My nephew, who is a Filipino green-card holder, will stop by Korea next week on his way back to Los Angeles. He asked me if he could get out of the airport and explore Seoul since his layover is for 14 hours! Does he still need a visa? He needs to give me the new Panasonic camera that my ever-so-generous older brother bought for me as an early birthday cum Christmas gift. I should have asked him to get me a PS3 too. LOL!
I reminded him that his grandmother, my mother, was able to get out of the airport when she was here for a 12-hour layover too. Her carrier, Asiana Airlines, provided a free accommodation but she waived it when we pick her up and brought her to an island near Incheon. We took her to the filming locations of “Full House” (drama starring Rain and Song Hye Gyo) and “Sad Sonata” (Kim Hee Sun and Kwon Sang Woo).
According to the G4F website:
Transit tourists bound for another country
Eligible countries
Applicable to all countries (save for Cuba, and Macedonia) that are not granted visa-free entry into Korea.
Applicable to…
*Those with a visa or a re-entry permit for U.S., Japan, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand (5 countries) and traveling to any one of those countries through Korea.
*Those traveling from any one of the five countries mentioned above, whose final destination is not Korea.
Requirements
Must have a confirmed onward flight ticket for departure within 30 days after entering Korea, in addition to having no record of criminal offense in the five countries mentioned above.
Since my nephew will be traveling to the United States, he doesn’t need to get a tourist visa anymore. So for those of you who have the same question, just check the G4F website!
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
hi there kabayan. What do u think shall i need if i want to have a stopover from Dubai to Korea to Philippines lets just say for about 3 weeks would that be fine coz i have a cousin there married to a guy korean.thank you.
hello, kabayan! I work in Dubai. I want to visit South Korea on December on my way to Manila. Is it possible? Emirates provides flight to South Korea, but I don’t if they provide a connecting flight to Manila also. I really want to go there. Is it possible?
Thanks for this info. Big help! Since my family and I are all spending our holidays to the Philippines and for us to have a seat going back to Canada, we need to avail the 12 hour stop over to Korea. And it happen that I was the only holder of a Philippine Passport. I was worried that if we take the 12-hour tour, I might not be able to go with them. Anyway, now it’s Clear that I don’t need a Korean Visa, as long as I have an onward flight ticket back to Canada. Thanks so much!
@denden, what i understand is, if you are a U.S. citizen, you don’t need to get a korean tourist visa, but if you are a philippine passport holder, you may still need a tourist visa in korea….
Hi Denden,
I just want to ask if you have managed to get out of the airport in Incheon as I have the same case as yours.
Hoping for your response.
Thanks
Hi Ms Betchay!!
I and my mom are planning to stop for 2 to 3 days in Incheon as we go to USA or to Philippines..We have B1B2 US visa..do we need Korean visa when we stop there for more thatn 12 hours..kinda confused as the agent in Manila advised us to get one when we ask them to have a 2 to 3 days stopover instead of 12 hours.
Hi,
I think you do not need a visa as long as you can show them the ticket of your connecting flight to your final destination.
thanks hestmed for the reply!
yes you are right, no need for visa..will be staying for 11 hours only. any idea how to explore Korea for about 7 to 8 hrs. will be arriving at 5am on Nov 23.
to ms betchay, how to go to the filiming locations u visited? thanks!
So… I’m travelling on Korean Air from New York to Seoul Incheon on January 18 2012, and my travel agent has told me that our luggage will be checked through all the way to Melbourne. Our stop over/lay over in Seoul is 16 hours – do we have to stay in the airport? Or are we able to get out and go to the markets or something?
Any thoughts/help would be much appreciated…
WOW..may passport n rinme at sana matatakan n din ng ganyan..
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Hi tita! I’m from Vancouver, Canada and I wanna visit the Philippines next year December 2012. Gusto ko din po sana mag-stopover sa Korea for a week? Can you give me any suggestions.. like airlines thats really really cheap..
and since I have a Canadian passport by then, i don’t need a visa or anything, right? E-mail me please. Thank you !
Hi Nizza! Air Canada is really cheap when flying to Korea. You might also want to try EVA Air or China Airlines. You don’t need a visa and you can stay here for six months visa-free.
another question po.. if i’ll be staying there for a week, for my budget, except lodging, mga how much po kaya? like food, trasnpo and shopping?
Hello..Im from Ottawa, and my schedule coming back here ion canada was changed..im going to have a 12 hour lay over at korea..Im a canadian resident..do i need a visa? thanks..
hi I am student visa in UK I am planning to go to philippines for vacation.and i wanna stop over in korea for 1day.do i need visa or not?
No need.
Hi there! I just stumbled upon this website and really wanna know if i were holding and Indian visa and had a lay over in korea for 7 hours do i get to go out and explore? Cz I know for sure that if u hold a canadian or uk or states or ozzie or nz passport you can get in and out when ever you want. But what about an indian one from dubai to sydney! Please do let m kno as it would be mucho apreciated. However if i cant get in and out what do i do cz i know that 7 hours doesnt sound like much but i would really get depressingly bored ><