To conclude, South Korea does not offer visa-free access for all travelers. However, starting from March 30, 2026, the requirements for applying for multiple-entry visas valid for five or ten years have been significantly relaxed. This might be the most convenient time in the past decade to visit South Korea.
If you meet any one of the following criteria, you should be able to obtain multiple visas over a period of five or even ten years quite easily: ① Having household registration in one of the 14 designated cities; ② Having visited an OECD-developed country; ③ Holding a bachelor’s degree or above; ④ Having a芝麻 Credit score of 780 or higher; ⑤ Earning a monthly salary of over 5,000 yuan and having paid taxes accordingly. After reading this article, you will probably have a clear idea of whether you are eligible or not.
I. New South Korea visa policies in 2026: What exactly has changed?
On March 30, 2026, the South Korea Embassy in China officially announced the relaxation of requirements for multiple-entry visas for Chinese citizens. This policy will be in effect until December 31, 2026. In simple terms, the requirements have been eased.
1. Multiple renewals within five years: You can apply as soon as you visit once.
As long as you have ever visited South Korea (holding a C-3-9 visa and having entry records), you are eligible to apply for a multiple-entry visa with a validity period of 5 years and a stay of up to 90 days per visit. In the past, proof of monthly income or educational background was required; however, now a single visit is sufficient as proof.
2. Signed multiple times over the past decade: All three channels have been fully opened.
This is the most significant aspect of this new policy. In the past decade, only high-level professionals and those in certain special occupations were eligible to apply for permanent residency. Now, three new pathways have been established:
- Residency registration channel: Residents with permanent residency in 14 designated cities can apply directly.
- OECD Record Channel: A visit to any one of the 22 developed countries is sufficient.
- Family Member Channel: Spouses, parents, and minor children of those who have been registered for ten years can also apply together.
There is also an important rule: For those who hold a five-year or ten-year visa, their parents, spouses, children, as well as the spouses’ parents, are also eligible to apply for visas of the same duration. In other words, if one person in the family holds a visa, the entire family can obtain visas of the same length.
II. Signing multiple times over a decade: The complete list of 14 applicable cities
The 14 cities selected for this initiative can be divided into two categories:
1. Applicable nationwide (in 9 cities)
Residents with permanent household registration in the following 9 cities are eligible to apply for multiple ten-year visas:
| city | Scope of application |
|---|---|
| Beijing | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Shanghai | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Guangzhou | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Shenzhen | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Suzhou | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Xiamen | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Nanjing | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Hangzhou | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
| Ningbo | Residents with household registration in the entire city |
2. Applicable to the main urban areas (5 cities) ⚠️
The following 5 cities are only applicable to residents with household registration in the main urban areas; collective household registration is not eligible.
| city | Applicable to the main urban area |
|---|---|
| Tianjin | The six main urban districts include Heping, Hedong, Hexi, Nankai, Hebei, and Hongqiao. |
| Wuhan | Jianghan, Jiang’an, Dengkou, Hanyang, Wuchang, Qingshan, Hongshan, and others |
| Changsha | Furong, Tianxin, Yuelu, Kaifu, Yuhua, Wangcheng |
| Qingdao | Shinan, Shibei, Huangdao, Laoshan, Licheng, Chengyang |
| Chongqing | The nine main urban districts including Yuzhong, Gangbuk, Shapingba, Jiulongpo, Nan’an, and Yubei |
💡 Important reminder: The requirement is based on your individual permanent household registration; collective household registrations generally do not meet this condition. It is recommended that you contact the embassy or visa center where you submitted your application in advance to confirm whether your household registration meets the requirements.
III. OECD Record Channel for 22 Countries: Visiting these countries allows you to obtain a ten-year residency visa.
Even if you don’t have residency in one of the 14 cities mentioned, but have visited any one of the following 22 OECD member countries (with a personal visa and actual entry records), you are still eligible to apply for the multiple-entry visa valid for ten years.
| region | country |
|---|---|
| Europe | UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Greece |
| North America | United States, Canada |
| Oceania | Australia and New Zealand |
⚠️ Note: Group visas and visa-free entries are not included in the OECD records. Only individual tourist or business visas, along with official entry/exit stamps, are considered valid. If you have entry records via a U.S. visa, Schengen visa, or Japanese visa, this option is almost certainly secure for you.
Signals multiple times over four to five years: Choose any one of the 8 conditions.
The requirements for signing multiple contracts within five years are much less stringent than those for signing a contract over a ten-year period. Meeting any one of the following eight conditions is sufficient:
| Numbering | Requirements | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A four-year full-time undergraduate degree or above (currently enrolled or already graduated) | College students and graduates |
| Two | A芝麻 Credit score of 780 or above | Active Alipay users |
| Three | Entry and exit records from any one of the 22 OECD member countries | Those with overseas experience |
| Four | I have visited South Korea once on a C-3-9 visa. | Those who have been to South Korea |
| Five | Monthly salary of over 5,000 RMB, with tax declarations required. | Current employees |
| Six | Holders of Platinum/Diamond credit cards | High-end credit card users |
| Seven | You have visited South Korea on a C-3-2 visa before January 29, 2016. | Early visitors to Korea |
| Eight | Under 17 years old or over 55 years old (parents’ consent is required for those under 17, and a retirement certificate is needed for those over 55). | Minors and retirees |
Among these eight options, the educational background pathway and the Sesame Credit pathway are particularly friendly to young people. You can apply while still in undergraduate school, without even needing a graduation certificate—something that was unthinkable in the past.
V. Single-entry Visa: 4 different document options available
If you do not meet the requirements for a five-year or ten-year visa, a single-entry visa (valid for 90 days with a stay period of 30 days) remains the most basic option. You can choose one from the following four options:
| solution | Suitable for | Required materials |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | Current college students (undergraduate degree or above) | Online report of academic records on the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center website |
| Option Two | Individual industrial and commercial households | 6 months of transaction records + business license + company tax payment proof (annual income of no less than 60,000 yuan) |
| Option Three | High school student | The bank transactions and social security records of one parent |
| Option Four | Current employees | Six months of social security and salary statements (monthly income not less than 5,000 RMB) |
In addition, students pursuing specialized courses can opt for group visas (for groups of three or more people; no financial support documents are required; members of the group do not have to leave the country together; the maximum stay is 15 days). If you have previously used a group visa to visit South Korea, you can apply for a single-entry visa directly on your second trip.
VI. The entire process of visa application: from preparation to the issuance of the visa
1. Basic materials (required for everyone)
- Fill out the visa application form (templates are available for reference).
- Original and copy of the ID card
- Original passport (valid for more than 6 months and containing at least 2 blank pages)
- 2 color photos with a white background, 2 inches in size (3.5×4.5 cm), without a hat on the head
- Household register (required by applicants for household registration)
2. Fee reference
| project | Costs |
|---|---|
| Official basic fee (for multiple renewals within one year or more) | 630 RMB |
| Fees for agency services (including official charges and service fees) | 750 to 1000 yuan |
| Emergency surcharge | An additional 280 yuan. |
3. Time of issuance
- Typical processing time: 7 to 12 working days
- Urgent processing: 3 to 5 working days
- The specific time may vary depending on the jurisdiction.
💡 A little tip: Individuals generally cannot apply for visas directly and must go through designated agencies to process the application. It is recommended to choose agencies officially recognized by the South Korea embassy to avoid any potential problems.
4. Other qualification pathways (Supplementary provisions for the ten-year visa)
In addition to household registration and OECD records, the following occupations or identities also qualify for applying for multiple ten-year visas:
- Civil servants / doctors / lawyers / university professors
- A four-year undergraduate degree or above from South Korea / A master’s degree or above from overseas
- Employees at or above the department level in Chinese Fortune 500 companies, or those who have worked there for at least 6 months.
- An employee of a company that invested $1 million in South Korea
VII. After obtaining the visa: How should one arrange medical beauty treatments in South Korea?
The visa has been processed, so the next step is to plan the itinerary. Many friends from Taiwan and Hong Kong apply for South Korea visas actually with the intention ofl treatments there—after all, for the same procedures, the cost in South Korea can be half that of Taiwan.
If you haven’t decided which clinic to choose yet, you might want to start by reading these review articles:
- In the area around Gogyscale chain clinics.
- Busan Seomyeon Station: TopStation – prices 30% cheaper than those in Gangnam.
- Jeju Island: Te-stop medical beauty solutions
VIII. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Has South Korea implemented a complete visa-free policy for Chinese citizens?
There is no blanket exemption from visa requirements. What was relaxed starting from March 30, 2026, were the application requirements for multiple-entry visas, rather than an outright waiver of visa requirements. Chinese citizens still need to apply for a visa in advance before entering South Korea. However, the requirements have become much more lenient compared to before, significantly reducing the difficulty for eligible individuals to obtain a visa.
2. Can a collective household registration be used to apply for a ten-year visa?
Generally, it is not possible. The household registration program for a ten-year period requires an individual’s permanent household registration; collective household registrations are generally not eligible. It is recommended that you contact the consulate before proceeding to confirm your specific circumstances.
3. If I have already visited South Korea on a group tour, can I apply for a five-year visa?
Sure. As long as you hold a C-3-9 visa and have a valid record of entering South Korea (including group visas), you meet the requirement of having “visited South Korea previously” for the multiple-entry visa valid for five years.
4. How can I prove that I have 780 points on Zhima Credit?
Open the Alipay app → My → Sesame Credit, and take a screenshot of the score page. Some agencies may require a recent Sesame Credit report.
5. Is the length of stay the same for both 10-year and 5-year visas?
The duration of stay is the same in both cases, with a maximum of 90 days per visit. The difference lies in the validity period of the visa: a five-year visa is valid for 5 years, while a ten-year visa is valid for 10 years. A one-time visa, on the other hand, has a stay period of only 30 days.
6. What should I do if my visa application is rejected? How long do I have to wait before I can apply again?
There is no mandatory waiting period after a South Korea visa application is rejected, but it is recommended to first find out the reason for the rejection (which can be obtained through agencies that assist with such applications) and complete all the required documents before submitting another application. Repeated rejections may affect subsequent applications.
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