Asked for a Q-Code when flying to Korea? One Mexican traveller's story
On r/mexico, a traveller posted a warning after flying from Mexico to South Korea via the US. Before leaving he had checked Mexico's foreign ministry page and saw no requirements. But at online check-in, the airline said he needed a Q-Code, an online health information form, whose website was down at the time. The airport agent refused to board him; he spoke to three people, including a supervisor, and lost a day of his trip. Later another employee told him their system listed the Q-Code as "strongly advised", not mandatory.
What the replies said (60-plus comments):
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The most common reaction: file a formal complaint and ask for compensation; several said they'd been given miles that way.
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A former airline worker explained that agents can use TIMATIC, the entry-requirements database, but not all of them check it, and requirements change often.
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Someone who had flown direct with Aeroméxico weeks earlier said they were only asked for a passport and an arrival form; others suspected the US routing played a part.
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Another person said Incheon has forms you can fill in on arrival.
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One user pointed out that the foreign ministry's traveller guide did mention the issue in its alerts, but that it's hard to find.
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Repeated tips: don't accept the first "no", ask to see the rule in writing, and arrive early.
Desk note: Q-CODE is the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's system for entering your quarantine information before arrival; its site is available in English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese as well as Korean. Filling it in before you leave, if the site is up, takes little time and gives you something to show if the check-in desk asks. Since requirements change, check them close to your flight date.
Have you been asked for an unexpected document when flying to Korea? Which airline and which route?
Original thread: r/mexico — read this if you're flying to South Korea from Mexico · Reference: KDCA — Q-CODE
Practical add-on for anyone connecting through another country on the way to Seoul: screenshot or print whatever you've filled in online (Q-CODE confirmation, e-ticket, hotel booking) so you're not relying on a website being up at the counter, and keep your airline's chat or email replies. If an agent insists on a document, politely ask which rule they're applying; the thread shows a second agent can read the same system differently. And build a buffer day into tight itineraries.