Visa-Free Entry For Indians: Travellers To Jeju Island Warned After Influencer Detained

2026-02-26 09:40:32

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Indian embassy in Seoul, South Korea, has issued an advisory to nationals travelling to Jeju Island, after a content creator's video went viral as he was detained on arrival in the province.

The island - known for its beach resorts and volcanic landscape of craters and cavelike lava tubes - offers visa-free entry to Indians for up to 30 days, given they travel directly to the island and not travel towards mainland South Korea.

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The embassy revealed it had as of late received complaints about inconveniences caused to Indian travellers or denial of entry/repatriation upon arrival in Jeju Island, under the visa waiver scheme.

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The advisory comes after an Indian creator, Sachin Awasthi, and his wife were held in detention for 38 hours on the island and were made to book an expensive return ticket back to India despite having all the required documents.

To reduce such incidents, Indians planning to visit Jeju Island under the same scheme have been advised to be mindful of the following:

1. Entry under the Jeju visa free facility is permitted strictly for short term tourism. Final admission into the Republic of Korea is determined solely by the immigration authorities at Jeju International Airport in accordance with Korean law. The visa waiver scheme does not guarantee entry.

2. Those travelling must carry the following mandatory documents, which must also be printed and not only mobile screenshots.

Confirmed return air ticket
Hotel reservation covering entire stay
Detailed travel itinerary (day-wise plan)
Proof of sufficient funds (recent bank statements / international cards / forex)
Passport valid for at least six months
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
Contact details of accommodation

The authority highlighted passengers unable to clearly explain their travel plan could be at the risk of entry denial.

3. Financial preparedness: Travellers should be able to demonstrate adequate financial capacity for the duration of stay including for daily expenses, accommodation payment and transport arrangements. Immigration authorities may ask related questions to which answers consistent with tourism objectives would be expected from the visitors.

4. Interview at Immigration: Upon arrival, immigration officers may conduct an interview, for which travellers have been urged to answer clearly, truthfully and consistently while remaining calm and cooperative. They must also know their itinerary and accommodation details. Failure to satisfy the immigration officer may result in denial of entry.

5. The embassy warned that the Jeju visa waiver does not permit travel to mainland Korea and any attempt to the leave the island for mainland Korea without a visa is illegal. Overstay or unauthorised activity may result in future travel bans.

6. If entry is refused, the passenger will be returned on the next available flight of the same airline. Under that situation, depending on flight schedules, temporary stay in a holding facility may be required.

7. The embassy also said it was not in a position to overturn the decisions of the RoK immigration authority in matters relating to entry into the country.

It said it would seek their assistance in providing reasonable support to Indian nationals in the holding facility.

Travellers have been urged to reach out to the Consular Wing of the embassy through the designated telephone numbers +82-2-792-4257, Ext 407 (Operator) during office hours and the designated email address,....

The embassy also maintains an emergency contact number: 010-9356-4188. Indian nationals facing immigration issues may contact the embassy through this number for assistance in the after-office hours, on weekends and on holidays, the statement added.