TIPS: What you'll need to apply for a South Korean visa
Want to experience wandering around South Korea?
Hallyu fan or not, South Korea is a must-see country with its tourist attractions, cultural heritage, great food, and impact on pop culture. What K-pop or K-drama fan would want to miss out on visiting the spots their idols and fave actors have visited?
In just a few easy steps, you can get a Korean visa to get the chance to explore South Korea.
To get you started, identify what type of visa you are applying for. A visa depends on the duration and purpose of visitation: a single-entry visa with a 90-day validation from the date it was issued, a multiple entry visa, and a double entry visa.
Ahead are the documents that you will need before processing your tourist visa:
- A valid Philippine passport with a 6-month validity beyond your scheduled trip and should have at least two blank pages.
- Photocopy of Passport bio page – page two of your passport which contains your photo and details.
- If you have crossed the Philippine borders for the last five years, you must also present your previous passport.
- If you have applied for visas in OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries for the last five years, you will also be required to present the original and photocopies of these visas.
- PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) or IBP (Integrated Bar of the Philippines) card if you have one.
- Proof of income
- For employed applicants, present your account type, bank statements, and current balance for the last six months; and passbook for the last three months.
- For business owners, present a photocopy of the Business or Mayor’s permit, Business registration, and Income Tax Return (ITR).
- For freelancers, present a copy of your ITR and receipts from a BIR-authorized bank. Also, your proof of work, like photos of work and payment transactions from clients.
- A passport sized photo ID with a measurement of 35mm x 45mm on a white background
- Completed South Korea visa application form that you can access here.
For students, minors, unemployed, self-employed, and applicants with sponsors, you will need your sponsor to present a proof of income. You will also need to submit a letter from the sponsor confirming that they are shouldering expenses of your trip as well as a photocopy of their passport.
For multiple entry visas, an applicant must have traveled more than four times to South Korea in the past two years and have acquired OECD visas in the past five years to be eligible.
Filling out the application form
South Korean visa application forms can be filled out in writing or digitally. Application forms are to be printed on a 4A-sized white paper with an Arial font in size 12.
In filling out forms it is important to take note that everything should be in all caps and should be done legibly and neatly.
Remember, for a greater chance of visa approval, it is pivotal to fill out your forms with accurate and honest information.
Once done, book an appointment at the Korea Consulate or Embassy for the processing of documents.
Visa processing
The Korea Embassy no longer accepts walk-ins so you must secure an appointment online through the Consular Services for Overseas Koreans webpage.
There you’ll find the “Reservation to visit a diplomatic mission” tab where you’ll fill out the information details to make a reservation to process your visa documents.
For your appointment, visit the Korea Visa Application Center located at 9F~10F, Brittany Hotel BGC, 6 Mckinley Pkwy, BGC, Taguig, Metro Manila. You can reach them via phone at 02-8248-5440.
You can also visit their website for more details.
Need-to-knows
Before attending your scheduled appointment, make sure to have everything with you: passport, valid IDs, required documents, and a copy of your appointment reservation form.
There will be an application fee of P900 regardless of what type of visa you will acquire.
Assistance from travel agencies can also be acquired for much more convenient processing, however, services from agencies may be more costly. Here's a list of accredited travel agencies to assist with your visa application.
Visa processing varies depending on the number of applicants, but it usually takes around 5 to 10 business days.
You will be receiving status updates from KVAC via text message when it's time to pick up your visa.
Like with any visa, wait until you get yours approved before booking flights and hotels to your desired destinations.
