On 25 May 2020, the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued an update regarding the status of long-term visa holders, which reads in part as follows:
“From 1 June 2020, foreign nationals residing in South Korea on most types of long-term visa will need to apply for a re-entry permit at a local immigration office or at the airport before undertaking any travel out of South Korea. Those travelling with a re-entry permit will also be required to have a medical examination no earlier than 48 hours before they plan to return to South Korea, and to obtain a medical certificate in English or Korean to present to the Korean authorities on their arrival. The medical certificate must be signed by a medical professional at a recognised medical institution and include the date of the medical examination and either confirmation of a negative test for COVID-19 or a record of the presence or absence of fever, cough, chills, headache, breathing difficulty, muscle pain, and pulmonary symptoms. Long-term visa holders seeking to return to South Korea without a medical certificate may be refused entry.
“Long-term visa holders leaving South Korea without a re-entry permit will have their visa and Alien Registration Card cancelled and will need to obtain a new long-term visa before they can re-enter South Korea.”
