Visa Fee Waiver for Group Tourists from Six Countries Extended to Year-End

The waiver of visa issuance fees for group tourists from major countries, including China and Vietnam, has been extended until the end of this year.

The Ministry of Justice announced on July 1 that the visa issuance fee waiver of $15 (approximately 22,500 won) for group tourists from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Cambodia will be extended from June 30 to December 31.

This measure is part of the follow-up actions from the 11th Expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting, aimed at continuously supporting the revitalization of foreign group tourism.

With the recent recovery of tourism demand from China and Southeast Asian countries, the number of group tourists has been steadily increasing.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 790,505 foreign nationals entered the country on group visas last year, a 39% increase from 570,752 the previous year. By country, China accounted for the largest share with 614,040 visitors, followed by Vietnam with 74,333, the Philippines with 53,580, Indonesia with 40,062, Cambodia with 7,370, and India with 1,120.

Meanwhile, the rate of illegal overstays has been managed stably, decreasing to 0.07% last year from 0.19% the year before.

A Ministry official stated, "While it is difficult to say that the waiver of visa issuance fees is the sole reason for the increase in tourists, it is believed to have contributed to encouraging foreign group tourists to visit Korea, alongside improvements in international relations and the spread of K-culture."

The official added, "We expect that this extension will alleviate the burden on foreign group tourists visiting Korea and have a positive effect on revitalizing the tourism industry and recovering the local economy."