Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Permanent Mission to the International Maritime Organization

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​Quarantine Exemption Certificate(QEC) for fully vaccinated travelers from the UK

(In effect from 1 July 2021)

Due to high call and email volumes, please read this document carefully before calling the consulate.

You are eligible for the quarantine exemption certificate if:

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   - You have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and at least 2 weeks have passed since your

     second dose, and

   - You have immediate family members (parents, grandparents, children, spouse, children-in-law,

     and grandchildren. Siblings are NOT included) residing in the Republic of Korea, and are going to

     Korea to see them, and

   - You are flying from the UK

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If you have received your vaccinations in the UK you must apply for the Quarantine Exemption Certificate from the consulate in London. *

* If you apply for QEC for business purpose, you need to contact the Business Travel Support Centre in Korea (1566-8110) 

 1. Required documents

   - Copy of passport (pages with the personal information and the signature)

   - Copy of airline ticket (from the UK to Korea. The return ticket is not required)

   - Quarantine exemption certificate application form

   - Quarantine exemption consent form

   - Pledge form

   - Copy of proof of residence of the family member in Korea (resident registration certificate/

     Korean resident registration card/driver’s license)

   - Or, copy of Alien Registration Card (if you are visiting an immediate family member who is

     non-Korean national residing in Korea)

   - Copy of the Korean visa or the K-ETA approval letter accordingly

    (K-ETA : https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/apply/index.do?locale=EN)

   - Vaccination records (issued from the NHS APP/Website) or the vaccination card you were

     given at the vaccine centre

   - The family relationship certificate (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate etc)*

* For documents issued in the UK (marriage certificate, birth certificate etc), please get them apostilled by the FCDO. If the documents were issued in a 3^rd country, please contact the public notary to be advised regarding the procedure, including translation in English.

If you were Korean and your name changed when you renounced your Korean nationality, please provide a photocopy of your last Korean passport or the copy of the Deed Poll.

Children under the age of 6 who enter Korea with their parents who have completed vaccination as of the date of application can be issued a quarantine exemption certificate by submitting a quarantine exemption application form and a copy of passport only if the parents apply for the exemption certificate for both the parents and children and submit the documents together for the parents and children under age of 6 (no consent form, pledge, family relationship certificate, etc.)

 * Children between the ages of 6 and under 18 who are not vaccinated among minors cannot be

     issued a quarantine exemption.

 2. How to apply and receive the certificate

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Application must be made by the email only. Please email all the required documents to vaccinetravel@mofa.go.kr Once the certificate is issued, we will email you so that you can print it out for use.

Please address your email in the following fashion:

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   - Email subject : Quarantine Exemption application

     (First name Family name_flight departure date YYMMDD)

      e.g. Quarantine Exemption Application (James Smith_210708)

     Or, Quarantine Exemption Application (James Smith and 3 people / 210708) – if you are apply

     for multiple exemptions. 



   - You must make one PDF file per application which includes all the required documents entitled:

     “1. Required documents”.

 

It will take at least one week (minimum) to issue the certificate which is valid for a month from the issue date and must be printed prior to departure.

The application will be received by the dates on the chart below. Please note that it will be difficult to issue the Quarantine Exemption Certificate if the application is not sent on its designated date. Again, please be aware that it takes at least 1 week to issue the certificate.

* If you apply for it 1 week in advance before departure, we can issue your QEC 1 day before your departure date.

 * e.g. If you are flying on 12 July (Mon), you must apply for the certificate on 5 July (Mon).

 * e.g. If you are flying on 18 July (Sun), you must apply for the certificate on 9 July (Fri).

 

 3. What to do with the certificate issued

You must bring four hard copies of the Quarantine Exemption Certificate when you enter Korea. (The electronic file will not be accepted.) Without hard copies of the certificate, the quarantine exemption will not apply.

Everyone must still provide proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test issued within 72 hours prior to departure. If you fail to do, Korean nationals will be quarantined at the designated facility at his/her expense for 2 weeks while non-Korean national will be denied entry into Korea.