Incheon International Airport will launch a new immigration lane for foreign business travelers Sunday, aimed at cutting waiting times and improving convenience. The dedicated lane, reserved for foreign travelers with investment or business purposes in Korea, allows faster processing through a separate inspection window. The measure, proposed by business lobby groups and company representatives during a June meeting with President Lee Jae Myung, addresses complaints that foreign investors often wait 24 to 35 minutes on average — and sometimes up to 92 minutes — at regular immigration counters.
By comparison, Korean travelers typically wait less than two minutes at unmanned automated inspection kiosks and about five minutes with an immigration officer. The new system will begin with a test run until December, before its official launch. Depending on feedback, the service may expand to Gimpo International Airport in Seoul and Gimhae International Airport in Busan. Airport authorities also plan to introduce fully automated inspections to further cut down processing times. The service is available to foreign travelers recommended by one of six business organizations: Federation of Korean Industries, American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, European Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea, Korea Enterprises Federation and Korea International Trade Association.
“We expect the new service will raise the convenience of the Incheon airport for foreign businessmen,” said Lee Hag-jae, president and CEO of Incheon International Airport Corp. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the measure is part of broader efforts to enhance Korea’s business environment for foreign investors. Incheon airport had previously ranked highest worldwide for service quality in cross-border and passport inspections for 12 consecutive years, but faced growing complaints after the COVID-19 pandemic, as international travel rebounded in 2023.
