Overseas Travel Plans Increasing... Countries You Can't Visit Without Vaccination

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[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] Park (29), an office worker, got vaccinated last November due to the ‘vaccine pass’ system that restricts unvaccinated people from using facilities such as restaurants and cafes. Recently, he is considering getting a booster shot. He is planning a trip to Japan during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, but entry is not allowed with only two vaccine doses. Park said, “It seems like an unavoidable choice to travel abroad safely.”

As many countries are reopening for daily life and lifting restrictions on overseas travel, more people are considering vaccination. This is because many countries require vaccination for entry and most still impose mandatory quarantine periods upon testing positive.

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency: "Most countries accept updated vaccines used for winter vaccinations upon entry"

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 23rd, many countries require proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry and recognize vaccines listed on the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing (EUL) or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The KDCA stated, “Currently, the bivalent vaccines (updated vaccines) used for winter vaccinations are validly recognized by most countries.” Pfizer’s BA.4/5-based vaccine, which began administration on the 14th of last month, has been approved by both WHO and FDA. Pfizer’s BA.1-based vaccine is included in the WHO Emergency Use Listing but has not yet received FDA approval, while Moderna’s BA.4/5-based vaccine is the opposite. Moderna’s BA.1-based vaccine is not included in either the WHO Emergency Use Listing or FDA approval.

"Check which vaccines are accepted by the country you plan to visit"

Japan, which allowed visa-free entry starting last October, requires at least three vaccine doses for travel under vaccination conditions. It recognizes nine types of vaccines including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Janssen, and all winter vaccines introduced domestically are accepted. However, entry is also allowed if a negative PCR test result within 72 hours is submitted.

The United States does not allow entry for unvaccinated foreigners except for citizens and permanent residents. Vaccination with a vaccine recognized by the FDA or WHO is required, and proof that two weeks have passed since vaccination must be shown via the COOV app or paper documentation.

Some countries such as Poland, Denmark, and Sweden allow entry without vaccination certificates or negative test results. A KDCA official urged, “Since the types of vaccines required vary by country, it is essential to refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ ‘Status of Measures for Overseas Entrants by Country.’”

Mandatory quarantine abroad, just in case... "Get vaccinated"

The number of people aged 20 to 50 who are not high-risk but are receiving winter vaccines for overseas travel is gradually increasing. Reservations for the winter updated vaccines for adults aged 18 and over began on the 7th of last month, and as of the 22nd, the number of vaccinated individuals is ▲187,735 (2.9%) in their 20s ▲146,298 (2.2%) in their 30s ▲253,768 (3.2%) in their 40s ▲491,914 (5.7%) in their 50s.

Yoon (31), living in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, said, “I recently received the updated vaccine to prevent the possibility of having to quarantine abroad due to a positive COVID-19 test.” Some countries such as Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand do not require separate quarantine upon COVID-19 confirmation, but most countries still recommend or mandate 5 to 7 days of quarantine. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia recommend quarantine within 5 days. Germany, Italy, and Greece require quarantine within 5 days, while Belgium, T?rkiye (Turkey), and Japan mandate a 7-day quarantine period similar to Korea.

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