In a bid to turbo-charge inbound tourism from China, South Korea has upgraded its visa product for residents of 14 major mainland cities—Beijing, Changsha, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan and Xiamen—from a five-year to a 10-year multiple-entry visa. Travel Weekly Asia reports that the new permits have been available since 30 March 2026 and can be used for tourism, short-term business and family visits, with each stay capped at 90 days.
![South Korea Offers 10-Year Multiple-Entry Visas to Residents of 14 Mainland Chinese Cities]()
VisaHQ can guide eligible Chinese residents through every step of the application process, from filling in bilingual forms to scheduling biometric appointments and arranging secure courier services for passports—see the dedicated resources at https://www.visahq.com/china/ to simplify your upgrade to South Korea’s 10-year visa.
The decision dovetails with Seoul’s temporary group-tour visa waiver for Chinese travellers (in force until 30 June 2026) and reflects a broader strategy to push annual two-way visitor flows back into the “tens of millions” bracket. Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists accounted for roughly a quarter of all foreign arrivals to South Korea, spending US $15 billion a year. In 2025, visitation rebounded 19.5 % to 5.48 million, and officials now see the extended visa validity as a springboard for further growth. For mainland Chinese corporates, the 10-year visa slashes administrative friction: executives based in the selected cities need only apply once this decade for routine trips to headquarters, suppliers or trade fairs in Seoul, Busan and Incheon. Korean retailers and property managers are already adjusting loyalty programmes to lock in repeat high-spending visitors, while airlines plan to restore wide-body capacity on trunk routes such as Shanghai–Seoul and Shenzhen–Busan ahead of the summer peak. Chinese travel managers should note that eligibility is residence-based: applicants must present proof of household registration or long-term employment in one of the 14 cities. The visas do not confer work rights in Korea, and travellers must still obtain separate authorisation for paid activities lasting longer than 90 days. Carriers also remind passengers that the electronic travel authorisation (K-ETA) remains mandatory for other Chinese cities not covered by the new policy. Industry observers see the measure as part of an intensifying regional competition for Chinese outbound spend, citing Thailand’s recent move to shorten but preserve its own visa-free entry for mainland tourists and Japan’s digitalisation of multiple-entry waivers. For global mobility teams, the takeaway is clear: staff based in China’s Tier-1 and strong Tier-2 cities now enjoy a decade-long fast-lane into a key North Asian hub, lowering costs for recurring site visits and conferences.
VisaHQ can guide eligible Chinese residents through every step of the application process, from filling in bilingual forms to scheduling biometric appointments and arranging secure courier services for passports—see the dedicated resources at https://www.visahq.com/china/ to simplify your upgrade to South Korea’s 10-year visa.
The decision dovetails with Seoul’s temporary group-tour visa waiver for Chinese travellers (in force until 30 June 2026) and reflects a broader strategy to push annual two-way visitor flows back into the “tens of millions” bracket. Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists accounted for roughly a quarter of all foreign arrivals to South Korea, spending US $15 billion a year. In 2025, visitation rebounded 19.5 % to 5.48 million, and officials now see the extended visa validity as a springboard for further growth. For mainland Chinese corporates, the 10-year visa slashes administrative friction: executives based in the selected cities need only apply once this decade for routine trips to headquarters, suppliers or trade fairs in Seoul, Busan and Incheon. Korean retailers and property managers are already adjusting loyalty programmes to lock in repeat high-spending visitors, while airlines plan to restore wide-body capacity on trunk routes such as Shanghai–Seoul and Shenzhen–Busan ahead of the summer peak. Chinese travel managers should note that eligibility is residence-based: applicants must present proof of household registration or long-term employment in one of the 14 cities. The visas do not confer work rights in Korea, and travellers must still obtain separate authorisation for paid activities lasting longer than 90 days. Carriers also remind passengers that the electronic travel authorisation (K-ETA) remains mandatory for other Chinese cities not covered by the new policy. Industry observers see the measure as part of an intensifying regional competition for Chinese outbound spend, citing Thailand’s recent move to shorten but preserve its own visa-free entry for mainland tourists and Japan’s digitalisation of multiple-entry waivers. For global mobility teams, the takeaway is clear: staff based in China’s Tier-1 and strong Tier-2 cities now enjoy a decade-long fast-lane into a key North Asian hub, lowering costs for recurring site visits and conferences.
