Travel
Busan, Korea to open emergency passport center at Gimhae Airport, a first for local airports
haps Magazine Korea
December 5, 2025
(Photo by Busan Ilbo/courtesy of haps Magazine Korea)
The city of Busan has confirmed that an emergency passport service center will be established at Gimhae International Airport, marking the first time a local airport in Korea will offer on-site emergency passport issuance.
The city expects the new service to significantly reduce travel disruption for Korean residents and travelers who lose or damage their passports before departure.
With international passenger numbers at Gimhae set to exceed 10 million this year for the first time among regional airports, demand for emergency passport issuance has grown rapidly.
In 2024, 2,795 emergency passports were issued for travelers departing from Gimhae.
Currently, anyone needing an emergency passport must travel to Busan City Hall, located about 18 kilometers away, or to Gangseo-gu Office, about 7.5 kilometers from the airport, often adding 30 to 45 minutes of transit time at the moment of departure.
To address this, the city began discussions in August with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local lawmakers, presenting data on rising passenger traffic, the characteristics of the airport, and the inconvenience faced by travelers. Through these efforts, the project secured both national funding and staffing for the 2026 government budget.
The center is scheduled to open in March 2026, allowing same-day passport issuance for Koreans inside the airport and eliminating the need for passengers to leave the terminal to resolve passport issues.
Until now, only Incheon International Airport has provided on-site emergency passport issuance, leaving a gap in services for travelers using regional airports.