U.S. Grantee Handbook: Arrival

 

When entering Korea, please make sure to have the following documents in your carry-on bag:

• Passport & printed visa
• Second form of photo ID & passport photo
• Printed award letter & award document
• Korean cash (for transportation, or emergencies)
• ASPE letter and/or personal insurance card (ASPE letter issued by KAEC and emailed to grantee)
• Printed (or downloaded) Q-CODE for faster processing through airport

If traveling with dependents:

• Printed copy of marriage certificate for a spouse
• Printed copy of birth certificate for a child

 

 

It is also suggested you pack the following items in your carry-on:

• Pen (to fill out paperwork on the plane)
• Smartphone (preferably unlocked)
• Laptop/tablet & cables
• Adapters
• 2~3 outfits in case of baggage delays
• Travel toiletries
• Any prescription medication, along with the printed prescription
• Thermometer (if required to self-quarantine)

 

 

Effective October 1, 2022, COVID-19 test results are no longer required for international arrivals to Korea. However, Korean officials still screen arriving travelers for COVID-19, with the potential for self-quarantine if an international arrival tests positive for COVID-19 upon/after entry to Korea.

To shorten the time for health screening and quarantine inspection at Incheon Airport, all travelers to Korea are recommended to register their information with the Quarantine Covid19 Defence (Q-Code) system BEFORE boarding a flight to Korea. After registration, a QR-Code will be generated personal to you. The QR-Code will be scanned by officials at Incheon Airport upon your arrival in Korea. You can find a user manual for the Q-Code system (aka step-by-step instructions) under the “Notice” tab on the Q-Code website.

Note: Either prior to boarding or shortly after you are seated in your flight, you may be asked if you need two different forms, a Health Declaration form for reporting symptoms and a Travel Record Declaration for reporting travel history. If you complete Q-Code registration prior to boarding your flight, you should not need these forms. If you do not complete Q-Code registration, the forms will be collected upon your arrival in Korea, so please fill them out on the plane to avoid lengthy lines at the airport. It is always best to travel with a pen handy for any paperwork.

 

 

On the plane, you will be given the standard Arrival Card and Customs Declaration Form to fill out (examples can be found by clicking here). To complete these forms, put the following:

• Occupation: For your occupation, write “Fulbright.”
• Purpose of Visit: Check the “Other” option and write “Fulbright” next to it.
• Address: the address where you will be staying. If you don’t have an established address, you can use the Fulbright Building Address of Baekbeom-ro 28-gil 23, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04156
• Phone Number: Yours, or if you do not have one, the Fulbright Korea office number at 02-3275-4018

 

 

Quarantine Desk: Upon arrival, you will show either 1) your QR-Code or 2) your Health Declaration and Travel Record Declaration to a quarantine officer for their review.

The quarantine officer may check your temperature and/or discuss any symptoms you declared, if applicable. If symptoms warrant, you may be asked to take a COVID-19 test. Please follow all instructions of the quarantine/health officer.

Immigration: After Quarantine, you will go through Immigration. At Immigration, you must present your:

• Passport
• Visa
• Arrival Card
• Award Document and/or Award Letter (in some cases)

If you are traveling with family members/dependents, we also recommend having paper copies of your marriage certificate (for a spouse) or birth certificates (for children) on hand in case you are asked for documentation verifying relationship. These documents were a greater consideration during the pandemic, when families might have to quarantine together, but it is still best to have these documents on hand, just in case.

Baggage and Customs: These are done in the standard fashion. Please note on the airport monitors which carousel will be used to deliver your luggage from your flight.

After collecting your bags, but before exiting the baggage area, you will need to submit your Customs Declaration Form to officials standing near the exit gates.

To avoid potential issues with Customs, we recommend that you do not bring any of the following with you:

• Animal products (jerky, sausages, cheese, milk, etc.)
• Agricultural products (plants, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, soil, etc.)
• Additionally, please do not take any food off of your flight; it needs to be properly disposed of by flight staff.

If you are bringing items subject to Customs Declaration with you, they may be permitted into the country, but they will likely need to be inspected prior to a decision being made about whether you can carry them into Korea.

Once you have cleared Customs, you may exit the baggage area to enter the arrival hall.