Travelers arriving into South Korea from more European Union (EU), four non-EU Schengen agreement countries, and Canada will be able to use automated immigration gates upon arrival into the country.
Travelers arriving into South Korea from more European Union (EU), four non-EU Schengen agreement countries, and Canada will be able to use automated immigration gates upon arrival into the country.
South Korea's Ministry of Justice stated that the 24 newly added countries whose citizens can use the automated immigration gates – known as the Smart Entry Service – include 19 EU member states including Greece, Denmark, Latvia, Romania, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Belgium, Bulgaria, Sweden, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Estonia, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Poland. The additions also cover four non-EU Schengen area countries – Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Iceland - and Canada.
With the newly added countries, the list of eligible countries has been expanded to 42 from the previous 18. All citizens of EU member countries will be able to use the automated immigration gates in South Korea.
Prior to the additions, the list of eligible countries included the following: Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mexico, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom (UK), Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand.
According to Ministry of Justice, the decision to include the EU and Schengen countries reflect the possibility of reciprocal arrangements allowing Korean citizens to use automated immigration systems in those countries.
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