Does Korean need a visa to China?

Do South Koreans need a visa to visit China?

South Korean ordinary passport holders do not need a visa to enter China for up to 15 days from November 8, 2024, to December 31, 2025. This applies to business, tourism, visiting family and friends, and transit.

So China is letting South Koreans in without a visa now? It's honestly so confusing. The rules change so often, its hard to keep up with what is true and what is just a rumor you hear from a friend.

I spent an entire afternoon helping my friend get his visa at the application center in Namsan Square, Seoul, just last summer. The pile of documents was insane, you needed confirmed flight tickets and hotel bookings for the whole trip. The fee was over 70,000 won for the basic service. A total headache.

Now you just show your passport and go. For 15 days. For tourism or even seeing family. It feels unreal.

This new policy, running from late 2024 all through 2025, just makes me wonder though. Is it permanent or just a trial. It makes a quick weekend trip to Qingdao or Shanghai suddenly so simple, but I keep rereading the official notices, thinking I must have gotten the dates worng.

It saves so much money and stress. For a short trip, it changes everything. Finally.