Korea to provide free infectious disease tests for inbound travelers

International travelers arriving at Gimpo and Jeju airports with symptoms of respiratory infectious diseases will be able to receive free pre-entry testing services.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said it will implement the “Travelers’ Respiratory Infectious Disease Testing Service Pilot Project” at Gimpo and Jeju International Airport starting Monday.

Through the pilot project, international travelers with respiratory symptoms can receive free tests for animal influenza (AI)'s human infection, Covid-19, and influenza virus at the quarantine station upon arrival.

Previously, testing and quarantine were only conducted when a confirmed epidemiological link to a Level 1 quarantine infectious disease was identified during the quarantine phase.

However, symptomatic travelers can voluntarily report for testing on Monday and return home despite no epidemiological link.

Test results will be sent to their cell phone or email in two to three days. If they are positive, they will receive a confirmation letter from the quarantine center and can apply for National Health Insurance Service’s healthcare benefits at medical institutions.

“Through this pilot project, we expect to detect the early introduction of overseas infectious diseases and new and variant pathogens into Korea and to provide medical institutions with quick tests at the quarantine stage when overseas arrivals have suspicious respiratory symptoms,” KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee said.