S. Korea extends visa fee waiver for group tourists from 6 countries

The Justice Ministry said Wednesday it will extend a waiver of visa application fees for group tourists from six countries until Dec. 31, 2026, in a move aimed at supporting the recovery of inbound tourism.

The exemption applies to group tourists from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The policy, which waives the $15 (23,000 won) visa application fee, had been scheduled to expire at the end of June. The ministry said it decided to extend the measure to “continue revitalizing group tourism.”

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The ministry said demand for group tourist visas has been rising, particularly from China and Southeast Asia.

According to ministry data, more than 790,000 tourists entered Korea on group tourist visas in 2025, up 39 percent from a year earlier.

Group tourists from China increased by 48 percent during the same period, while those from Vietnam rose by 5 percent.

Group tourists from India saw the largest percentage increase, more than doubling from 573 in 2024 to 1,120 in 2025.

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Meanwhile, the ministry noted that the share of group tourists who left their designated tours and became undocumented residents fell to 0.07 percent in 2025, less than half the 0.19 percent recorded a year earlier, suggesting the program has been managed stably.

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The ministry said the fee waiver may have encouraged more group tourists to visit Korea, along with improved diplomatic relations and the spread of Korean culture.

The ministry said the extension is expected to reduce the financial burden on foreign group tourists and contribute to the recovery of the tourism industry and local economies. /dl

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