South Korea Scraps Post-Arrival COVID Test for Chinese Travelers

Health workers guide travelers arriving from China in front of a COVID-19 testing center at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul on Jan. 3, 2023. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images)

South Korea is the latest country to relax its entry restrictions to visitors from China, saying on Feb. 22 that it will no longer require travelers from China to test for COVID-19 after arrival, starting next month.

While the post-arrival testing requirement will be lifted on March 1, South Korea’s pre-arrival testing requirement for Chinese travelers will remain in effect until March 10, according to Kim Sung-ho, a senior official at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

“Additional easing of quarantine measures appears possible, as the positive rate among arrivals from China has dropped from 18.4 percent in the first week of January to 0.6 percent in the third week of February,” Kim said during a meeting.

Also starting next month, South Korea will allow flights from China to land at airports other than its main Incheon International Airport, which has been the sole gateway for flights from China since January.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that it’s willing to consider reciprocal measures when the time is appropriate.

South Korea tightened curbs on arrivals from China and temporarily stopped increasing flights from the mainland after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) abruptly lifted its “zero-COVID” policy in December 2022, which resulted in an explosive outbreak in China.

South Korea began to ease entry curbs on Chinese travelers earlier this month, citing an improved COVID-19 situation in China. The country resumed issuing short-term visas for Chinese arrivals, to which Beijing responded by likewise issuing short-term visas to South Korean nationals.

Taiwan, India, France, and some European Union countries have also relaxed entry restrictions on Chinese travelers. The EU’s 27 member states agreed on Feb. 16 to end the requirement for pre-departure COVID-19 tests on Chinese travelers by the end of February. 

The moves were also agreed to by non-EU members of the Schengen passport-free travel zone, which include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Canada Extends Entry Restrictions From China

Canada stated that it will extend its entry restrictions for travelers from China, Hong Kong, and Macau that were set to expire on Feb. 5, citing the need to protect the health care system and concerns about the lack of scientific data from Beijing.

In December 2022, Canada announced temporary pre-boarding test requirements and arrival screening for travelers from these regions. The measures took effect on Jan. 5 and were set to expire on Feb. 5.

“On February 4, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. EST, Canada intends on extending these current health measures for travelers arriving on flights from these regions, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. The requirements are expected to remain in effect until April 5, 2023, 12:01 a.m. EDT,” the government stated on Feb. 2.

Ottawa stated that the decision to extend the existing COVID-19 measures was based on several factors, including the continued reports of a “dramatic increase of COVID-19 cases in China” since the CCP lifted its restrictions on border travel on Jan. 8.

Another reason for the extension is concern about the limited epidemiological data made available by Chinese authorities, including those related to genomic sequencing and potential variants of concern.

Ottawa stated that it also took into account the potential impacts of China’s reopening on Canada’s health care system, as well as responses of allied countries and international organizations toward Beijing’s swift and mass reopening after three years of strict lockdowns under its draconian “zero-COVID” policy.

“Despite the data provided by China thus far, ongoing gaps in data availability remain a significant concern,” the government stated.

“Extending these temporary health measures will provide time for new, reliable data sources to be made available and allow time for expected domestic waves in China to subside.”

Ottawa stated that the border measures will continue to be reassessed as more data and evidence become available.

Andrew Chen and Reuters contributed to this report.