South Korea to end routine ship quarantine boarding for crew changes

South Korea to end routine ship quarantine boarding for crew changes
The Editorial Team September 7, 2026 https://safety4sea.com/south-korea-to-end-routine-ship-quarantine-boardi...

South Korea is set to end routine onboard quarantine inspections triggered solely by crew changes in disease-risk areas, in a move expected to speed port entry for around 10,000 vessels a year.

The revised rules, which take effect on October 1, will shift the country’s ship quarantine system toward a risk-based, document-focused approach and bring Korea’s procedures into line with World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

According to the Korea JooAng Daily, under the amended enforcement rules of the Quarantine Act, promulgated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on 7 September, quarantine officers will board vessels primarily when there are specific indications of a potential disease threat.

These will include reports of illness or death from a quarantinable infectious disease, evidence of disease-carrying vectors on board, or the absence of a valid ship sanitation certificate.

Previously, quarantine officers were required to board vessels whenever a crew change had taken place in a country or region designated as a quarantine management area because of the circulation or potential spread of quarantinable infectious diseases. The requirement applied regardless of whether there were any other indications of an onboard health risk.

The KDCA said the revised approach reflects practices in countries such as the United States and Japan, where crew changes alone do not automatically trigger an onboard inspection. Instead, authorities generally intervene when infections, deaths or other risk factors are reported.

The existing system has drawn criticism from the Korean shipping industry, which has warned that routine inspections can delay vessel operations and cargo handling. Quarantine officers have also raised safety concerns over boarding vessels at sea.

According to the KDCA, crew changes in quarantine management areas accounted for 57.6% of all onboard inspections conducted at sea over a one-year period. None of those inspections identified a suspected case of a quarantinable infectious disease.

The agency also pointed to the physical risks faced by quarantine officers, who have at times been required to climb rope ladders to board vessels in high waves and strong winds. Reducing routine boarding requirements is expected to lower the risk of accidents involving inspection personnel.
Electronic screening to remain

The changes will not eliminate quarantine controls for arriving vessels.

Ships covered by the revised rules will continue to undergo electronic document screening, while officers will retain the authority to conduct onboard health and sanitation inspections where submitted documents require verification or a vessel’s condition raises concerns.

To maintain oversight as routine boarding is reduced, the KDCA plans to introduce random onboard inspections for selected arriving vessels later this year.

The agency is also revising fees for ship sanitation certificates. From October 1, the fee will increase from the current range of 20,000 won to 100,000 won to between 60,000 won and 300,000 won (approximately US$40-$220). The fee had remained unchanged for 16 years.

Following consultations with the shipping industry, the KDCA has divided the fee structure into six gross-tonnage categories, compared with five previously. The agency said Korean fees will remain lower than those charged in Japan, where they range from about 15,900 yen to 56,900 yen, and the United States, where fees range from approximately US$8,000 to US$65,000.

From December 1, the KDCA commissioner will also be empowered to specify documents that vessels must submit for advance review, potentially including drinking-water analysis reports.

The agency said the measure is intended to standardize ship sanitation inspections and improve the efficiency of the quarantine process.

The reforms are expected to reduce unnecessary delays for vessels entering Korean ports while maintaining targeted controls for ships presenting a genuine public-health risk.