Starting March 30, South Korea will issue 10-year multiple-entry visas to residents of 14 Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiamen, Tianjin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wuhan, Changsha, Qingdao, and Chongqing.
This means that Chinese travelers visiting South Korea for tourism, family visits, or business will only need to apply once and can travel freely within ten years, significantly reducing both cost and time barriers.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the move aims to push China–South Korea exchanges toward the “tens of millions” era, with a focus on attracting high-spending, frequent independent travelers.
Data show that in 2025, 5.48 million Chinese visited South Korea, a 19.5% year-on-year increase; during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday, daily arrivals grew by as much as 30%. Zhejiang, a major outbound travel province, has long seen Hangzhou and Ningbo ranking among the top source markets for South Korea.
With the upgrade from the previous five-year visa to the new ten-year visa, quick Friday evening trips to Seoul for fried chicken, strolling Myeongdong, or heading to Jeju for coffee and sunset views may become routine for more and more people.
South Korea is also shifting from group shopping tours to immersive lifestyle-driven travel. In Seoul and Busan, subways support WeChat Pay, while cosmetics shops, cafés and other retail outlets accept cashless payments.
