South Korea Q-Code Country List – 2026 Guide

Most travellers to South Korea will know they either need a K-ETA or an online arrival card (if K-ETA exempt) but some foreign travellers will also have to complete a Korean Q-Code quarantine / health declaration form.

The Korean Q-Code health declaration still needs to be completed by citizens of over 20 countries as of May 2026 including selected USA States – and also if you have done a stopover in one of these countries.

From an updated list of the countries that require Q-Codes in Korea still in 2026 to how to complete the Korean health and quarantine form, here is our guide to the Korean Q-Code – last updated on 23 May 2026.

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What is the South Korea Q Code?

Managed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), “Q-CODE” is a quarantine pre-entry screening system that has to be completed by foreign travellers to South Korea who are coming from certain countries – a full list of the current Q-Code countries is included in the next section.

Where to complete the Korean Q-Code

If required to do so, you can complete your South Korean up to 7 days before your scheduled arrival via the official KDCA Q-Code website here >

So for instance, if you are entering South Korea on the 1 June, the earliest you can do the Q-Code is 24 May. Please note the Korean online arrival card (which you will also need to complete if not entering on the K-ETA exemption) can only be completed 3 days / 72 hours before.

You can also complete the Q-Code upon arrival into South Korea at electronic kiosks located international airports such as Incheon before you clear immigration.

As we learned when we once flew to South Korea via a stopover in China with China Southern (read our review here), we weren’t aware we had to complete a Q-Code so we just did it using special quarantine / health check e-kiosks before immigration. The whole process took around 5 minutes and you then receive a QR code via email which you may or may not need to show.

How to complete the Korean Q-Code

Whether you complete it online before you arrive or at the airport, the Q-Code information you need to provide is the same.

This is the personal information to need to provide, should your country of origin or stopover country be on the 2026 Q-Code country list in the next section:

• Mode of Transportation for Entering Korea (aircraft number or ship number)
• Country of final departure (excluding any stopovers)
• Personal details – email address, full name, date of birth, passport number, first address of your stay in South Korea, phone number
• A list of all the countries you have visited in the last 21 days
• Health questionnaire / symptom checklist
• Agree to the Q-Code terms and conditions / KDCA data processing

Please note these are all mandatory fields and all requested information must be submitted.

Upon completion, you receive a QR code via email which you can show to screening staff at the arrival South Korea airport before immigration to speed up your entry.

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South Korea Q-Code – Country List as of May 2026

Below is a list of the countries that still need to complete Q-Code forms before you can enter South Korea (or when you arrive at the airport) – this list was last updated by the official body KDCA on 1 April 2026.

Remember, this also includes stopovers  – so for instance if you fly from the UK (not a Q-Code country) but then do a stopover (not transit) in a Q-Code country like China, you must still complete the health screening form.

The current Korean Q-Code 2026 list is relevant to 5 Asian countries, 13 Middle Eastern countries, 2 African countries and selected Americas regions listed below:

Korea Q-Code Priority Quarantine Management Regions (as of 1 April 2026)

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