Tips for Successfully Applying for a South Korea Tourist Visa

For those eager to explore the land of kimchi, securing a South Korea tourist visa is an essential step before setting foot in this country.

Tips for Successfully Applying for a South Korea Tourist Visa

Recent news regarding Vietnamese citizens residing in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang being eligible for South Korea tourist visas valid for 5 years, with unlimited entries, has sparked widespread interest, particularly among travel enthusiasts.

So how can you apply for a South Korea tourist visa independently, without relying on third-party services? Here are some suggestions for you.

Where to Apply for a Visa?

Currently, Vietnam has two locations for receiving visa applications for South Korea, one at the consulate in Hanoi (7th floor, Charmvit Building 117, Tran Duy Hung) and the other at the South Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City (107 Nguyen Du Street, District 1).

Those with registered residence from Da Nang to the northern region submit their applications at the office in Hanoi.

Note that if applying individually, you must personally submit the documents. If applying for the entire family or group, representation is acceptable.

According to the embassy's announcement, the fees are $20 for visas under 90 days, $50 for single-entry visas over 90 days, $60 for double-entry visas within 6 months, and $80 for multiple-entry visas.

In particular, multiple-entry visas are only applicable to individuals who have entered South Korea at least 4 times within a 2-year period prior to the intended visa issuance date and have not violated immigration regulations. The visa is valid for one year, with each stay not exceeding 30 days.

Required Documents

Ensure all necessary documents for applying for a South Korean tourist visa undergo English or Korean translation and notarization.

Personal documents and visa application forms:

For visa applications, you can download the forms provided by the South Korean Embassy.

Passports must have at least 6 months validity. Having previously visited countries like the UK, USA, Australia, Japan, and South Korea increases approval chances. If renewing your passport, submit the old one to show previous visas.

Additionally, prepare your household registration book, a copy of your ID card, and 2 photos sized 3.5×4.5 cm with white backgrounds, taken within the last 3 months of application. Note that South Korea does not accept black and white, scanned, or incorrectly sized photos.

For children, submit translated and notarized birth certificates or household registration books in English to prove their relationship with the sponsor.

Documents related to the trip:

– Itinerary for sightseeing along with an English translation (notarization not required).

– Confirmation of round-trip flight tickets. If tickets haven't been purchased yet, you can reserve with a code without payment.

– Confirmation of hotel reservation during the stay in South Korea.

Documents proving employment:

– Employment contract: If not bilingual, you must translate it into English and get it notarized.

- Salary confirmation letter or recent 3-month salary statement with company stamp (along with English translation).

- Leave of absence request: Clearly state your intended leave period. Ensure the director's signature is on the document. Naturally, the request should be in English.

For business professionals, prepare your business registration license and tax payment receipts. Remember to have them translated into English and certified.

Financial proof

You'll need a savings account with a minimum balance of 5,000 USD and a deposit term of over 3 months. Obtain a bilingual balance confirmation from the bank. Savings accounts opened at credit unions are not accepted by the South Korean authorities.

This section holds significant weight. Demonstrating substantial funds in your account will significantly increase your visa approval chances.

When proving financial capability through your spouse or parents, you must provide a sponsorship letter (with an English translation) along with a copy of the sponsor's ID card or passport. Additionally, you need to present your birth certificate, marriage certificate, or household registration (with an English translation and notarization) to demonstrate the relationship with the sponsor.

In your application, you can include land use rights certificates or vehicle registrations (must be notarized copies).

Please note that the embassy does not accept photocopies, especially of English/Korean documents, through photo submissions.

All documents submitted must be in A4 paper size.

Exemptions from proving financial capability:

Individuals exempt from proving financial capability for South Korean tourist visas include:

Employees from top 50 Vietnamese enterprises or companies with Korean investment as designated by Korcham.

Employees of state-owned enterprises, government officials.

Individuals with a balance exceeding one billion dong in Vietnamese or Korean banks.

Individuals engaged in cultural, artistic, sports, or highly skilled professions.

Graduates of universities or colleges in South Korea.

Retired officials over 55 years old with a pension.

– The target individuals are journalists and television producers from media agencies.

– The target individuals have permanent residency rights.

– The target individuals have previously entered countries within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

– The target individuals have held a Schengen visa within the last 2 years.

The individuals exempt from South Korean visas include:

– Vietnamese citizens holding official passports, diplomatic passports, and APEC cards (when accompanied by regular passports) if entering for less than 90 days.

- Citizens of countries such as Brunei, the USA, Kuwait... if staying for less than 30 days; Hong Kong (China), Japan, Australia... if staying for less than 90 days and Canada if staying for less than 6 months.

Some points to note

Starting from 10/7/2017, the processing time for visa issuance for tourists applying through designated travel companies has been reduced to 5 days for regular tourists and 3 days for tourists traveling under reward schemes.

To avoid long queues, it is advisable to visit the embassy early. In case your application is rejected, you can reapply after 3 months without encountering any difficulties.

According to Kim Ngan/ Zing News

***

Explore more with Mytour travel guide