The Number of Countries Banning Entry from Korea Drops to 52... Moves to Strengthen Quarantine Amid COVID-19 Resurgence

Maintaining 10 Countries with Facility Quarantine Measures... Quarantine and Recommendations Expanded to 101 Countries
Number of Countries Lifting Entry Restrictions Decreases to 24
Ongoing Government Consultations... Korea-Germany 'Essential Entry Guarantee' Measures to Take Effect from Next Month 1

On the 8th, when the special entry procedure for Korean and Japanese businesspeople was implemented, a travel advisory for countries with COVID-19 entry restrictions was displayed at the departure hall of Terminal 2, Incheon International Airport. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As the government is considering additional social distancing measures, the number of countries implementing entry bans on arrivals from Korea has decreased to 52, the lowest since peaking in May, but there are signs of efforts to further strengthen quarantine measures.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 19th, the number of countries imposing entry bans on arrivals from Korea was 52 as of 10 a.m. on the 18th, down by one country compared to a week ago. Despite growing concerns due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) worldwide, the 'entry ban' measure, which is among the strongest entry restrictions, continued its downward trend.

The number of countries implementing quarantine measures such as facility isolation remained at 10 compared to last week. Countries on this list include Japan, the United States, Tunisia, Mauritius, Burundi, Benin, and Comoros.

The lowest level of entry restrictions, such as strengthened quarantine and advisory measures, was recorded at 101 countries, the highest since the data was first compiled. This is interpreted as countries that had previously imposed entry bans easing their measures, while countries that had lifted entry restrictions have reinforced quarantine measures again. The number of countries that lifted entry restrictions decreased from 25 to 24. Countries implementing measures such as strengthened quarantine and advisories include Nepal, Maldives, India, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Greece, Denmark, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Israel, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Countries that lifted entry restrictions include the Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Luxembourg, as well as Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Croatia, France, and Finland. Starting from the 20th, Serbia will require all overseas arrivals, regardless of departure country, to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued within 48 hours. Serbian nationals, residents, and permanent residents may substitute this requirement with a 10-day self-quarantine if they do not possess a negative PCR test result.

While the number of countries imposing entry bans, which are effectively lockdown measures, is slowly decreasing, the number of countries strengthening quarantine measures is likely to increase. The government plans to continue intergovernmental consultations. On the 18th, Choi Jong-geon, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a 14th regional telephone consultation with deputy foreign ministers from seven countries in the region to exchange views on international human mobility and discuss regional cooperation on COVID-19 response, vaccine development and distribution, and the resumption of economic activities. Participants included the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam.

Earlier, Vice Minister Choi held a Korea-Germany deputy foreign ministers’ meeting, where both sides agreed on the importance of ensuring essential entry for their nationals and decided to implement specific measures starting January 1 next year. Once implemented, these measures are expected to alleviate inconveniences faced by Korean nationals visiting Germany for family visits beyond immediate family, business trips, study, and employment preparation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.