South Korea
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- No restrictions on entry or staying.
Restrictions on entry to South Korea
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to South Korea based on HIV status.
UNAIDS and the US Department of State report to be unaware of any HIV-related restrictions on entry to the Republic of Korea (South Korea).
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in London has a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
Restrictions on short-term stay in South Korea
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in South Korea based on HIV status.
While the website of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade states that ‘Korea requires an apostille certified criminal record check and a health certificate to be submitted with E-2 teaching visa applications or extension applications’, this appears to be out of date.
There is no clear indication of this among the lists of supporting documents that should be included with the visa applications available on the Korea Visa Portal.
Furthermore, the information outlined in the historic regulations and traveller’s stories sections below, suggest that while HIV tests were previously required for teachers, this is no longer the case.
Restrictions on long-term stay in South Korea
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in South Korea based on HIV status.
UNAIDS and the US Department of State report to be unaware of any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.
Historic regulations in South Korea
For many years the country had been among the most restrictive in the world. The government prohibited the entry of non-nationals who were suspected of living with HIV, without specific procedures, and in particular for long-term stays. In addition, the legislation allowed for the deportation of HIV-positive foreigners.
After protests from human rights experts and a lawsuit in December 2009 which resulted in the deportation of an HIV-positive migrant worker being interrupted, the legislation in South Korea went into revision.
In 2010, UNAIDS released a statement of former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announcing that the Republic of Korea has lifted entry restrictions based on HIV status.
However, the Government of South Korea did not release official communication to confirm this. There continued to be reports about restrictions even after UNAIDS announcement.
It was only in July 2017, that the South Korea Ministry of Justice finally announced that English teachers would no longer be screened for HIV during the visa application process.
Treatment access in South Korea
Given how HIV is still stigmatised in South Korea, treatment accessibility for non-nationals is not public information. However, we received the following feedback from a user:
“A person seeking treatment has to go to a hospital and after seeing an infection control specialist, they will be required to pay for a battery of blood tests. Prices can vary but on the low end, approximately close to 425 USD. When these results return confirming that the patient is HIV-positive, they will be put into a national database and assigned a case-worker that will help them make appointments for check-ups and bloodwork on a six-month basis. That national database is to make sure that the person accesses pharmaceutical treatment and doctor visits. They are also very good about protecting the privacy of patients to ensure that no negative flashback from the community occurs or no word can get back to the person’s employer about treatment.
Medication is provided freely, paid for by the state and the 6-month blood work is also paid for. You see your doctor every 3 months. The only issue is making sure that you are in a more metropolitan city so that there is a higher chance that your doctor speaks English.”
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
People living with HIV are criminalised in South Korea. There are HIV-specific criminal laws in force which target alleged HIV ‘exposure’, non-disclosure, and/or transmission. We are aware of reported prosecutions under these or other laws.
Visit the South Korea page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
UNAIDS Global AIDS monitoring data
This information about access to HIV services comes from UNAIDS https://lawsandpolicies.unaids.org/, a platform to view data on HIV-related laws and policies. This is information provided by national authorities and civil society and may contradict other sources.
Migrant populations
Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
Migrants are able to access HIV services | N/A |
Refugees and asylum seekers
Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
This site focuses on information about HIV travel. Please also consult your own Foreign Office/Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or the local consulate of the country you are visiting, to see what restrictions there are specifically for you as a citizen of your country, regardless of your HIV status.