BERLIN -- South Korea will lift entry restrictions on people from European Union (EU) and Schengen Area countries from next week, diplomatic officials here said Thursday.

Visa waiver and visa free entry programs on EU and Schengen Area countries will resume Sept. 1, according to officials of the South Korean Embassy in Germany. Seoul has suspended visa waiver and visa free entry programs of the regions since April 13, 2020, in a move to curb COVID-19 spread.

The decision will allow South Korean passport holders to have a visa exemption for a stay of up to 90 days when they enter EU and Schengen Area states, or vice versa.

Among European countries, France already lifted entry restrictions for South Koreans on July 3, 2020, while Germany made the same move on Jan. 1, 2021, and allowed visa free travel up to 90 days.

Those from EU countries as well as non-EU Schengen Zone countries, such as Norway and Iceland, can also travel to South Korea without visas for up to 90 days. However, they will still be subject to mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

But when their purpose of visit is work or employment, they still need to obtain visas. (Yonhap)