Welcome to our website
MESSAGE FROM THE NEW AMBASSADOR
Dear Belgian and Korean friends,
With my wife, I am pleased to return, in a spirit of service, to Korea, a country we love, to broaden and deepen the partnership between our two countries. Let us try to stay together in an adventure of friendship that draws its source from a long history and solid foundations. For our part, we will strive to be strong and united enough to navigate through crises, address common challenges and correct our own mistakes; to be sharp and smart enough to identify and develop shared opportunities. Hoping to meet you personally along the way, I thank you in advance for your support and wish you all the best.
François Bontemps
September 2021
|
TRAVELLING TO BELGIUM
Travelers who wish to travel to Belgium from Korea must complete the Passenger Locator Form 48 hours before arrival in Belgium. Based on your answers to the form, you may receive an SMS from the Belgian authorities, in which case you will have to go into quarantine and get tested. Persons who fail to comply with these obligations risk a fine of at least €250.
It is not necessary to perform a PCR test before departure, but we recommend that travelers contact their airline as some airlines will deny entry to the aircraft if travelers do not have a negative COVID test result. For more information on the PCR test, please consult: https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/faq/ -->Transport and International --> “When should I have a test certificate to travel to Belgium?”
For more information, please refer to: https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/ “Travelling from and to other countries” --> ”I do not live in Belgium”.
We do not accept visa inquiries by phone. After referring to the contents of the website, please contact the Visa/Consular Section by email for any further questions at: consular.seoul@diplobel.fed.be
Online appointments for visa application can be made through the relevant visa page on our website. Please wear a mask when entering the embassy and follow the required Corona prevention measures. Those who have symptoms such as fever and coughing are restricted from entering the embassy.
TRAVELLING TO KOREA
For a stay of less than 3 months, Belgians can travel to Korea without a visa. Currently, all inbound travelers traveling to Korea without a visa must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) in advance - at least 24 hours before departure - on the site www.k-eta.go.kr. A K-ETA is valid for multiple trips over a period of 2 years and costs KRW 10,000 per person.
Incoming travelers must also have proof of a negative result from a PCR test performed within 72 hours of their departure. In addition, everyone will be tested for Covid 19 upon arrival in Korea. Afterwards, travelers must remain in quarantine for 14 days. However, under certain conditions, it is possible to request an exception from the quarantine at the Korean embassy prior to departure to Korea. If you don't have your own place of residence, you have to stay in a government institution, which costs about 100 euros per day.
Foreign nationals residing in Korea have to have two documents upon (re-)entering the Korean territory (documents will be requested upon arrival in Seoul but airlines may require them upon boarding):
1) Return authorization. All registered foreigners who plan to leave and re-enter Korea within their length of authorized stay must apply for a Return authorization at least 4 days before their scheduled departure date through the website www.hikorea.go.kr. Foreign nationals leaving Korea without a return authorization will have their ARC canceled and will need to apply for a new long-stay visa from the Korean Embassy in the country in which they are staying to return to Korea.
2) Negative PCR test. All foreign passengers arriving in the Republic of Korea must provide proof of negative COVID 19 PCR test issued within 72 hours before departure. The original PCR test result in English or Korean language must be shown in order to board the plane, and must be submitted upon arrival.
For further clarifications concerning these rules, you can always contact the Korean Immigration Service (English Tel. 1345)
Additional precautions travelers should take to avoid a coronavirus infection include wearing a mask in public places and proper hand washing with disinfectants. Those who use public transport are encouraged to wear a mask.
For all questions related to the Corona virus, travelers to Korea can contact the number 1339. (Option 4 connects you with a translation service for service in English). You can find the latest situation on the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.go.kr/cdc_eng/
Belgians and their families residing in South Korea for an extended period, even if their stay is only temporary or if they remain domiciled in Belgium, are invited to register with the embassy. Travelers, visiting Korea on vacation or on a business trip, can inform the embassy of their trip at www.travellersonline.diplomatie.be
For information on the EU's response to the Coronavirus, click here.
For information on EU research projects and initiatives to tackle the spread of coronavirus and prepraredness for other outbreaks, click here.
Are you a Belgian who has recently moved to the Republic of Korea and would like to register with the Embassy in Seoul? Did you lose your identity card or your passport while you were travelling through the Republic of Korea as a tourist? Do you need to request a visa in order to travel to Belgium? Then you’ve come to the right address.
This website will keep you up to date on consular matters that are specifically applicable to Belgians in the Republic of Korea, current events in Belgian foreign policy and other useful information or events.
