South Korea has announced the resumption of receiving visa applications from Bangladeshis after two rounds of closure for about 16 months over the coronavirus pandemic.
The Embassy of South Korea in Dhaka made the announcement on Thursday, saying it will receive the visa applications from Sunday, reports bdnews24.com.
The decision has been made in consideration of the improved COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh and the low number of coronavirus-positive cases among the Bangladeshi arrivals in South Korea, the embassy said.
It advised the Bangladeshi travellers to be fully vaccinated before arrival and take strong precautions before, during and after the travel.
South Korea stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshis on Jun 23, 2020, after many passengers with COVID-negative certificates tested positive for the disease.
The East Asian country resumed issuing visas in February this year, but suspended the process again on Apr 16 amid a surge in infections driven by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
The embassy warned that it will stop receiving visa applications again if the number of coronavirus cases among arrivals rises.
Bangladeshis who are willing to travel to South Korea for more than 90 days for study or research can apply for visas now. Short-term stay for official or business purposes will also be allowed.
Short-term non-urgent visas for purposes, such as sightseeing and medical tourism, will be limited.