South Korea’s presidential office has confirmed that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will make a state visit to Seoul from 17–19 January, the first by an Italian leader in 19 years. Bilateral talks with President Lee Jae Myung on 19 January will focus on expanding trade, defence co-operation and artificial-intelligence research. Italy already ranks among South Korea’s top four EU trading partners, with bilateral commerce topping €11 billion in 2025.
For corporate mobility teams the announcement unlocks two practical considerations. First, the visit is expected to yield a memorandum of understanding easing short-term business-visa issuance for executives travelling between Milan and Seoul. Italian diplomatic sources say a pilot “express lane” at consulates could cut processing to 48 hours for applicants holding invitation letters from companies accredited by Confindustria and its Korean counterpart, KITA.
Amid these evolving requirements, VisaHQ’s Italian portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can act as a single window for both K-ETA applications and traditional business-visa submissions. The platform already tracks consular processing times in real time, issues reminders for expiring passports, and can pivot quickly to any “express lane” protocol that Rome and Seoul unveil, sparing mobility teams the need to juggle multiple vendors.
![Meloni’s Planned State Visit to Seoul Signals New Business Travel Opportunities]()
Second, defence suppliers and AI start-ups accompanying the delegation will trigger a spike in last-minute travel to Seoul. Travel managers should secure K-ETA electronic authorisations early and monitor seat availability on the recently reinstated ITA Airways Rome–Seoul route, which operated at 92 percent load factor over the holiday peak.
Security advisers note that Meloni’s itinerary includes a stop at the demilitarised zone, where heightened alert levels could briefly restrict civilian movement. Companies planning site visits near the border region should build time buffers into schedules.
Longer term, any streamlined visa facility will be a boon for Italian SMEs eyeing Korea’s high-tech supply chains, but details will only emerge once the summit communiqués are published. Mobility teams should keep in close contact with their preferred visa agents and airline account managers.
For corporate mobility teams the announcement unlocks two practical considerations. First, the visit is expected to yield a memorandum of understanding easing short-term business-visa issuance for executives travelling between Milan and Seoul. Italian diplomatic sources say a pilot “express lane” at consulates could cut processing to 48 hours for applicants holding invitation letters from companies accredited by Confindustria and its Korean counterpart, KITA.
Amid these evolving requirements, VisaHQ’s Italian portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) can act as a single window for both K-ETA applications and traditional business-visa submissions. The platform already tracks consular processing times in real time, issues reminders for expiring passports, and can pivot quickly to any “express lane” protocol that Rome and Seoul unveil, sparing mobility teams the need to juggle multiple vendors.
Second, defence suppliers and AI start-ups accompanying the delegation will trigger a spike in last-minute travel to Seoul. Travel managers should secure K-ETA electronic authorisations early and monitor seat availability on the recently reinstated ITA Airways Rome–Seoul route, which operated at 92 percent load factor over the holiday peak.
Security advisers note that Meloni’s itinerary includes a stop at the demilitarised zone, where heightened alert levels could briefly restrict civilian movement. Companies planning site visits near the border region should build time buffers into schedules.
Longer term, any streamlined visa facility will be a boon for Italian SMEs eyeing Korea’s high-tech supply chains, but details will only emerge once the summit communiqués are published. Mobility teams should keep in close contact with their preferred visa agents and airline account managers.
