SOUTH KOREA – Tuberculosis Test Required for Certain Long-Term Visa Applicants

, 18/03/2016

Effective 2 March 2016, certain applicants for long-term consular visas or post-arrival change of status or visa extension, who are nationals of eighteen “high TB-burden countries”, must submit a "Certificate of Health", including a tuberculosis test result.

Who is Affected?

The new requirement affects nationals of the eighteen “high TB-burden countries” who are applying for either

• a long-term visa (more than 90 days) at a South Korean diplomatic mission while resident in any of the same countries, or
• a change of status or extension of stay post arrival in South Korea.

The countries affected are: Nepal, East Timor, Russia, Malaysia, Mongol, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, India, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Pakistan, Philippines.

Exemptions

Diplomats, foreign government officials, international agreement status holders and children aged 5 years and under are exempt from providing this tuberculosis test result.

Consular Applications

For long-term visa applications at a South Korean diplomatic mission, nationals of “high TB-burden countries”, resident in any of those countries, must submit a certificate of health including a TB test result, valid for one year, issued by a hospital designated by the relevant Korean diplomatic mission.

The test must include the results of at least one of the following TB tests: chest X-ray, sputum test, tuberculin skin test, blood test or equivalent.

Long-term visas for South Korea include the E-7 for local hire, the D-7 for intra-company transfer, the D-8 for inter-company transfer, the D-9 (Treaty Trader) visa for service contracts and the F-3 visa for dependent family members of work visa holders.

Post Arrival Applications

For change of status or extension of stay applications post arrival in South Korea, nationals of “high TB-burden countries” must submit a certificate of confirmation issued by a Korean public health centre.

• Ensure that nationals of the listed countries obtain a tuberculosis test certificate, if required, for consular long-term visa applications and post-arrival extension of stay or change of status applications.