COVID-19
Fast Track Business Programs with Korea
Amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, South Korea is starting to introduce "fast-track" entry programs for essential trips by business people and others. The country signed on October 6th an agreement with Japan to implement a fast track program, following other agreements with Singapore, China, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. South Korea has been pushing to create such streamlined entry programs with other countries, stressing that essential business trips should be allowed to mitigate the fallout of the pandemic and spur the world's economic recovery.
Fast track programs are implemented differently per country as detailed below.
Japan
Under the eased entry program into Japan, businesspeople (B1, B2, C1, C3, C4, D7, D8, D9 Korean visa holders, or Korean nationals) planning a short-term stay of up to 90 days in Japan will be exempt from mandatory two-week quarantine if they obtain a visa based on proof of a negative coronavirus test result from the past 72 hours and a written document explaining their travel plan. Entry to Japan is limited to Narita International Airport in Tokyo and Kansai International Airport in Osaka. For the first two weeks of their stay, they can only travel between their home and work by private vehicles instead of public transport. The Fast Track program also applies when returning into Korea by applying to the relevant authorities.
More information here (KR): http://www.mofa.go.kr/www/brd/m_4080/view.do?seq=370512
Singapore
All residents and long-term pass holders of the ROK and Singapore seeking to travel for essential business and official purposes are applicable for the ROK/Singapore Fast Lane process. Business or official travelers seeking to make essential travel via the Fast Lane to Singapore from the ROK or Singapore must be sponsored by either a Singapore/Korea-based company or a Singapore/Korea Government agency, which will file an application on behalf of the applicant for a SafeTravel Pass. When the SafeTravel Pass application is approved, an approval letter will be sent via email to the sponsoring company or government agency. With the SafeTravel Pass approval, an approved applicant who is a visa-required passport holder can proceed to apply for a visa for travel to Singapore or Korea through the usual channels.
Before boarding, the traveler needs also a valid certificate of negative result for a Covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure to Singapore, or a valid medical certificate before departure to Korea. At arrival, the traveler must undergo second PCR test. If negative, no quarantine is needed but close monitoring is performed by Singaporean and Korean authorities.
The process is applicable to all residents in Korea and Singapore (nationals and foreigners).
More information here:
To go to Singapore: https://safetravel.ica.gov.sg/rok/rgl/requirements-and-process
To go to Korea: http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/sg-en/brd/m_2435/view.do?seq=761275
China
In accordance with the “fast track procedure,” an interested enterprise in China (Korean firm operating in China or Chinese firm) should apply for “fast track procedure” at the level of Chinese local (provincial or municipal) government designating an applicable Korean business partner and obtain an official invitation from the local government for the partner. Then the applicable Korean business partner will obtain a visa from the Chinese Embassy (or the Chinese Consulate) in the ROK. The invited person with visa should observe a “special disease control procedure” as agreed by the ROK and the Chinese government whereby his or her entry into China is simplified.
The process is applicable to Chinese and Korean Nationals only.
More information here
Indonesia
Pursuant to the agreement between Indonesian and Korean authorities, Korean business people can now enter Indonesia, which has in effect suspended foreigners’ entry to date, and, if they have a certificate proving that they have tested negative for Covid-19, they are exempt from the 14-day quarantine in Indonesia. Visas will be issued to Korean entrepreneurs after they apply for visas at the Indonesian Embassy in the ROK, and their inviting companies in Indonesia apply for a letter of support to the Investment Coordinating Board of the Republic of Indonesia (BKPM).
More information here
The process is applicable to Indonesian and Korean Nationals only.
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