Korea extends group tourist visa fee waivers for six countries through year-end

Korea has extended its visa fee waiver program for group tourists from six countries through the end of the year, the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday.

Under the extended program, visa issuance fees will be waived for group tourists coming from China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, according to the ministry.

The program was introduced following a national tourism strategy meeting held at the Blue House in February to promote and revitalize foreign group tourism.

The Justice Ministry said it expects the extension to have positive effects in revitalizing the tourism industry and recovering local economies.

Around 790,000 foreigners entered the country on group visas in 2025, marking a 39 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the ministry. Of those, only 0.07 percent overstayed their visas or remained here illegally, marking a drop of more than 50 percent from the previous year.

Yonhap