South Korea extends short-term group-visa fee waiver for Indian tour parties until 30 June 2026

Seoul has prolonged its processing-fee waiver for C-3-2 short-term group tourist visas from six source markets—India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia—through 30 June 2026. Announced by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol on 5 January, the extension keeps the KRW 18,000 (USD 12.50) fee at zero for package groups of five or more entering via approved travel agencies.

India has rapidly climbed South Korea’s source-market rankings: arrivals surged 37 % year-on-year to 235,000 in 2025, driven by K-pop tourism, MICE events and bilateral tech-sector exchanges. The fee waiver, combined with the existing electronic Korea ETA for individual travellers, positions South Korea as a competitive alternative to Japan for incentive trips originating from India’s IT and pharma hubs.



For Indian corporates, the policy lowers upfront costs for dealer conferences and training programmes in Seoul, Busan and the new K-culture cluster in Incheon. Travel agencies note that the waiver shaves roughly INR 1,050 per traveller off package prices—enough to close deals for budget-sensitive SME clients.

Visa-processing time for C-3-2 groups remains five working days, and applicants must submit an itinerary, return flights and hotel confirmations through accredited operators. South Korea’s justice ministry said biometric enrolment would be piloted at Incheon Airport’s satellite terminal from March, allowing pre-cleared groups to use automated gates.

Analysts expect the extension to keep Indian arrivals on a double-digit growth trajectory, bolstering air-capacity negotiations that could see new Bengaluru–Seoul and Hyderabad–Busan services by winter 2026.