South Korea Relaxes Visa Norms for Vietnamese Tourists

The announcement was made following the increase in the number of tourists from Vietnam in first six months of this year. The modified rules comprise of relaxing requirements for applications of multiple-entry visas and group visas for returning tourists from Vietnam.

According to the relaxed rules, the groups containing over five members working at 500 top companies of Vietnam will be allowed to visit Korea via incentivized tours. The businesses whose revenues exceed US five million $ per year and students or staff groups of higher school levels who would like to travel to Korea for either tourism or study purpose will be offered with Group visas.

The General Consulate in HCMC of Korea, Consul Yoo Seoung O, stated that the  group visas are applicable to the citizens of South East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

According to new rules, Vietnam tourists who have traveled to Korea for at least one time will be qualified for multi-entry tourist visas valid for one year which let them stay for a maximum period of 30 days in the country. The individuals who have traveled to the country twice will be qualified for multiple-entry visas valid for three years and the individuals holding three-year multiple-entry visas will be eligible for a five-year visa.

The Korea Tourism Organization in Hanoi revealed that the country has received 57,275 visitors from Vietnam in the period of first five months of this year, observing a 29% rise over the same period in the previous year.

South Korea has observed drastic increase in the arrivals of Vietnamese visitors which account for 76,537 in 2010, 92,810 in 2011, 106,360 in 2012 and 114,357 in 2013. The country anticipates more than 140,000 tourists from Vietnam over this year, General Consul Oh Jae Hack added.