China Group Tour Visa to Korea 2026: Fee Waived Until December 31, But a Visa Is Still Required

You still hear it a lot: "Chinese citizens can enter Korea without a visa." That comes from a temporary visa-free program for Chinese group tourists that ran from late September last year through the end of June this year, but that program already ended on June 30. What the Ministry of Justice rolled out instead, starting July 1, is different: the visa itself is still required, but for group tourists, the fee to obtain that visa is waived through the end of the year.

At a glance: Visa application fees waived for group tourists from six countries (China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Cambodia), extended through December 31, 2026 · the waiver is worth 15 US dollars per person (about 22,500 won) · it applies to group tourist visas (C-3-2) arranged through a designated travel agency · it does not apply to individual travelers.

The Ministry of Justice announced the measure as a follow-up to the 11th Expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting, noting that about 790,000 foreigners entered Korea on group visas last year, up 39% from roughly 570,000 in 2024. Chinese nationals made up the largest share at about 614,000, followed by Vietnamese nationals at about 74,000. Over the same period, the rate of visa overstays or disappearances fell to 0.07%, less than half the previous year's 0.19%.

One distinction matters here. This waiver cuts the visa application fee, not the visa requirement itself. The temporary visa-free entry for groups of three or more Chinese tourists, which ran from last fall through the first half of this year, ended on schedule on June 30, and there has been no official announcement of a further extension. In other words, if you are putting together a group trip from China to Korea right now, you still need a visa — you simply won't have to pay the fee for it.

If you are traveling alone or as a family rather than in an organized group, this measure doesn't apply to you at all, and you still need a standard visa. China is also not on the list of 22 countries and territories temporarily exempted from Korea's K-ETA travel authorization. If you're booking a group package through a travel agency, ask them whether your trip qualifies for the fee waiver; if you're traveling independently, check the visa type and required documents in advance with the Korean embassy or through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr).