Foreign nationals who got fully vaccinated against COVID-19 abroad are now eligible for a "vaccine pass" in Korea without the need to present a quarantine exemption certificate. The photo shows foreign arrivals on Dec. 6 at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport undergoing identification procedures before moving to their quarantine facilities. (Yonhap News)
By Park Hye Ri and Lee Jihae
Foreign nationals who were fully vaccinated abroad against COVID-19 are now eligible for a "vaccine pass" (either proof of full vaccination or negative test result) in Korea regardless of whether they have a quarantine exemption certificate.
The COVID-19 vaccination task force under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Dec. 9 said foreign nationals fully vaccinated overseas but whose vaccinations were not recognized in Korea because they did not bring a quarantine exemption certificate when entering the country can register the vaccines they got abroad and thus qualify for a vaccine pass.
The move thus widens recognition of foreign nationals fully inoculated overseas. Quarantine officials since Oct. 7 had registered the vaccination history of a foreign national vaccinated abroad into the Korean health care system only if they had quarantine exemption certificates.
Foreign nationals with proof of two vaccine shots abroad can get certified as vaccinated in Korea, including through Coov, a mobile app for electrically verifying a person's vaccine history. After a confirmation document is issued, that person can receive a vaccine pass and a third vaccine shot. Even in case of re-entry or close contact with confirmed infections, such people can get exemption from quarantine due to the pass.
Foreign nationals with no quarantine exemption certificates can get their vaccine history registered in Korea if they get a booster shot, which will also exempt them from quarantine in case of re-entry to Korea or coming into close contact with confirmed cases.
The vaccines eligible for the certificates are those approved by the World Health Organization: Pfizer, Janssen, Moderna, AstraZeneca (including Covishield), Sinopharm, Sinovac and Covaxin.
Foreign nationals who want to register their vaccinations received abroad can do so at a public health center by presenting their IDs and proof of inoculation.
hrhr@korea.kr
