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2h ago

South Korea Starts Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups as First Cruise Docks

Officials project roughly 1 million extra visitors, with businesses rolling out promotions.

A group of Chinese tourists arrives by ferry at a cruise terminal in the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul, on Sept. 29, 2025, as a temporary visa waiver program for Chinese group tourists who visit South Korea began the same day, as part of efforts to boost the nation's tourism market. The program, which runs through June next year, allows more than three Chinese tourists on group tours to travel to South Korea without visas for as many as 15 days. (Yonhap)
A group of Chinese tourists arrives by ferry at a cruise terminal in the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul, on Sept. 29, 2025, as a temporary visa waiver program for Chinese group tourists who visit South Korea began the same day, as part of efforts to boost the nation's tourism market. The program, which runs through June next year, allows more than three Chinese tourists on group tours to travel to South Korea without visas for as many as 15 days. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • Seoul’s nine-month pilot began Sept. 29, allowing groups of three or more Chinese nationals organized by designated agencies to visit without visas for up to 15 days through June 30 next year; Jeju’s separate 30-day visa-free policy continues.
  • The MS Dream from Tianjin docked in Incheon with 2,189 passengers and 563 crew, marking the first major arrival under the scheme as local authorities staged welcome events and tours to Seoul.
  • The rollout coincides with China’s National Day holiday from Oct. 1–7, with industry officials expecting limited immediate effects and a larger pickup later this year and into early 2026.
  • The government aims to draw roughly 1 million additional Chinese visitors by next June as retailers and travel operators launch campaigns, including Shilla Duty Free discounts, Lotte gifts, and Amorepacific airport pop-ups.
  • A weekend data-center fire disrupted parts of the e-travel network, triggering a brief address-omission notice later removed; opposition lawmakers urged a delay over security concerns, while the Justice Ministry said the program uses a separate system with pre-screening.