Korean VISA Application Guide 2022

Being a KPOP and K-drama fan, it has always been my dream to visit South Korea. So, when our friend Anne asked me and my sister if we wanted to join her Korea trip, I immediately said yes, without hesitation. 🙂

Here is the process we went through in applying for a Korean Visa. All the information below is from the Korean Embassy Website here in the Philippines. For more info, see here.

SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE: The Embassy of the Republic of Korea has launched its online system that enables applicants to schedule their appointments for submission of their visa applications. Walk-ins are no longer accepted and it is vital to have a confirmed booking.

SOUTH KOREA ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Quarantine is no longer required but you may be subject to an on-arrival PCR test. For more info, see here.

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HOW TO APPLY FOR A KOREAN VISA

1. Determine the type of South Korean visa that you need to apply for. In this blog, I will share the requirements for a tourist visa since it’s an experience that I’ve gone through myself. If you’re not simply a tourist, make sure you know the right visa type that suits your situation by visiting the Korean Embassy’s webpage here.

A South Korean Visa is FREE of charge as long as you are only going to stay 59 days or less; however, travel agencies charge for the service that they offer of processing your application and it can range from Php 500 to Php 2,000.

2. Prepare the required documents for your application.

VISA REQUIREMENTS 1. DULY ACCOMPLISHED APPLICATION FORM Download the application form here: PDF. Properly fill the form by hand with your information in CAPITAL LETTERS. Erasures are NOT allowed and you should also NOT write outside the boxes. Leave all spaces blank if they are not applicable to you. (You can also put N/A, if you secure the appointment through a travel agencies – they will re-check your documents. Put N/A on fields that are not applicable to you.) 2. 1 PASSPORT PHOTO Passport-size, colored, white background Must be pasted or glued on the designated area on the page 1 of Application form. 3. CURRENT PASSPORT (ORIGINAL) Must be valid for more than 6 months from your target travel date. Must have a signature. For new 10-year passports, the signature field is on the bottom part of Page 3 (page next to the Bio page). Completely filled out Emergency Contact Page (the last page of the passport). 4. PREVIOUS PASSPORTS (ORIGINAL) If you already renewed you passport, you need to bring the previous one too. 5. PHOTOCOPY OF THE PASSPORT BIO PAGE The bio page is the information page of the passport (Page 2). Make sure you have a photocopy of it. 6. PHOTOCOPY OF ALL YOUR OECD VISAS If you have them only. No need if you don’t. 7. IF INVITED BY A KOREAN an Invitation letter and a copy of the inviter’s passport. 8. IF INVITED BY A KOREAN COMPANY an Invitation letter and a copy of the company’s business permit ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES Certificate of Employment. Must be original; and must have the address of the employer, the landline number and email address of employer’s HR department, applicant’s position, date hired, and compensation. Mobile number is not allowed. Original Personal Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB. Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook covering the last 3 months. ITR (Income Tax Return, Form 2316), ideally with BIR stamp. Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card (If applicable only) FOR SELF-EMPLOYED Photocopy of Business registration form from DTI or SEC. SEC Registration must include pages with the names of stockholders. Photocopy of Business permit or Mayor’s permit Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316 with corresponding payment receipt from BIR authorized bank and with pages including net income and total revenue. Original Personal Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB. Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook covering the last 3 months. Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card (If applicable only) FOR HOUSEWIVES OR HOUSEHUSBANDS Your own or your spouse’s original Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB. Your own or your spouse’s Bank Statement. Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months. If spouse is employed – Spouse’s Original Certificate of Employment. Must be original; and must have the address of the employer, the landline number and email address of employer’s HR department, applicant’s position, date hired, and compensation. Mobile number is not allowed. – Copy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316 Copy. If spouse is self-employed – Copy of spouse’s Business Registration from SEC or DTI – Copy of spouse’s Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit(Copy) – Photocopy of spouse’s ITR (Income Tax Return) with BIR stamp or Form 2316 with corresponding payment receipt from BIR authorized bank Photocopy of NSO Marriage Certificate FOR STUDENTS Original School Certificate Photocopy of School ID Photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate of applicant If parents are employed – Parents’ Original Certificate of Employment. Must be original; and must have the address of the employer, the landline number and email address of employer’s HR department, applicant’s position, date hired, and compensation. Mobile number is not allowed. – Copy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316 Copy If parents are self-employed – Copy of parents’ Business Registration from SEC or DTI – Copy of parents’ Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit(Copy) – Photocopy of parents’ ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316 with corresponding payment receipt from BIR authorized bank Parents’ Original Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB. Parents’ Bank Statement. Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months. Copy of parents’ marriage certificate. FOR RETIRED SENIOR CITIZENS Original Personal Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB. Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook covering the last 3 months. Copy of Senior Citizen ID

3. Book your appointment and submit your documents

Starting in September 2022, the South Korean embassy implemented an online booking system and there are two ways to do this: Booking your appointment by yourself; or, Booking your appointment through a travel agency* By the way, here’s the Travel Agency – Peeps Travel and TOURS who assisted us with our application. They are based in Cebu. They even assisted us in filling up our application forms. Find them on Facebook and message them.

4. Claim your passport with Visa
– This usually takes 5 to 7 working days. You can check the status of your application using this LINK.

How to Schedule a KOREAN VISA APPLICATION Appointment (Korean Embassy Manila)

This guide is only for individual applicants. You may also apply via an accredited travel agency if you don’t want to hassle yourself with the process.

Step 1: Visit the Korean Embassy Consular Services website here. Click “Reservation to visit a diplomatic mission.”

Step 2: When asked to log in as a non-member, click OK.

Step 3: Click “Consent to All Terms and Conditions of Use” on top. Then, key in your email address and click the “Send Authentication Number”.

Check your email and get the 5-digit code. Type it in the corresponding field and click Verify. Once the authentication number is confirmed, you can complete the form by typing your name and contact number. Once done, click “Non-membership log in”.

Step 4: On the next page, proceed to the diplomatic mission and select “Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines to the Philippines”.

Step 5: Next, click “Select a consular service” and choose your visa type. For this guide, we’ll be choosing “Individual Applicants for Tourism”. Then, click the checkbox below it.

Step 6: On the same page, you’d see a calendar that will let you choose the time and date of your schedule. The grayed-out dates mean that they are not available.

If everything is grayed out, this means that all slots for the week are filled out. The embassy will open new slots every Thursday that will cover the following week.

Step 7: After picking a date, you should now pick the time in line with the embassy’s timetable:

• 8:30AM: Travel agencies that are accredited and individual applicants for a family visits or Filipino spouses of Korean nationals.
• 9:30AM: Tourism visa applicants
• 10:30AM: POEA Agencies, seasonal workers, individual applicants for official business, conference, sports, entertainment, religious visit, studies, etc.

Step 8: Review your transaction. Under Special Request, it is important that you key in your passport number and, if applicable, the name of the travel or worker visa agency. If you’re applying for your parents or children, list their names here and their respective passport numbers.

Solve the CAPTCHA then click “Make Reservation”.

Step 9: You’d be redirected to the Reservation page, which will now display your schedule. Look for the Reservation Receipt in the left corner and click Print.

Step 10: Show up at the Embassy on the scheduled appointment date and time.

a printed or soft copy of your Reservation Confirmation Completed visa application form Passport and identification card All the other required documents ‼️ IMPORTANT! Only the visa applicants themselves whose names and passport numbers are indicated on the Reservation Receipt will be allowed to enter the Embassy. If you’re caught applying for someone other than yourself, your parents, your children, or your spouse, you will be blacklisted by the Embassy.

For the complete address details of South Korea’s embassies in the Philippines:

KOREAN EMBASSY IN MANILA
122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
Email Address: ph04@mofa.go.kr
Telephone: (63-2) 856-9210, local no. 270, 500

KOREAN CONSULATE IN CEBU
12th Floor Chinabank Corporate Center, Lot 2, Samar Loop Cor. Road 5, Cebu Business Park, Cebu
Email Address: phi_cebu2015@mofa.go.kr
Contact No.: (63-32) 231-1516(-9)

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

When is the earliest time that I can apply for a South Korean visa?

As early as three (3) months or 90 days before your planned trip date departure.

I can’t find a slot. Is there any other way of applying for a visa?

YES. You may apply via a designated travel agency. They are given their own slots and hour. But please note that there’s NO best travel agency that can guarantee your visa approval. These accredited travel agencies simply ensure that the documents you are going to give are complete. After which, they just pass it to the embassy which makes the analysis and final decision.

Can I make an appointment on behalf of my friends? We’re all traveling together to Korea.

No, only your immediate family is allowed to be grouped together with you when you make an individual booking appointment (these are your parents or children; NO cousins or other relatives are allowed). Ask your friends to make a separate appointment of their own through the online system. They can also go through a travel agency so that the agency will book their appointments and submit their documents on their behalf.

How long is the duration of a single-entry tourist South Korean visa?

All tourist visa holders of a single-entry visa are permitted to stay in South Korea for a maximum period of 59 days.

If I have a multiple-entry tourist visa, how long until I can re-enter South Korea again after a trip?

There seems to be NO existing rule for a “break period” when you want to enter South Korea again — however, take note that if you enter the country again too soon, that will raise questions and the immigration might not let you in. Also, take note that you should NOT spend more than 180 days total in a year in South Korea as a tourist.

Do I need to book accommodation and plane tickets by the time I send in my application?

The embassy does NOT require applicants to submit “booked” roundtrip flight tickets and hotel(s) before applying for a visa.

How much money should I show in my bank account?

The South Korean Embassy did NOT mention any minimum balance requirement, but some people have been saying that you need to have at least Php 10,000 per day of your stay — you can use this as a standard but of course, it’s always best if you have more. The way I see it, there’s no amount that will guarantee approval. Just ensure that you have complete documents and enough pocket money to support yourself during your trip.

My South Korea Visa application was denied. Is there anything I can do?

Sorry to hear that. Either way, you can reapply again after 6 months.

You might want to check our Korea Travel Blog: Korea Travel Guide: 6 Days in Seoul and Busan Itinerary

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