Last updated: 17 Mar 2012
Security and health
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller site provides advice for business travellers and tourists going to the Republic of Korea. This is regularly updated, and should be checked before planning travel.
It is strongly recommended that Australian travellers take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, before their departure. They should confirm that their insurance covers them for the whole time they will be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in their policy.
It is also recommended for Australian travellers to register, before travelling, on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, in case of an emergency.
Health
Travellers do not need vaccinations for yellow fever, cholera, typhoid and polio and malaria.
Water is chlorinated and safe but sometimes may cause mild abdominal upsets. For short visits, bottled water is the best option and is widely available. You should also only eat well-cooked meat and fish (especially during the summer season), preferably served hot.
If you need assistance while travelling in Korea you should contact the Australian Embassy Seoul who can advise you in the case of emergency or distress. English speaking doctors are also available in the international clinics of major large hospitals including:
Top Business Risks
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
Multinational Enterprises should be aware of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises that provide voluntary principles and standards for responsible business behaviour in a variety of areas, consistent with applicable domestic laws. These Guidelines are endorsed and promoted by the Australian Government. For more information, go to the AusNCP website.
APEC Business Travel Card Scheme
Managed by the Department of Immigration, the APEC Business Travel Card Scheme was developed to make travelling within the 21 APEC member countries much simpler and more efficient.
Bilateral agreements
Australia has social security agreements with several countries that address the issue of 'double super coverage' for employees sent to work overseas. To take advantage of these agreements, Australian employers sending employees overseas to work must apply to the Tax Office for a Certificate of coverage.
For more details, please visit the Australian Taxation Office website.
IP Passport fact sheets
These fact sheets outline foreign Intellectual Property (IP) regimes and some of the issues and challenges which may be faced by Australian exporters.
The current fact sheets are available on the IP Australia website.