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I am currently a college student (20yrs) finishing up a semester of college in the US before flying back to Korea to be with my parents, but I heard that the travel restrictions in Korea are a bit crazy at the moment due to COVID-19.

I am a dual US/Korean citizen and am wondering how exactly I should be entering Korea using these two passports to avoid the travel restrictions. My name is different on the two passports and dual citizenship is allowed in both countries.

Before COVID-19, I would usually exit the US and enter Korea with my US passport due to having a 90- day travel visa. However, now the Korean government is making people who hold short term visas quarantine in a government-designated facility for 2 weeks at their own expense (~$1200!!), and I would really like to avoid that.

I'm a little confused about which passport to buy the airplane ticket with and which to show in immigration in both countries. Does anyone know how I would go about doing that?

EDIT: Not trying to avoid quarantine/self-isolation! Just trying to avoid paying $1200 to self-isolate at a government-designated facility when it is possible to self isolate at my parents' house (which is what Korean citizens have been doing).

J M
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    Why aren't you entering Korea with your Korean passport? That's the expected thing to do, pandemic or not. – Michael Hampton May 03 '20 at 03:38
  • @MichaelHampton probably because of the assumption that most people make that they have to use the same passport they checked in with when they clear passport control (which has not been my experience) along with buying the ticket in the US-passport name so as to be able to present the US passport when arriving in the US (because of the aforementioned assumption in combination with the US law that is said to require US citizens to use their US passports to enter the US). – phoog May 03 '20 at 04:08
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    So, your goal is to deliberately avoid the quarantine that's there to protect other people (like your parents, grandparents, and anyone else that doesn't already have COVID-19), as you feel the quarantine shouldn't apply to you, because it's too expensive? – Makyen May 03 '20 at 23:23
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    @Makyen Everybody has to quarantine, but Korean nationals can do so at home, while foreign nationals have to stay in a hotel. – lambshaanxy May 03 '20 at 23:36
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    Are you sure that’s the rule for Korean nationals, and not Korean residents? Say a German living in Korea for the last 20 years would have to go to a hotel instead of going to his home? And I assume OP doesn’t have a home in Korea? – gnasher729 May 04 '20 at 13:11
  • @MichaelHampton "U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States." – Aubreal May 04 '20 at 14:50
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    @AlexandreAubrey OK? What relevance does that have to entering Korea? – Michael Hampton May 04 '20 at 17:53
  • @Makyen I am not trying to avoid the quarantine AT ALL. I am trying to avoid quarantining at a hotel when I have a home to go back to. Korean citizens are allowed to go to their home and quarantine with their family members for 14 days. – J M May 05 '20 at 20:08
  • @gnasher729 I do have a home to go back to (my parents' home) – J M May 05 '20 at 20:09

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Have you already completed your mandatory military service? The reason I ask is that many of the young Koreans that I know who do this sort of thing (show their USA passport when they enter S Korea) are trying to avoid being caught and punished by the South Korean government who takes the service requirement seriously.

If you don’t know, you might find yourself drafted on entry. This may drive the decision over which passport to show more than any quarantine risk, or even whether it was a worth making this trip at this time.

RoboKaren
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  • But at least the government would pay for the quarantine, and soldier's wage also! – Harper - Reinstate Monica May 04 '20 at 16:00
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    While this is very valuable information, you do not answer the actual question. Can you please edit in an answer. (I could convert this to a comment but I think it is better visible as part of an answer.) – Willeke May 04 '20 at 16:02
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    I'm not a male, so I do not have to complete military service. – J M May 05 '20 at 20:05
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    @RoboKaren - could you edit a bit more to make it an answer rather than starting with the question, a bit of a rewrite could be very useful. ALso note the OP has said they don't need to do the military service. We keep getting flags as 'not an answer' at present...but don't want to just remove it and have you lose the effort youv'e put in – Mark Mayo May 06 '20 at 05:26
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Just buy the ticket with the name in your Korean passport and travel with your Korean passport. You can check in for your flight leaving the US with your Korean passport. It's possible that nobody will ask you about your status in the US when you leave. That has always been my experience (with European airlines).

I've heard of people being asked, however. If this happens, just show your US passport.

If they ask why the passports have different names, you can explain why. You're not the only one: some countries have incompatible name laws.

The tricky part will be returning to the US with with your Korean-passport name on the ticket. I would just hand the Korean passport to the check in counter so the agent can retrieve your ticket. After a moment, say "I also have a US passport" and hand it over as well.

Having different names in your passports shouldn't be too much of a problem. The photographs depict the same person. The biographical data pages describe the same person. You are that person. You're not trying to deceive anyone.

Have a safe trip.

phoog
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now the Korean government is making people who hold short term visas quarantine in a government-designated facility for 2 weeks at their own expense (~$1200!!), and I would really like to avoid that.

Last time I checked (on 2020-04-05), that was incorrect: the notice to traveler clearly says that only passengers without a confirmed address will have to go to the government quarantine facilities.

The confusion might come from the fact that https://kr.usembassy.gov/022420-covid-19-information/ incorrectly states that they have to go to the government quarantine facilities, even though the source they give contradicts that.

Other sources:

Franck Dernoncourt
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"U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States."

If you want to follow the American rules, use your American passport.

Also, most countries recommend that you should quarantine yourself upon arrival either way.

Aubreal
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    That is only for entering or leaving the US. The question asks instead about entering Korea. – GoodDeeds May 04 '20 at 15:45
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    @GoodDeeds the OP is in the US, so leaving the US applies. – James Jenkins May 04 '20 at 18:01
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    You can leave the one country on one passport and enter the other country on the other passport, many people do it every time they travel. – Willeke May 05 '20 at 09:32
  • That state department page misstates the law, which says that US citizens must "bear" a valid US passport. If someone leave the US using a foreign passport but also carrying a valid US passport, that person does not violate the law. – phoog May 05 '20 at 12:24
  • This answer also leaves out the relevant material immediately following the quoted sentence: "Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport to travel to or from a country other than the United States is not inconsistent with U.S. law." – phoog May 05 '20 at 12:31
  • @JamesJenkins the US does not inspect passports on departure. There's nothing in the law that prevents a US citizen from checking in for a flight out of the country with a foreign passport. – phoog May 05 '20 at 12:32
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    @phoog you seem to be in denial. It clearly says you must use the US passport to leave the US. You can use the other passport at the other country. But you must use the US passport entering AND leaving the US. This answer has links supporting statements. Your comments and answer, are without references. – James Jenkins May 05 '20 at 13:16
  • @JamesJenkins I have checked in for literally dozens of flights leaving the US with my non-US passport (while carrying my US passport). I am definitely not in denial. The law says "bear," not "use." Here's a link: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1185. (Furthermore, there's no penalty for violating this law.) If it were indeed true that US law required US citizens to "use" their US passports on departure from the US, why then does the State Department say "use of the foreign passport to travel to or from a country other than the United States is not inconsistent with U.S. law"? – phoog May 09 '20 at 01:01