ExclusiveKorea to allow Iranians to overstay visas until conflict eases

Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran, Sunday, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Reuters-Yonhap

Korea will allow Iranians to remain here beyond their visa limits on humanitarian grounds, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran intensifies in the Middle East.

In response to inquiries from The Korea Times regarding Iranian nationals in Korea, the Ministry of Justice said those whose visas cannot be extended under ordinary rules will be permitted to stay until war-related risks are deemed to have subsided enough to allow safe travel.

As of January, 2,133 Iranian nationals were residing legally in Korea.

“The Ministry of Justice plans to allow Iranians who are currently staying in Korea legally, but can no longer extend their visas or change their status, to remain here on humanitarian grounds until the situation stabilizes,” a ministry official said.

This measure comes as some other countries are moving to ease immigration rules or grant temporary protections to Iranians who would face heightened danger if forced to return. At least two countries — Canada and Japan — have so far announced special measures allowing Iranians to extend their stay rather than forcing them to return to a war zone. Meanwhile, India and Qatar are providing visa relief to foreign travelers, including Iranians, stranded by flight disruptions.

The ministry said its protection measures will also cover undocumented Iranians in Korea.

“The Ministry of Justice does not forcibly repatriate people when their home country is in a grave emergency, such as war or civil strife, and it is clear that returning them would pose an obvious threat to their life and safety,” the official said.

This policy may also apply to Iranians currently held in immigration detention centers.

“The enforcement of forced deportations of detained foreign nationals will be decided after a comprehensive review of factors such as the availability of flights to the nation concerned and the local security situation,” the official said. “The Ministry of Justice is currently monitoring developments in Iran closely and plans to respond flexibly.”

Since the war began on Feb. 28, Iran has been reeling from a massive air campaign by the U.S. and Israel aimed at disabling its missile and nuclear programs and weakening the Islamic Republic. Hundreds of targets, including military facilities and key government infrastructure, have reportedly been hit.

The conflict has caused severe internet outages and blackouts in Iran, cutting off communication with the outside world. At the same time, Iranian retaliatory attacks on neighboring states have disrupted regional air traffic, triggering widespread flight cancellations and leaving routes into and out of the region increasingly unreliable and, in some cases, unsafe.

Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs imposed a blanket travel ban on Iran and warned of punishment for Koreans who visit or remain there without special permission, while urging citizens to cancel any planned trips and those already in the country to leave as soon as possible.

Around 40 Korean nationals are currently still in Iran, according to officials. Those who wish to stay must obtain a special passport-use permit to do so legally.

But because approval for such exceptional use typically takes more than a month, the government said it would temporarily suspend penalties under the passport law while applications are being processed.