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 Korean visa applications. Walk-ins are NO LONGER accepted and it is vital to have a confirmed booking, or else your visit to the Embassy will be denied.
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Quarantine is no longer required but you may be subject to an on-arrival PCR test. For more info, see here.
I’m sure that a majority of us Filipinos have encountered Korean influences at some point in our lives, may it be through K-Pop, K-dramas (Koreanovelas), cosmetic products, or food (among many others). Due to these things as well as other factors, South Korea has remained to be a dream destination for many — but for those who want to make it a reality, there is the question of how our weak Philippine third world passports can fare when it comes to entry or visa matters. Don’t fret though because applying for a South Korean visa is easy and also FREE!
RELATED READ:
– South Korea Itinerary Travel Guide
– How to Explore Nami Island, Petite France, and More!
– How to Rent a ‘Hanbok’
Looking for Seoul Itinerary Ideas?
Come and check out my ‘DIY Seoul Itinerary Guide’ post which features detailed day-by-day activities that you could do, no matter the length of your stay!
The application process is SO simple and starting this 2018, the Korean Embassy is coursing applications through travel agencies (much like how the Japan Embassy does). As such, with the help of this guide, let us make your South Korea travel dreams come true!
…But first, a disclaimer:
NO ONE can give you a guarantee of your South Korean visa’s approval: not even a lawyer, a consultant, a travel agent, or an embassy employee. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely going to be a scammer. That being said, what I can offer you here is a comprehensive guide with helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that South Korean tourist visa.
Top photo by: Shutterstock
ApplicationProcess for South Korean Visa
Step 1: Determine the type of South Korean visa that you need to apply for
There are, of course, various types of South Korean visas out there that you can apply for: a visa for studying, a visa for business, a visa for joining family, etc.
For this particular guide though, I will only be discussing the requirements for a tourist visa since it’s an experience that I’ve gone through myself.
If, however, you have a different situation or purpose of visit, it’s best that you contact the South Korea Embassy for more information and for the complete requirements. You can do this via telephone ([02] 856-9210, local no. 270 or 500) or via email: [email protected]
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Step 2: Prepare the required documents for your application
Depending on your circumstance, click the symbol ‘+‘ below to view the corresponding requirements for each section. Make sure that you have authentic, original, and complete documents at all times!
(Section A) South Korea Tourist Visa WITHOUT Any Guarantor/Sponsor
- Philippine Passport. Make sure that your passport is valid for more than 6 months prior to your intended travel date, it has your signature, filled out the emergency contact page, and has at least two (2) blank pages.
. - Photocopy of current Philippine Passport bio page. This is found on page 2 (the part where your passport photo and other info are shown).
. - If applicable, previous Philippine Passport(s). You only need to submit this if you have traveled abroad within the last 5 years.
. - If applicable, original and photocopy of all your OECD visas for the past 5 years. If you have been to any of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development or OECD countries in the past 5 years as a tourist, make sure to submit the original and photocopy(ies) of the relevant visas and arrival stamps. (UPDATE: As of 2019, even if Japan is part of OECD countries, it is NO longer considered as an example due to several cases of applicants passing fake Japan visas.)
- Doing this will help expedite the processing time of your visa.
- When I said ‘original’, this will mean that you will have to submit the passport(s) that contains the OECD visas and arrival stamps (no matter if they are your old or current passport[s]).
- Only used visas are counted.
- It is said that you are NO longer required to submit an ITR if you have traveled at least once to OECD member countries in the past 5 years — or have traveled to South Korea for more than two times within the last 4 years.
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- A duly accomplished South Korean Visa Application Form.
- Download the application form here: PDF.
- Properly fill the form by hand with your information in CAPITAL LETTERS, yes, even your email address. (However, it seems that some tour offices require it to be printed; so best to prepare both versions to be sure).
- 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, but since the travel agencies will re-check your documents, you can leave it blank at first so that you won’t waste any paper in case you filled something incorrectly. If everything is fine, put N/A on fields that are not applicable to you.)
- There is a part in Section 2 that asks for “Confirmation of Visa Issuance”. Just leave it blank or put N/A because this is basically info that’s only issued in Korea (most likely for Koreans only).
- There are sections here that ask for your address/hotel in South Korea as well as your intended date of entry and period of stay…
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You are NOT required to present “booked” airline and hotels beforehand because the embassy does NOT require applicants to book it before approval. It might sometimes help to present a flight reservation though, and you can do this easily with One Way Fly with a fee that is as low as Php 900~ only.
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Once your South Korean visa is approved, check Skyscanner to look for the best flight deals. As for hotel bookings, it’s best to do it with Booking.com or Agoda.com. With them, you can reserve a hotel with NO pre-payment and you can even cancel the booking a day before your arrival with NO cancellation charges at all.
- 1 Passport-sized photo. This should be around 35mm x 45mm, colored, and against a white background. Paste this on your South Korea visa application form.
. - Optional: cover letter and itinerary. These are NOT required, but it’s always good practice to prepare them, to see an example cover letter, you can check the letter I submitted for my Korean visa application before in this link.
- However, if you are a freelancer or if you have missing documents that you can’t submit such as an ITR, a Certificate of Employment, etc. — it is, therefore, a MUST that you submit a cover letter to the embassy to explain your situation.
- As for the itinerary, there have been some cases wherein some applicants were asked to submit a rough draft of their South Korea itinerary; so it’s best to prepare this just in case.
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- If applicable, a photocopy of an eligible BDO or BPI credit card and the latest original credit card account statement. The South Korean Embassy is currently holding a promo wherein eligible BDO and BPI credit cardholders can acquire multiple-entry visas — and they will also be exempted from submitting some required financial documents. Moreover, the embassy announced that this promo will last until December 31, 2022. In fact, thanks to this promo, I got a 5-year multiple-entry visa (I submitted my BDO Platinum credit card). For more info on this, see here (take note that BPI cards are not covered on this promo as of this date).
- These are the cards that are qualified:
- BDO Gold Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 years: Gold Visa Credit Card, Gold MasterCard Credit Card, Gold UnionPay Credit Card, Gold JCB Credit Card
- BDO Elite Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 to 5 years: Platinum Visa Credit Card, Titanium/Platinum, and World Elite MasterCard Credit Card, Gold/Platinum/Cathay Pacific, and American Express Charge Cards issued by BDO, Diamond UnionPay Credit Card, Diners Club Premiere
- (To be Confirmed or TBC) BPI Gold Master Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 years: BPI SkyMiles Platinum Master Card
- (TBC) BPI Amore Visa Platinum cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 to 5 years.
- (TBC) Gold BPI Express Teller Debit Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa to Korea valid for 3 to 5 years.
- The following financial documents are NO longer required for submission, as long as you have at least one of the credit cards above:
- Original personal bank certificate.
- Photocopy of your ITR (and/or Form 2316).
- If you receive your credit card statements through email, you should visit the bank to acquire the original copy of the statement. A printed copy of the emailed account statement will NOT be accepted. And yes, you can blur out or hide the numbers on your credit card photocopy when submitting.
- Supplementary cardholders of the above cards are allowed BUT only if you are an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent). Also, take note that this does not mean that you are automatically issued a multiple-entry visa. Of course, issuance is still subject to the embassy’s decision upon reviewing your whole application.
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- These are the cards that are qualified:
UPDATE 2022: According to the South Korean Embassy, BPI & BDO promos are currently not applicable for Korean Visa application until further notice. Hence, you will still need to submit an ITR and your bank certificate.
- Proof of income or financial stability. The requirements for this differ depending on your occupation. But if in case you are a student, a minor, or a person who has no income, refer to section (B).
- For employed persons.
- Original personal bank certificate: this must indicate your account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months’ average balance (ADB).
- You are exempt from submitting this if you hold eligible BDO or BPI cards as mentioned in #6 above. (UPDATE 2022: According to the South Korean Embassy, BPI & BDO promos are currently not applicable for Korean Visa applications until further notice. Hence, you will still need to submit an ITR and your bank certificate.)
- An original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months.
- Original Certificate of Employment: this must be printed on your company’s official letterhead and must contain details of your officer or employer’s address, HR landline number, HR email address, your position, your hiring date, and your salary.
- Photocopy of your ITR (or Form 2316)
- UPDATE: Starting July 2018, the company alphalist is no longer required — BUT, it may be requested as an additional document for some applicants under the discretion of the embassy. Meanwhile, if you can’t submit a Company Alphalist, you must submit an explanation letter — better if it’s issued by your company.
- If you do NOT have an ITR or any of the other requirements above, write a simple letter explaining why you’re unable to submit them (examples: you’re newly employed so you don’t have an ITR, etc.).
- The only time you are exempt from submitting an ITR is if you have traveled to OECD countries in the past 5 years, OR if you hold eligible BDO or BPI cards as mentioned in #6 above.
- Original personal bank certificate: this must indicate your account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months’ average balance (ADB).
- For self-employed / business persons.
- Original personal bank certificate: this must indicate your account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months’ average balance (ADB).
- You are exempt from submitting this if you hold eligible BDO or BPI cards as mentioned in #6 above. (UPDATE 2022: According to the South Korean Embassy, BPI & BDO promos are currently not applicable for Korean Visa applications until further notice. Hence, you will still need to submit an ITR and your bank certificate.)
- If you own a business, submit photocopies of your Business Registration issued by DTI / SEC, the company ITR, and your Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit.
- If you’re a freelancer, provide the latest photocopy of your ITR (or Form 1701A) with a corresponding payment receipt from a BIR-authorized bank and proof of work (examples: screenshots of your work, a letter from clients, proof of payments for your work, etc.).
- If you do NOT have an ITR, write a simple letter explaining why you’re unable to submit it (examples: if you are a new business, a newly self-employed person, you are being taxed in another country, etc.)
- The only time you are exempt from submitting an ITR is if you have traveled to OECD countries in the past 5 years or if you hold eligible BDO or BPI cards as mentioned in #6 above.
- Start filing your local taxes as early as NOW — after all, a lot of embassies (not only Korea) require an ITR. So if you’re looking for a hassle-free experience on Philippines tax compliance, I suggest registering with Taxumo because they can take care of literally everything for you: tax forms, payments, and submissions. I’ve been using them for years now and it has been such a time-saver. Come sign up with my code AILEEN and you can get a 10% discount on all their subscription plans!
- Start filing your local taxes as early as NOW — after all, a lot of embassies (not only Korea) require an ITR. So if you’re looking for a hassle-free experience on Philippines tax compliance, I suggest registering with Taxumo because they can take care of literally everything for you: tax forms, payments, and submissions. I’ve been using them for years now and it has been such a time-saver. Come sign up with my code AILEEN and you can get a 10% discount on all their subscription plans!
- The only time you are exempt from submitting an ITR is if you have traveled to OECD countries in the past 5 years or if you hold eligible BDO or BPI cards as mentioned in #6 above.
- Original personal bank certificate: this must indicate your account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months’ average balance (ADB).
- For retirees.
- Original personal bank certificate: this must indicate your account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months’ average balance (ADB).
- You are exempt from submitting this if you hold eligible BDO or BPI cards as mentioned in #6 above. (UPDATE 2022: According to the South Korean Embassy, BPI & BDO promos are currently not applicable for Korean Visa applications until further notice. Hence, you will still need to submit an ITR and your bank certificate.)
- An original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months.
- Photocopy of your senior citizen ID.
- Original personal bank certificate: this must indicate your account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months’ average balance (ADB).
- For unemployed persons.
- Given the way the Embassy of South Korea presents its requirements for visa applicants, it’s best that you acquire a guarantor/sponsor who can provide an ITR. Refer to section (B) below for this.
- For students, minors, housewives, ‘househusbands’, etc.
- Refer to section (B) below.
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- Refer to section (B) below.
- For employed persons.
- (OPTIONAL) Letter of Attorney. Only if you’re planning to course your application through a travel agency, you will need to sign this Letter of Attorney.
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(Section B) South Korea Tourist Visa WITH Any Guarantor/Sponsor
This kind of application is applicable for students, minors, unemployed persons, husband/wife (if one of you will be supporting the other), self-employed persons/freelancers (who can’t provide an ITR and have no strong reason why they can’t submit it) or just about any person who will take on a sponsor. This also applies to anyone who would have a company/agency to sponsor the trip.
For submitting the necessary requirements, simply submit the requirements listed in section (A), numbers #1 to #8. And when it comes to (#9) Proof of income or financial stability, you should ask these documents from your guarantor/sponsor as dependent on their profession or occupation — this could be your mom, dad, brother, sister, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, etc.
Take note though that there are no guarantees of approval if your guarantor is NOT a family member of yours. In fact, it is said that it’s a lot better to have family sponsoring you.
Moving on, you should also submit the following…
- Sponsor/Guarantee letter. This is a simple letter written by your sponsor indicating and confirming how he/she will cover the costs of your South Korea trip.
. - Photocopy of sponsor/guarantor’s passport. Provide a photocopy of the bio page only; if not, it can be a photocopy of any government-issued ID.
- If your sponsor is a company in Korea, provide a photocopy of their Korean Company Business Permit
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- If your sponsor is a company in Korea, provide a photocopy of their Korean Company Business Permit
TIP: If your sponsor is your brother/sister, you must also submit their birth certificate to the embassy.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- If you are personally invited by a South Korean…
- …resident, you must submit an invitation letter and a photocopy of his/her passport or authentication ID
- …national, you must submit an invitation letter and photocopy of his/her passport or ID card.
- …company, you must submit an invitation letter and a photocopy of the Korean company’s business permit.
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- If you are married, submit a photocopy of your NSO Marriage Certificate.
. - If you are a student, submit the following:
- Original school certificate.
- Photocopy of your school ID.
- Photocopy of your NSO-issued birth certificate.
- Your parents’ or your sponsor’s supporting financial documents (depending on their occupation refer to the list in section (A) under #9.)
- If your parents are your sponsor, provide a photocopy of an NSO-issued marriage certificate.
- If your sponsor is other than your parents, explain your relationship with that person through a cover letter.
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(Section C) South Korea Multiple Entry Tourist Visa
The South Korean Embassy only issues multiple-entry visas under certain conditions. Currently, there are 2 ways to avail this….
FIRST, by being a frequent South Korea traveler. Basically, it is said that if you have visited South Korea more than 4 times in the past 2 years OR if you have visited South Korea more than 10 times in total (with at least 1 of the visits done within the past 2 years), then you are suitable for a multiple-entry application. (For more details, see here).
SECOND, via the BDO/BPI promo. Basically, the embassy has implemented a promotion wherein eligible BDO and BPI credit cardholders can acquire multiple-entry visas when they apply for a South Korean visa (along with this, they will also be exempted from submitting a bank certificate and ITR). However, take note that this does not mean that you are automatically issued a multiple-entry visa. Of course, issuance is still subject to the embassy’s decision upon reviewing your whole application.
UPDATE 2022: According to the South Korean Embassy, BPI & BDO promos are currently not applicable for Korean Visa application until further notice.
The eligible cards are:
- BDO Gold Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 years: Gold Visa Credit Card, Gold MasterCard Credit Card, Gold UnionPay Credit Card, Gold JCB Credit Card
- BDO Elite Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 to 5 years: Platinum Visa Credit Card, Titanium/Platinum, and World Elite MasterCard Credit Card, Gold/Platinum/Cathay Pacific and American Express Charge Cards issued by BDO, Diamond UnionPay Credit Card, Diners Club Premiere
- (To be Confirmed or TBC) BPI Gold Master Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 years: BPI SkyMiles Platinum Master Card
- (TBC) BPI Amore Visa Platinum cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa valid for 3 to 5 years.
- (TBC) Gold BPI Express Teller Debit Cardholders will get a multiple-entry visa to Korea valid for 3 to 5 years.
Therefore, to avail of this promo you just need to submit the standard requirements in either section (A) or (B) (as dependent on your situation) plus these: the qualified BDO or BPI credit card, photocopy of said credit card, and latest original credit card account statement.
Take note that if you receive your credit card statements through email, you should visit the bank to acquire the original copy of the statement. A printed copy of the emailed account statement will NOT be accepted. And yes, you can blur out or hide the numbers on your credit card photocopy when submitting.
Supplementary cardholders of the above cards are also allowed BUT only if you are an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent).
NOTE: If in case you are a Philippine national living or residing in a foreign country and you wish to avail a South Korea tourist visa, kindly inquire with the appropriate South Korean Embassy in the country that you’re living in.
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Step 3: Book your appointment and submit your documents
Starting 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*
Though it’s ideal to just do this appointment process by yourself, the top perk of doing it through a travel agency is that it will be hassle-free especially if you don’t have the time to go to the Embassy — after all, they will be the ones who will submit your documents on your behalf and they also often have more time slots open to them (these agencies can also help verify the documents you are submitting; but of course, all of this will be done for an added fee given that they’ll act as the middleman).
Planning to book and submit your documents yourself? Take note that the Embassy usually opens NEW slots at the Online Visa Appointment System every last Thursday of the month. So if you want to avoid the hassle of paying an added fee to travel agencies, you can set an alarm so that you’re reminded to check their platform for new open slots.
FYI: A South Korean Visa is FREE of charge as long as you are only going to stay 59 days or less; however, these travel agencies charge for the service that they offer of processing your application and it can range from Php 500 to Php 2,000. (Meanwhile, for stays spanning from 60 to 90 days, the embassy charges a fee of about Php 2,000.)
To date, below are the accredited travel agencies, as listed below:
- ABOEX Travel and Tours : Ilocos, Mandaluyong
- Adventure International: Makati
- Airmark Travel Tour Manila: Makati
- Ark Travel Express Inc.: Makati
- Blue Horizons Travel and Tours Inc.: Makati
- Budget Travel and Tours Inc.: Manila
- Casto Travel Philippines Inc.: Makati
- City Travel & Tours Corporation: Angeles, Makati
- COME ON PHILS. Golf and Travel Agency Inc.: Manila
- Constellation Travels, Inc.: Iloilo, Manila
- Danpoong Travel Services, formerly MNK Travel & Tours Corp.: Mandaluyong, Taguig
- Feel Yeson Travel & Consultancy Corp: Makati
- First United Travel Inc.: Bulacan, Cebu, Makati, Subic
- Getaway Tours International Inc.: Manila
- Grand Hope Travel, Inc.: Bohol, Cebu
- H.I.S. (PHILIPPINES) Travel Corp: BGC
- Horizon Travel & Tours, Inc.: Ermita
- International Journeys Inc.: Manila
- Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc.: Pasay
- JTB Asia Pacific Phil. Corp.: BGC
- KP JOEUN Consultancy Inc.: Pasig
- Las Palmas Tours and Travel Agency, Inc.: Manila, Makati, Pampanga
- Marsman Drysdale Travel Inc.: Makati
- North Star International Travel, Inc.: Makati
- Pan Pacific Travel Corporation: Binondo, Ermita, Makati
- Party-on Travel and Tour Community, Inc.: BGC
- Rajah Travel Corporation: Makati, Manila
- Rakso Air Travel and Tours Inc.: Binondo, Boracay, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Ermita, Makati, Pampanga
- Reli Tours and Travel Company: Binondo, Mandaluyong, Makati
- Sharp Travel Service (Phils.) Inc.: Makati
- Swire Travel Phils, Inc.: Makati
- The Baron Travel Corporation: Makati
- Travel Pros: Mandaluyong, Quezon
- Travel Services, Inc.: Cebu, Laguna, Makati
- Uni-Orient Travel, Inc.: Cebu, Makati, Manila, Ortigas
- Worldwidelink Travel and Tours: Manila
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Take note that the consulate in Cebu still accepts direct applications — you can also course your application through their own accredited travel agencies, the list of which you can find here.
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: [email protected]
Telephone: (63-2) 856-9210, local no. 270, 500
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KOREAN CONSULATE IN CEBU
12th Floor Chinabank Corporate Center, Lot 2, Samar Loop Cor. Road 5, Cebu Business Park, Cebu
Email Address: [email protected]
Contact No.: (63-32) 231-1516(-9)
As I’ve mentioned, if you book your appointment through a travel agency, they will book your appointment for you — but if you do it yourself, the steps are as follows (just click the symbol ‘+’ to view or expand the section). Please take note that you are only allowed to make an application for yourself OR your IMMEDIATE family members (parents, spouse, or children of up to five people in total — unfortunately, NO, siblings must make their own appointment even if they are technically your immediate family members).
Instructions: How to Book an Appointment with the Korean Embassy
- Visit the Korean Government website for consular services here and click the button that says ‘Reservation to visit a diplomatic mission‘
- UPDATE: On the next page, it is now possible to create your own account in their system. For a smoother process of reserving your appointment slot, I highly suggest clicking ‘Sign Up‘ under the User Log In column. Clicking this will lead you to another page in which you just have to:
- Click ‘Agree to All‘
- Scroll to the bottom and check the box that says ‘Register as a user age 14 and over‘.
- Click the blue button that says ‘Confirm’.
- In the 2nd page, input your full name and then your email ID. Click the button that says ‘Confirm availability‘ — a pop-up will then say that the ID can be used. Just click ‘OK‘.
- Enter a password of your choosing.
- Enter your mobile number and then finally enter the captcha numbers that you see. Click ‘Register‘.
- A pop-up will appear saying that they have sent a verification link to your email. Check this in your mailbox and click the verification clink.
- After you click this link in your email, you’ll be led to a page saying that your registration is complete. Click the button that says ‘Log in’. Thereafter, enter your email address and password to log-in. The page will refresh and the same image in step #1 above will show — click ‘Reservation to visit a diplomatic mission‘ again and then proceed to step #4 below.
- Otherwise, if you’re in a rush, you can opt to choose the second column which is the ‘Non Membership Log In‘. First, click the two blue buttons with the text ‘Consent‘; a pop-up will appear and you just need to click ‘Confirm‘ for each. Enter your FULL name and working email address afterward, and then click the button that says ‘Send authentication letter’. You will then receive an email with your authentication number. It might take minutes to arrive, but once you get it, input the number on this page and click ‘Verify‘. Lastly, enter your mobile number and then click the blue button at the bottom that says ‘Non-Membership Log in’.
- On the reservation page, first select the diplomatic mission which is the ‘Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of the Philippines’ (TIP: it’s located at the bottom of the dropdown list — make sure to double-check that you picked the right one. On the next column, select ‘Visa (Individual Applicants for Tourism)’, and then, select your preferred date and time — take note that since you’re doing an individual application for tourism, the designated time slots available will only start from 9:30AM to 11AM. If all the dates are grayed out and unclickable, it means that unfortunately, there are no longer any available slots to book.
- Scroll down and under ‘Specific Requests’, do NOT forget to enter your passport number — failure to do so will automatically cancel your appointment. If applying with your other immediate family members (parents/children/spouse — take note that only a total of 5 persons is allowed), please enter all their names and passport numbers too. Enter the captcha numbers, and then click the button that says ‘Make a Reservation’. Please print the Reservation Confirmation or save a soft copy of it.
- IMPORTANT: If your Reservation Confirmation does NOT show your passport number, your reservation will be canceled by the Embassy.
- ATTENTION: ONLY you or your immediate family members (of up to 5 people in total) are allowed to enter the Embassy — if you or your companions are not actual visa applicants, you will be blacklisted by the Embassy so take note.
- When doing the booking by yourself, on the day of your scheduled appointment at the Embassy, make sure that you bring your printed or soft copy of your Reservation Confirmation, your application documents (as required in Step 2 above), and your passport as well as other valid ID.
- If your Reservation Confirmation does NOT show either your passport number, your appointment reservation will be canceled by the Embassy and you will be denied entry to the premises.
- A cancel button for your online appointment is now possible. Take note that applicants who miss their appointments without canceling their appointments online first will be blacklisted by the Korean Embassy, and future access to the online platform will be denied. (To access the cancellation page, click ‘Reservation to visit a diplomatic mission‘ > then click ‘Check Reservation‘ > click ‘Reservation No.‘ > then finally, click ‘Cancel‘.)
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Step 4: Claim your South Korean visa results
Typically, the processing time for visas by the South Korea Embassy is 5 working days, but due to the increased volume of applicants, expect it to go for as long as 15 working days or more.
PREVIOUS ROCESSING TIME:
7 working days = Typical process time
3 working days = Manila applications with OECD visas within the past 5 years
5 working days = Manila applications without OECD visas
Should your application be approved (yay!), make sure that your South Korean visa has your correct name, passport number, etc.
- Wanna track the status of your application online? Go to this page!
2020 UPDATE: The Embassy will NO longer issue a visa label for visa applications processed in the Philippines as of July 1, 2020. If your application is approved, the embassy will notify you by issuing a ‘Visa Grant Notice’ on the official website. From there, you can print out the visa document by entering your passport number, date of birth, and other relevant information.
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The Visa Grant Notice will contain your personal details including name, date of birth, and passport number, as well as other details including visa issuance number, status of stay, period of stay, number of allowed entries, date of issue, validity of visa, and issuing authority. (Simply PRINT the Visa Grant Notice and present it to immigration officers before your flight and after arrival).
What to Do in South Korea…?
Come and check out this list of the top things to do in South Korea which features the best activities and tours to do in places like Seoul, Busan, and more!
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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
You can apply as early as three (3) months or 90 days before your planned trip date departure.
There really is NO best travel agency out there when it comes to visa approval because they have NO control whatsoever over that matter. Again, 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 who makes the analysis and final decision.
NO, only your immediate family is allowed to be grouped together with you when you make an individual booking appointment (these are your parents, spouse, or children and must total to only 5 persons; take note that siblings, cousins, or other relatives are NOT 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.
Unfortunately, under the Embassy’s own definition, though your siblings are technically your immediate family members, they do NOT allow this. So in summary: you can only apply for yourself, your parents, your space, and/or your children in one booking (max of up to 5 persons in total) — BUT your siblings need to do their own booking for themselves.
As stated above, walk-in applicants are NO longer allowed no matter the type of visa you’re applying for. As such, it is important to have an online booking beforehand.
Please do NOT do double bookings. If you have chosen to do the travel agency booking route first, then please pursue that as is. Multiple appointments under your name are NOT allowed and you’ll risk the chance of being blacklisted by the Embassy.
As stated previously, the Embassy opens news slots for the succeeding month on its Online Visa Appointment System every last Thursday of the month — so this is the best time to check and book your slot. Even if let’s say the slots for the next month have already filled up, it still helps to check every now and then because there’s a chance that other applicants would cancel their appointment, thus freeing up some spots.
All tourist visa holders of a single-entry visa are permitted to stay in South Korea for a maximum period of 59 days.
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.
Please refer to the info I mentioned above under step #4.
The embassy does NOT require applicants to submit “booked” roundtrip flight tickets and hotel(s) before applying for a visa. It might sometimes help to present a flight reservation and you can do this easily with One Way Fly which has a fee that is as low as Php 900~ only.
This is NOT required, but it’s always good practice to prepare it just in case. To see an example cover letter, you can check the letter I submitted for my Korean visa application at this link.
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 have enough pocket money to support yourself during your trip.
You can go to this page.
Sorry to hear that. Either way, you can reapply again after 6 months.
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» Top South Korea Tours «
N Seoul Tower Tour
Marvel at the breathtaking views of Seoul!
Nami Island Tour
+ stops to Garden of Morning Calm and more!
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Booking Essentials
TIP: It’s a good idea to crosscheck the prices with other popular travel insurance providers like World Nomads and HeyMondo (as my reader, you get 5% off)!
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However, take note that a travel insurance’s affordability typically means lesser coverage; so please always ensure that you read the fine print in order to decipher which travel insurance company is the right fit for you and your trip!
Looking for more travel tips for South Korea?
Check out my other detailed South Korea travel guides!
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As you can see, applying for a South Korea Tourist Visa is fast and easy — you can do it all by yourself! All in all, I hope the process becomes absolutely hassle-free for you with the help of this visa guide.
Let me know how it goes… good luck!
Hello, we had visited South Korea last December 2019. We are planning to visit again in December 2023. Do we still need to get a new VISA? Thank you
If you were only issued a single-entry visa, then yes you still need to apply for a new visa. (So unless it says multiple-entry on your visa, then you do not need to apply again as long as it’s within the validity period).