South Korea Eases Multiple-Entry Visa Rules for Chinese

South Korea has relaxed multiple-entry visa requirements for Chinese citizens and extended visa validity periods in a move aimed at attracting more visitors, the South Korean Embassy in China said yesterday, according to reports by Yonhap News Agency.

Under the new measures, which took effect on March 30, Chinese nationals who have previously visited South Korea are now eligible to apply for five-year multiple-entry visas.

In addition, residents of 14 major Chinese cities will see the validity period of their multiple-entry visas extended from the current five years to up to 10 years. The cities are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao, Chongqing, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Ningbo, Changsha and Wuhan.

According to Yonhap News, the embassy also said that employees of Chinese companies investing more than US$1 million in South Korea will be eligible for 10-year multiple-entry visas, up from the previous five-year validity.

The embassy added the move is expected to promote exchanges between the two countries while revitalizing the tourism and business sectors.