A South Korea group visa is a tourist visa for a group of three or more people, filed for you by a travel agency that the Korean authorities have designated. In China it is the C-3-2 group tourism visa. The e-group visa is also available in China and in countries such as the Philippines, where a designated agency files online. Separately, Chinese nationals on certain group tours in China could enter without a visa from 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026, and the visa fee for group tourists from six countries is waived through 31 December 2026. Which of these applies to you depends on your nationality and on the Korean embassy that handles your application, so confirm with that embassy or the Korea Visa Portal (www.visa.go.kr).
The four things people mix up
| Item | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Chinese group visa-free scheme | 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026; groups of 3 or more; up to 15 days |
| Group visa fee waiver | USD 15 issuance fee waived through 31 December 2026, for group tourists from six countries |
| C-3-2 group tourism visa (China) | Groups of 3 or more; stay up to 90 days; one entry within 3 months of issue |
| E-group visa | Groups of 3 or more; the designated agency files on the Korea Visa Portal |
The first is about entering without a visa. The second is about the fee for a visa. The last two are the visas themselves.
Chinese group visa-free entry: dates and conditions
The Korean Embassy in Singapore's notice dated 2025-09-29 gives the scheme as 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026, for Chinese nationals who join specific group tours in China. It does not apply to Chinese nationals travelling to Korea from Singapore. That embassy also says it cannot give information on the scheme and points people to the Korean embassy and consulates in China.
The Korean government's implementation plan on the Korea Policy Briefing site (in Korean) adds the conditions:
- Group size: 3 or more people, recruited by dedicated travel agencies.
- Stay: visa-free within 15 days.
- Korean-side agency: must be designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and must register as a visa-free dedicated agency with Ministry of Justice immigration offices.
- China-side agency: must be a visa-filing agency designated by the Korean mission in China, and must apply to that mission for the visa-free designation.
- Screening: the Ministry of Justice checks the group list in advance for people who are barred from entry or have a record of overstaying.
- Sanctions on agencies: if too many members leave the group without permission, the agency faces administrative sanctions. A designation cancelled for this reason means no new designation for 2 years.
The official pages do not state how many members leaving the group counts as "too many".
In practice, your travel agency registers the group; you do not apply as an individual. The dates were first announced in a Ministry of Justice press release of 2025-08-06 (in Korean).
What happens after 30 June 2026
The dates published by the Korean government end on 30 June 2026. The embassy notice and the Korean government pages on the scheme show no notice about what applies afterwards. They do not announce an extension, and they do not announce an end either. The Ministry of Justice's one-year summary of immigration policy (in Korean, with figures through April 2026) still lists the scheme as 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026.
Before you book a tour to Korea, ask the travel agency in writing whether your tour runs under visa-free entry or with a group visa, and check with the Korean embassy or consulate in China. The Korean Embassy in China has posted visa notices with these titles: a change to visa issuance time (effective 2026-07-20), a suspension of travel agency filing (effective 2026-09-16), and administrative sanctions on visa-filing agencies (dated 2026-07-09). The notice list shows titles only, so read the full texts on the embassy site. Do not treat them as saying anything about the visa-free scheme.
Group visa fee waiver in 2026
A VISITKOREA English page dated 07/07/2026, citing the Ministry of Justice, says the visa fee waiver for group tourists from six countries has been extended through December 31, 2026. The waived amount is the standard visa issuance fee of USD 15 (approximately KRW 22,500). The six countries are China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Cambodia. The waiver was originally scheduled to end in June 2026.
This is a visa fee. It has nothing to do with the visa-free entry scheme above.
What you would pay in China is a separate question. The 2024 VISITKOREA Chinese-language visa guide, written in January 2024, shows these fees:
| Visa type | Fee (RMB) |
|---|---|
| Group visa | 105 |
| Single-entry (stay within 90 days) | 280 |
| Two-entry | 490 |
| Multiple-entry (2 or more uses) | 630 |
| Visa application centre service fee | 120 per application |
The group fee in that table is lower than the single-entry fee. The guide predates the 2026 waiver and does not say what the group fee is after the waiver or how the USD 15 relates to these RMB figures. Ask the embassy for the current fee before you pay anyone. A Shanghai Consulate General page dated 2019-07-13 adds that the visa fee is a review charge and is not refunded if the application is refused.
How the group visa (C-3-2) works in China
The C-3-2 is for groups of 3 or more invited by travel agencies designated by the Korean and Chinese governments, according to the 2024 VISITKOREA guide. You may stay up to 90 days, and the visa is valid for 3 months from issue with one entry.
Can you apply on your own? Not for C-3-2. The Shanghai Consulate General page (2019-07-13) lists C-3-2 as a visa filed through a designated travel agency, while individual visas can be filed by the applicant at the Korea visa application centre. The VISITKOREA guide points to the designated agency list on the Korean Embassy in China website.
Documents in the guide:
- A guarantee letter from the designated travel agency or filing agency
- The visa application form with one photo
- Passport, original and copy
- Original ID card
- Proof of residence, original and copy, if your household registration is in another place
The guide says to ask the designated agency for details. It also gives a passport validity of 6 months or more, and a 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm white-background photo taken within the last 6 months. The Korean Embassy in China keeps a visa types and required documents file (page dated 2026-03-27) for the current lists. The guide also says requirements differ between missions.
Processing time: the 2024 VISITKOREA guide gives about 5 working days for C-3-2 and about 10 working days for the individual C-3-9. The Shanghai page (2019) gives 5 working days for C-3-2 and 7 for C-3-9. Both say it takes longer if more documents are requested. Since the embassy has posted a change to visa issuance time effective 2026-07-20, treat these as older figures.
The official pages do not publish approval or refusal rates.
The electronic group visa (e-group visa)
In China, the responsible travel agency files the group's application on the Korea Visa Portal. A Guangzhou Consulate General notice from 2024-01-02 sets out how it works:
- The Ministry of Justice E-Visa Center approves it.
- It covers groups of 3 or more recruited by the agency abroad.
- The application is filed at least 5 working days before the planned entry date. Working days exclude weekends and Korean public holidays, which differ from local holidays. Korean visas are not approved on weekends and Korean public holidays.
- All members must depart and return on the same date and the same flight.
- The Korean-side agency must click "confirm" before the application is complete, so the China-side agency should contact it promptly after filing.
- The agency prints the confirmation of issuance from the portal.
- Enquiries: 0082-2-1345 (Korea).
The same product exists in other countries, with local agency lists and rules. The Korean Embassy in the Philippines shows one example. Its notice dated 2026-06-25 says the trial of the e-group visa (3 or more people, regular tourist) filed by designated agencies became formal operation effective 2026-06-27. A notice dated 2024-07-02 had extended the trial to 26 June 2026. An announcement dated 2023-09-08 says the designated agency applies directly to the Ministry of Justice through the Korea Visa Portal, is responsible for preventing group members from leaving the group, and can file for three categories: company incentive tour, education tour, and regular group tour of at least 3 members.
Group visa or individual tourist visa (C-3-9): which should you choose
The individual tourist visa is C-3-9. According to the 2024 VISITKOREA guide and the embassy's visa pages, it comes in these forms:
| Type | Stay and validity |
|---|---|
| Single-entry | Stay within 90 days; one entry within 3 months of issue |
| Double-entry | 30 days; two entries within 6 months of issue |
| Five-year multiple-entry | Up to 90 days per stay; for 19 categories of applicants listed on the embassy's page |
| Ten-year multiple-entry | Up to 90 days per stay |
The C-3-9 document list in the guide includes proof of financial capacity, which the C-3-2 list does not. The guide says social insurance and employment records are the basic evidence.
Use this to route yourself:
| Your situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Chinese national, and the agency confirms your tour runs under visa-free entry | The agency registers the group. Ask what it needs from you. |
| Chinese national on an agency group tour that needs a visa | C-3-2, filed by the designated agency |
| Group of 3 or more, non-Chinese, in a country where designated agencies offer it | E-group visa, filed by the designated agency |
| Travelling alone or in a party of fewer than 3 | Check visa-free eligibility first; if you need a tourist visa, check C-3-9 with your Korean embassy |
| Members will not all depart and return on the same date and flight | The 2024 China e-group visa notice requires matching dates and flights; if you need a tourist visa, check C-3-9 with your Korean embassy |
| You want several entries | C-3-9 double- or multiple-entry |
Other visa-free group and transit cases
The Guangzhou Consulate General visa-free entry page lists these cases, all described there as restored in 2023:
- Jeju group transit: Chinese group tourists (3 or more) travelling with agencies designated by the Korean tourism ministry and by Korean missions in China; status B-2, 15 days.
- Japan group visa holders transiting Korea: Chinese group tourists (3 or more) with a Japan group visa, with designated agencies; B-2, 15 days.
- School study-tour groups: groups of Chinese primary and secondary students, 3 or more with at least one leader, with consular confirmation; B-2, 30 days.
- Transit visa-free: people who need a visa for Korea but hold a visa for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or 32 European countries, and are travelling to or from those countries; B-2, 30 days.
The Ministry of Justice's one-year summary also says Indonesian group tourists (3 or more) have been allowed temporary visa-free entry from 28 May 2026 through 31 December 2026.
If you are not a Chinese national
The VISITKOREA "Visa & Travel Requirements" page says most foreign nationals need a passport and a visa unless they qualify under a visa waiver agreement. Visa-exempt travellers need a K-ETA before boarding a plane or ship. The exception is nationals of the countries and regions on the temporary K-ETA exemption list, valid until 31 December 2026:
- Asia: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau
- North America: United States (including Guam), Canada
- Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Austria
- Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
The exemption does not change the length of your visa-free stay, which depends on your country. An approved K-ETA does not guarantee entry either; the immigration officer at the port decides. The page names the Korea Visa Portal (www.visa.go.kr) and the K-ETA site (www.k-eta.go.kr). The Immigration Contact Center is at +82-1345 from abroad, weekdays 09:00-22:00.
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