Before you can settle into your quarantine facility and relax, you have to go get tested for COVID at one of Korea’s many testing facilities. Back when I went through this process, I was made to get tested between 1-3 days after arrival; my friends who have arrived more recently have been told that their test needed to be done within the first day after arrival, and that a follow up test would be required at the end of their time in quarantine before their release. To give you a better idea of what you may experience no matter when you get tested, I will recount my own journey.
Here is something important to note: if you opted to stay in some form of independent quarantine housing, such as an Airbnb, you will be on your own for this adventure. My friends who selected to stay in the dormitory quarantine facilities, specifically those of Korea University, were taken by bus, along with fellow new arrivals, to nearby testing facilities. This made the testing portion of the arrival process less stressful for these students. Those quarantining in university facilities will likely not have to figure out testing alone. However, if you take a path similar to mine and face a solo testing experience, here’s what my journey looked like.
When I went to the airport taxi kiosk, the woman who helped me hail a taxi handed me a form that had various information about COVID testing and testing facilities. This is great news and a very helpful form to have—that is, if you know Korean. I, unfortunately, did not have the skills required to decipher all the words and their corresponding phone numbers, leaving me in a tricky situation. I did not panic over this the first night in quarantine; rather, I lugged my bags into the Airbnb, quickly hopped into the shower to wash the airplane germs (and potentially COVID) off of me, and had an excellent night sleep.
The next morning was a different issue. I did not want to leave the testing for the third day in case of any logistical hiccups. This turned out to be a good call, as I did, in fact, experience many hurdles. The first issue encountered was that I was unsure of where to actually get tested, and also how to get there. The form had been handed to me with a couple of names circled, but again, I had no idea what they indicated. With the help of several Korean-speaking friends, it was determined that these were clinic names; the lady at the desk had circled the best clinic options given my quarantine location, which were listed on the entry paperwork at the airport.
Unfortunately, I was unsure of anything further than this. I had to figure out which was closest as well as other information such as what to bring and if I was allowed to just show up without an appointment. To resolve this, I attempted to contact the numbers listed. Due to technical difficulties with my phone plan, I was unable to get my phone calls through to most numbers I attempted to call (including non-clinic phone numbers, such as foreigner-help services). It is unlikely you will run into this very same challenge; however, it is wise to be prepared in case of such a situation, such as having someone back at home who can deal with the issue stateside if you have an international plan with a domestic company. Issues such as this one do make having a Korean plan/SIM card rather appealing, so if possible, pursue either purchasing one prior to arriving or getting one at the airport.
Once my phone issues had been resolved, I contacted the government official in charge of me (you will have a contact assigned to you, listed on the check-in app) to inquire about these things. After having my call transferred to several representatives, one informed me that no, an appointment is not required, taxis are permitted as transport to testing facilities, but no other public transport is, and that I was on my own to arrange the hailing of a taxi. Not much, but something! More recently, I have had friends receive instruction to call the clinic and/or their quarantine official prior leaving for their COVID test; this is likely due to the fact that the testing facilities are busier due to higher case levels and also due to the fact that you are not allowed to leave the quarantine facility aside from for the purpose of testing.
The biggest challenge at that point was figuring out which clinic to go to; as I mentioned, I was unclear as to exactly which clinic I would need to visit, but you may be given more clear direction than I was. Regardless, my Korean friends were incredibly kind and patient with be during this process, and eventually determined which was closest, and provided me the address in both Korean and English. Here’s the wisdom for this hurdle: if you are not familiar with Korea and/or don’t speak Korean, research the closest testing facilities nearby your accommodation ahead of time. Before arriving to Korea, when the stress of the entry process ensues, get this figured out so you have one less thing to worry about. Figure out the closest testing facility (as in which, testing facility is responsible for your district specifically), the phone number, and address of the location; have these accessible and saved.
When the day comes to get tested, I would recommend using the KakaoTaxi app so you can write a note to the driver to inform them of your new arrival-status when you request a driver through the app, if you feel compelled. I did not personally think of this at the time, but I believe it would be a nice courtesy. Furthermore, KakaoTaxi allows you to simply put the exact address, whereas sometimes when you simply tell the taxi driver the address verbally, the language barrier causes confusion.
Assuming you’ve now figured out what clinic to visit, you have a plan for how to hail a taxi, and you have money prepared for the taxi, you will need to also remember to compile your important documents to bring with you to the testing facility. In my memory, this included the form certifying that you had gone through the airport COVID-precaution and check-in process, the paper that signifies your quarantine location and confirmation, as well as your passport. However, given my stress and uncertainty of how to approach the whole testing thing, I truly do not recall exactly what documents I provided. I do know, however, that I brought with me virtually every document I had in my possession just to be safe—all of the forms I had printed regarding my acceptance and enrollment, every document acquired at the airport, copies of my passport and visa as well as the real ones. I am glad I did so, as I was able to simply rifle through my folder, locate the form I had been asked for, and then hand it over; I had no stress over whether I possibly had forgotten one of the few forms asked for at home. In addition to the airport, this is another place where having a form including your Korean address, your own phone number (you can put down a U.S. number, but if you managed to get a Korean number ahead of time you may not yet have it memorized), university address, and the contact information of any contacts you may have in Korea. It would be wise to have the information in both English and Korean as I was requested to fill out the forms at the quarantine facility in Korean. If you have a host, request the address of your quarantine facility in both Korean and romanization (writing the Korean words using the Latin/Roman alphabet).
Upon reaching my quarantine facility, I was ushered in by a PPE-donned staff member who took my temperature, then kindly assisted me in filling out the forms, which asked for information such as my Airbnb address, birthdate, and more. After completing this, I was taken to a station where I was asked for the contact information where my test results would be sent to, and one where the forms I had just filled out were taken. Word of warning: even with an international data plan, typically an American or other foreign phone number will not be accepted at the testing facility, nor will a KakaoTalk ID. I had to request that the results be sent to a Korean friend, so make sure that you have a contact in Korea with a Korean phone number before you get there who is willing to be contacted by the testing center and relay results. The second of the two stations provided me with the “testing kit,” which I was then ushered to carry to the final station—the testing booth. Although I do encourage you to bring any important documents that you suspect you may be asked for as well as your identification and such, I would recommend you bring little else with you as this process moves quickly and packing light will be to your benefit. I had the luck of being at an empty testing facility, meaning no one else was in line creating pressure for the staff to work faster and get me through in a rush. However, even under these circumstances, having many belongings with me became cumbersome.
The final (and most fun!—entirely joking) station is the actual testing station. Here, a doctor stood behind a wall of plexiglass where two rubber gloves protruded from circles cut in the plexiglass. The doctor requested that I uncap the tubes and hand her the swabs. Be prepared—this is not like the testing you may have underwent back home. I had gone through one test in the U.S. and as such I expected a regular sized q-tip, a quick swab very shallow in the nose, and done. I can assure you, you will not be so lucky unless they have changed their testing style. Rather, be prepared for what has been referred to as a “brain tickle” (if only it were so pleasant as a tickle). After handing her the cotton swabs, the doctor requested that I move quite close to the wall, and once I had done this, she conducted the swab (it goes quite far up and lasts more than a moment, or at least it felt that way). I would say that it feels more like a burning and tickling sensation rather than pain, but it certainly is not comfortable. Regardless, after it was over, I was requested to place the swabs into the tubes, and then collect my belongings and place the tubes in a refrigerator. After that, I was free to leave. I hailed another taxi using the app, and then was taken back to my Airbnb. Remember, you cannot make any stops on your way home, not for groceries nor for anything else—you must return straight to your housing!
You may have noticed that I did not mention payment, insurance, or anything related. The beauty of most Korean testing facilities (I hesitate to say all as I cannot say with full confidence that all operate this way) is that they do not ask for payment. That's right, your budget won't be tightened by trips to the COVID-testing facilities! If you, at any point in your time in South Korea, feel the need to get tested or are required to do so, simply visit the nearest public/community testing center!
Once you return to your Airbnb, you are to remain there for the duration of the quarantine period. Before leaving the testing facility, I was given a form that indicated I had gone through the appropriate procedures and also indicated when I was permitted to leave my Airbnb. During my two weeks of quarantine, the district sent an official to my Airbnb to have me sign a form and also provide me with a “goodie bag” of sorts, which included items such as hand sanitizer, disinfecting spray, orange “biohazard” bags meant for your quarantine trash, and more. Do note that this experience differs per city and even district; my friends who chose to quarantine independently did not all receive a bag, and most did not even receive an in-person visit, but rather received only a phone call. Regardless of the interaction style of your district, you are required to not only check-in, but report your temperature twice daily on the app every day of quarantine.
I received my test results not even a full 24 hours after getting my test done; the results were given through both a phone call to my friend as well as a text message (if you put your own Korean phone number down, these will be sent to you). MAKE SURE TO SAVE THIS TEXT MESSAGE AND SCREENSHOT IT. It is likely that your university will request this. If you had to have the results sent to a friend, request that they type your name in the message bar before screenshotting it, as with the text not being directly on your phone, those requesting proof will need to be able to see that the message was in fact for you.
While the process may seem intense here, I would venture to say that it is actually rather fast-paced and barely an event. However, as I mentioned earlier, I was lucky to have gone to a very empty facility, or perhaps visited on an especially slow day. As cases have increased all over Korea, especially in Seoul, since the point of my arrival, you are likely to see differences in your own experience. Regardless, I will re-emphasize the key points that should remain true below in the Helpful Hints section.
Remember, aside from your trip(s) out to get tested, you may not leave your quarantine facility for any reason (aside from true emergencies); all food and supplies must be delivered, no visitors are allowed, and no walks along the Han River will be permitted! I restate this because the Korean government is very serious about COVID-19 and understandably expect their quarantine rules to be followed to a T. Do your best to be prepared, stay on top of things, and follow the rules. The stakes are high; if I recall correctly, disobeying the rules could result in a fine or even being disallowed from staying in Korea. So long as you follow the rules, you will be fine and free to enjoy your two weeks of solitude.
HELPFUL HINTS:
-I am unsure if I have mentioned this in a previous post, but you need to bring a thermometer with you. You will have to take and record your temperature twice daily, a task that will be quite challenging without a thermometer.
-As I mentioned in my Airport Entry Process post, bring a “cheat sheet” that has all the important phone numbers and addresses you may need. Have this printed and accessible on your phone, as you will be writing many of these down over and over on various forms. So unless you have a perfect memory, I would highly encourage this.
-In the same vein, I would again encourage you to bring a folder or some other organizational tool for all of the forms and vital documents you will bring with you and acquire. I cannot emphasize enough how terrifying it can be to be unable to find a document when heading to the testing facility or when facing dormitory check-in. To prevent losing an important form/official document and making organization easier, bring a folder or two.
-If you are on your own for testing, do research while still at home to figure out what testing facilities are in the area. Then, document their addresses so you will be prepared ahead of time and will reduce your future stress.
-If you are staying at a location that is more remote and not on a main road (and even if not), make sure you have KakaoTaxi downloaded so that you can hail a taxi quickly and efficiently even from a more hidden location. Remember, you are not permitted to use public transportation (buses, subways, trains), and unless the testing facility is within short walking distance, you will have to take a taxi.
-Similarly to the confirmation-of-arrival contacts you will need when arriving to the airport, you may need a friend with a Korean phone number to provide the number to you for the purpose of COVID-test results. Again, the testing facilities are unlikely to accept a non-Korean phone number for this purpose, so make sure you have something arranged ahead of time.
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