Do Chinese citizens need a visa for South Korea?
Chinese citizens need a visa for South Korea, and the application starts online. Depending on your passport this may still involve biometrics, an in-person appointment and several weeks of processing, so apply early. Passport validity required: valid on arrival. Separately from any visa, South Korea requires e-Arrival before or on arrival.
🇨🇳 China → 🇰🇷 South Korea
Visa needed, apply online
The application starts online. Depending on your passport this may still involve biometrics, an appointment, and several weeks, so start early.
Maximum stay
Not specified
Passport validity
Valid on arrival
Pre-registration
e-Arrival
Visa not required for up to 35 days if you qualify
If travel as tourist group China.
Do I need a visa for South Korea from China?
Yes. The rule follows the passport, not the departure airport: flying from China makes no difference on its own. Chinese citizens need a visa for South Korea, and the application starts online. Depending on your passport this may still involve biometrics, an in-person appointment and several weeks of processing, so apply early. Passport validity required: valid on arrival. Separately from any visa, South Korea requires e-Arrival before or on arrival.
The arrangement is not reciprocal, and it runs against you here: South Korea passport holders enter China without a visa, while Chinese citizens travelling the other way need a visa.
Need a South Korea visa?
Apply through our partner Evisa Express. Forms, fees and government submission are handled, with status updates until it is approved.
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Check a different pair
Another passport, or somewhere else entirely.
This is the pair you are reading. Change either side to check another.
What to do next
The part most visa checkers leave out: what actually needs doing before you fly.
Confirm with the official source
Rules change without notice, and only the immigration authority of South Korea can tell you where you stand. Search for its official site before you travel.
Check your passport
Passport validity required: valid on arrival. Renew first if you are close, because this is the most common reason travellers are turned away.
e-Arrival required
Separate from any visa: South Korea requires this registration before or on arrival. Do it even if you need no visa.
Common questions
China passport, South Korea border — answered from the same rule the verdict shows.
Yes. Chinese citizens need a visa for South Korea, and the application starts online. Depending on your passport this may still involve biometrics, an in-person appointment and several weeks of processing, so apply early. Passport validity required: valid on arrival. Separately from any visa, South Korea requires e-Arrival before or on arrival.
Yes. The rule follows the passport, not the departure airport: flying from China makes no difference on its own. Chinese citizens need a visa for South Korea, and the application starts online. Depending on your passport this may still involve biometrics, an in-person appointment and several weeks of processing, so apply early. Passport validity required: valid on arrival. Separately from any visa, South Korea requires e-Arrival before or on arrival.
Valid on arrival. Renew before you travel if you are close to that, because it is one of the most common reasons travellers are refused boarding.
No. South Korea does not issue a visa at the border for a China passport. The application starts online and must be approved before you travel.
Yes. South Korea requires e-Arrival. This is separate from a visa and applies even to travellers who need no visa, so complete it before you travel.
Yes. Visa not required for up to 35 days applies if you qualify: If travel as tourist group China.
No. This is guidance based on data from Travel Buddy, last checked 2026-09-03. Entry rules change without notice and the final decision rests with border officials. Always confirm with the official government source before booking or flying.
Other passports for South Korea
The same destination on a different passport. Rules differ sharply by nationality, so check the one you will actually travel on.
All South Korea entry rules by passport