From Saturday, all travelers, regardless of nationality, will no longer be required to submit negative test results for COVID-19 prior to their arrival.

According to the government on Friday, this will apply to Korean nationals and foreigners alike, regardless of vaccination status and country of departure.

Prior to the change, all inbound travelers to South Korea were required to submit negative results from PCR tests conducted within 48 hours or from rapid antigen tests within 24 hours preceding their arrival.

Still, health authorities will keep in place a mandate for everyone to submit the result of a PCR test taken within 24 hours of arriving in the country.

The government explained that the change reflects the global trend of scrapping pre-departure testing requirements amid a decline in infections.