Entry with Visa
Application for issuance of visa- A family member or relative of a foreigner who is married to a national of the Republic of Korea shall file an application for issuance of a visa with a diplomatic mission (referring to embassies and consulates of the Republic of Korea; hereinafter the same shall apply) in order to enter the Republic of Korea. A foreigner who intends to enter the Republic of Korea for the purpose of tourism or for a visit to his/her relatives is issued a Short-term Visit (C-3) visa allowing him/her to stay in the Republic of Korea for up to three months.
- An applicant may be more easily issued a Short-term Visit (C-3) visa by submitting a letter of invitation, reference (notarized in the Republic of Korea), etc. proving the purpose of his/her visit, provided by the foreigner in the Republic of Korea, at the registration time of filing an application for visa.
Documents to be submitted- Documents required for visa issuance vary depending on the country. For more information, please contact the embassy of the country where you are applying for a visa.
Cautions for issuance of visa- Where an applicant intends to be issued a visa after a lapse of three months from the date on which an application for visa was filed, he/she shall file a new application for visa again (Article 12 (3) of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act).
Application for visa issuance certificate (number)- In principle, a person who intends to enter the Republic of Korea shall apply for a visa in person. However, a person of foreign nationality Korea who has been married to a national of the Republic of Korea may file an application for the visa issuance certificate number of his/her child with the competent Regional Immigration Service having jurisdiction over the place of stay, in order to invite his/her minor child whose custody belongs to the person himself/herself, even before he/she attains the nationality of the Republic of Korea.
Documents to be submitted- An applicant who intends to be issued a visa issuance certificate (number) shall file an application for visa issuance certificate with the competent Regional Immigration Service having jurisdiction over his/her address, attaching the following documents (Article 17 (2), Form 21 and Attached Table 5 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act):
1. A passport and a copy of passport;
2. A tuberculosis (TB) certificate issued by a hospital designated by a diplomatic mission (to be attached where a national of a high-risk TB country residing in a high-risk TB country applies for a visa in order to stay in the Republic of Korea for over 90 days, or other cases prescribed by the Minister of Justice);
3. Document proving the purpose of entry such as business, etc.
Issuance of visa after sending a visa issuance certificate (number)- If the issuance of a visa is deemed reasonable, the inviter (immigrants by marriage) shall be notified by the Minister of Justice of the details of a visa issuance certificate including a visa issuance certificate number (Article 17 (5) of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act). If a diplomatic mission does not have an immigration information system, he/she may be issued a visa issuance certificate (Article 17 (6) of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act).
- Once the inviter is issued a visa issuance certificate (number), he/she shall inform the invitee (who intends to enter the Republic of Korea) of it so that the invitee can enter the visa issuance certificate number in an application for issuance of a visa or attach a visa issuance certificate when filing the application with a diplomatic mission of the invitee's country (Article 17-2 (1) and (2) of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act).
Effect of visa issuance certificate (number)- A visa issuance certificate (number) shall be valid for a period of three months, and only one issuance of a visa is valid. However, the term of validity may be subject to change, if deemed particularly necessary by the Minister of Justice (Article 18 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Control Act).