 | America | United States (Minnesota, Colorado, Washington, California, Pennsylvania) | Animal influenza |
List of Countries with Symptom-based Q-Code Registration Requirement (as of July 2025)
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, China, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Türkiye, Uzbekistan |
| Africa (50 countries) | Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, French Réunion, 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, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| America & Oceania (65 countries) | Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kiribati, Martinique, Mexico, Micronesia (French Guiana), Montserrat, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Polynesia (French), Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Sólomon Íslands, Suriname, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Wallis-et-Futuna |
| Europe (27 countries) | Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kypros, Lithuania, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine |
Similar with the previous announcement for April 2025, only passengers arriving from certain regions in China and United States are required to register for Q-Code. A passenger arriving from other regions in China and United States that are not included in strict quarantine inspection should register Q-Code only when the person exhibits symptom(s) of a disease under quarantine inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I am flying from United States to Korea. Do I need Q-Code?
A: Since January 2025 and extended in the March 2025, April 2025, and July 2025 Q-Code requirement update, if you fly to Korea from one of these states: Minnesota, Colorado, Washington, California, Pennsylvania, you will be required to register Q-Code or fill out the health declaration form until further notice. If you fly to Korea from other states, you are not required to register Q-Code unless you exhibit symptom(s) of any disease under monitoring.
Q: I am flying from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Seoul, Incheon. Do I need Q-Code?
A: Since January 2025 and extended in the March 2025, April 2025, and July 2025 Q-Code requirement update, California has been included into the list of US states with strict quarantine inspection. Subject to further announcement, you are required to register Q-Code when flying from LAX to Seoul.
Q: I am flying from Mexico to Seoul, Incheon. Am I required to submit Q-Code?
A: Effective from April 1st, 2025, passengers traveling from Korea from Mexico are not required to register Q-Code unless they exhibit symptom(s). However, do note that if you fly a transit flight from Mexico with layover in San Fransisco airport (SFO), Los Angeles airport (LAX), Abu Dhabi airport (AUH), or Dubai airport (DXB), you will be required to register Q-Code or submit health questionnaire once arriving in Korea.
Q: I am flying to Korea from London, do I need Q-Code?
A: As of January 2025, UK has been removed from the list of countries with strict quarantine inspection. You will only need to complete Q-Code registration prior to entering Korea from UK if you exhibit symptom(s) of disease under monitoring.
Q: I am flying to Korea from London with layover at Dubai airport, do I need Q-Code?
A: Even though UK is not in the list of countries under strict quarantine inspection in July 2025, United Arab Emirates is still included the list. You will be required to register Q-Code once arriving in Korea from Dubai.
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 complete register Q-Code 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.