Dual Passports Issued for 5 Years Even to Those Who Have Not Completed Military Service

Enlistees are undergoing physical examinations at the Military Manpower Administration.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] From now on, all men over the age of 25 who have not completed their military service will be able to receive a 5-year multiple-entry passport.

On the 5th, the Military Manpower Administration announced that the partial amendment to the Passport Act, which abolishes the single-entry passport system for young men over 25 who have not completed military service, has been promulgated and enacted.

Accordingly, from this day forward, men over 25 who have not completed military service and apply for a passport will be issued a multiple-entry passport valid for 5 years, provided they obtain permission for overseas travel from the head of the Military Manpower Administration.

Until now, men over 25 who had not fulfilled their military duty had to obtain permission for overseas travel from the head of the Military Manpower Administration to leave the country. If the permission period was less than 6 months, they could only receive a 1-year single-entry passport, meaning they had to apply for a new passport each time they traveled abroad.

Also, if the travel permission period was between 6 months and less than 1 year, a 1-year multiple-entry passport was issued, and if it exceeded 1 year, a multiple-entry passport was issued for the corresponding period. However, now, regardless of the period, all will be issued a 5-year multiple-entry passport.

For men aged 18 to 24 who had been issued multiple-entry passports up to age 24 without needing permission from the head of the Military Manpower Administration, a 5-year multiple-entry passport will now be issued regardless of age. However, even if the passport validity period remains, separate overseas travel permission must be obtained, and those staying abroad must apply for an extension of the permission period through overseas diplomatic missions at least 15 days before the expiration of the permission period.

The Military Manpower Administration emphasized that those staying abroad without an extension permit must return their passports, and if they fail to return them within the designated period, the passports will become invalid.

The Military Manpower Administration stated, "We continuously guide people to return within the permitted period or obtain an extension permit starting 30 days before the expiration date," and added, "The inconvenience of men over 25 who have not completed military service having to obtain a passport every time they travel abroad will disappear."

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