If you want to know how to get a Korean visa, the basic route is this: you apply at a Republic of Korea Embassy or Consulate, and the visa is issued there under the assignment given by the Minister of Justice. The legal basis for this is Immigration Act Article 8, Section 2, and Regulations Articles 11 and 9. In special cases you may apply for the visa after receiving a certificate of visa issuance approval from the Immigration Office, under Immigration Control Act Article 9 and Regulations Article 17.
This guide follows the official issuance procedure from the moment you submit your application to the moment the visa is attached to your passport. It explains who has the power to decide, what you must submit, when the Minister of Justice has to approve your case, and the deadline for claiming the visa once it is ready. It does not cover fees, and it does not list the documents for one specific visa type, because document requirements depend on the status of stay you apply for. Confirm both on the official page before you apply.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who it applies to | Foreign nationals who need a visa to enter the Republic of Korea |
| Where to apply | A Republic of Korea Embassy or Consulate; in special cases, after receiving a certificate of visa issuance approval from the Immigration Office |
| Who issues the visa | The Embassy or Consulate, under the assignment given by the Minister of Justice |
| Core documents | Passport, Visa Issuance Application, and other documents required by the visa status you apply for |
| Extra document | A certificate of visa issuance recognition, if one is necessary in your case |
| Deadline to claim | Within 3 months after the date of application, or after the notification date of the Minister of Justice’s approval if approval is needed |
| Fees | Not covered by this guidance; check the official HiKorea visa pages, or ask the 1345 Immigration Contact Center (Mon–Fri 09:00–22:00, excluding public holidays, call charge) |
| Where to ask questions | The 1345 Immigration Contact Center, Monday to Friday 09:00–22:00, excluding public holidays (call charge) |
Who Issues a Korean Visa and Who Decides
The first thing to understand about how to get a Korean visa is that the office you hand your papers to is not always the office that makes the final decision. The visa is issued by the Republic of Korea Embassy or Consulate under the assignment given by the Minister of Justice. That assignment is what gives the mission abroad the power to act in the first place.
The Head of the Embassy or Consulate may issue a visa at their own discretion, but only for a visa that is issuance-approved. For visas that the Head of the Embassy or Consulate is not cleared to issue on discretion, he or she must request approval from the Minister of Justice, according to Regulations Article 8, Section 1 of the Immigration Control Act.
There is also a middle path. If you apply for a visa without submitting the certificate of approval for visa issuance, the Head of the Embassy or Consulate may still issue the visa with the permission of the Minister of Justice, following the visa issuance permission request procedure.
| Your situation | Who decides |
|---|---|
| The visa is issuance-approved | The Head of the Embassy or Consulate may issue it at their discretion |
| The Head of the Embassy or Consulate is not cleared to issue that visa on discretion | Approval must be requested from the Minister of Justice under Regulations Article 8, Section 1 |
| You apply without the certificate of approval for visa issuance | The visa may be issued with the permission of the Minister of Justice, through the visa issuance permission request procedure |
| A special case handled in advance | You may apply for the visa after receiving a certificate of visa issuance approval from the Immigration Office |
⚠️ Discretion at the Embassy or Consulate applies only to issuance-approved visas. Other cases go to the Minister of Justice.
What You Need to Prepare Before You Apply
The official procedure names a short core set of documents, then leaves room for whatever your chosen visa status requires on top of that. The required documents are your passport and a Visa Issuance Application, plus other documents as required by the visa status you apply for.
- Your passport
- A Visa Issuance Application
- Other documents as required by the visa status you have applied for
- The certificate of visa issuance recognition, submitted with your application if it is necessary in your case
The documents in the third line are the part that changes the most. They depend on the status of stay you choose, so there is no single list that covers every applicant. Confirm the list for your own status on the official page before you travel to the Embassy or Consulate.
Where the detailed rules for each visa type live
Immigration publishes a manual of visa issuance that covers all visas. It sets out detailed instructions for each visa type, and it is the correct place to check your own case rather than relying on a general summary.
- Who is an eligible applicant for each visa type
- Electronic visas
- Visas issued at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad, and visas issued at an immigration office or branch office
- The required application documents
Two guides are published for this purpose: the Visa Instruction Guide and the Sojourn Guide for Foreigners. Read the one that matches your question, because the rules for eligibility and documents are set per visa type.
How to Get a Korean Visa Step by Step
The general visa issuance flow has a clear shape. You choose a status of stay that suits the purpose of your visit, you submit everything that status requires, the decision is made either at the mission or by the Minister of Justice, and then the visa is physically attached to your passport.
- Decide which status of stay matches the purpose of your visit. The status you apply for must suit that purpose.
- Gather your passport, the Visa Issuance Application, and all other documents required by that status of stay.
- If your case is a special one, obtain a certificate of visa issuance approval from the Immigration Office first, then apply for the visa.
- Apply at the Republic of Korea Embassy or Consulate and submit all required documents at the time of application. If you are unsure how the application is handled at your mission, confirm the procedure with the mission or with the 1345 Immigration Contact Center.
- If the visa is one the Head of the Embassy or Consulate is not cleared to issue on discretion, approval is requested from the Minister of Justice under Regulations Article 8, Section 1.
- Wait for the decision. If approval from the Minister of Justice is needed, you will be working from the notification date of that approval.
- Claim your visa. It lists your status of stay and its expiration date, and it is attached to your passport and returned to you.
- Check every detail printed on the visa before you enter Korea.
Submit the complete document set at the point of application, not later. The official flow describes applicants submitting all required documents for the status of stay when they apply, so an incomplete set is the easiest way to slow your own case down.
⚠️ The one time limit set out in this procedure is the 3-month period for claiming the visa, counted from the date of application or from the notification date of the Minister of Justice’s approval.
After the Decision: Claiming Your Visa in Time
Approval is not the end of the procedure. You have to collect the visa, and there is a firm time limit for doing so. You must claim your visa within 3 months.
| Starting point for the 3 months | When it applies |
|---|---|
| The date of application | The normal case |
| The notification date of the Minister of Justice’s approval | Only if that approval is needed in your case |
If you do not claim the visa within that period, you must apply for a new visa. That means preparing and submitting the documents again, so put the date in your calendar as soon as you apply.
When you do collect it, the visa shows your status of stay and its expiration date, and it is attached to your passport and handed back to you. Check that all of the information on the visa is correct before you enter Korea, because you are the person who has to live with what is printed there.
How to Get a Korean Visa Without Losing Your Application
One rule catches people who are impatient or badly advised. If a visa applicant enters Korea before the visa is actually issued, it is assumed that the applicant is withdrawing their application, and the issuance is canceled. Do not travel to Korea on another basis while your application is still open and unissued.
- Entering Korea before the visa is issued is treated as withdrawing the application, and the issuance is canceled.
- Missing the 3-month window to claim the visa means you have to apply for a new one.
- Applying for a status of stay that does not suit the purpose of your visit works against the basic requirement of the procedure.
- Leaving out documents that your specific visa status requires, instead of submitting them all at the time of application.
- Assuming the Embassy or Consulate can decide your case on its own when the visa is not an issuance-approved one.
- Taking the visa and leaving without checking that the status of stay and the expiration date on it are correct.
What depends on your own case
Several parts of this procedure are not the same for everyone. Eligibility, the required documents, whether an electronic visa is involved, and whether the visa is issued at a diplomatic mission abroad or at an immigration office or branch office are all set per visa type.
Fees are not covered by this guidance, so check the current amount on the official HiKorea visa pages before you go rather than relying on a figure you read in a forum. If you still have a question after reading the official guides, the 1345 Immigration Contact Center answers Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 22:00, excluding public holidays, and the call is charged. From outside Korea you can reach it on +82-2-1345 or +82-2-6908-1345 to 6.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I actually apply when I want to know how to get a Korean visa?
You apply at a Republic of Korea Embassy or Consulate. The visa is issued there under the assignment given by the Minister of Justice. In special cases you may apply for the visa after receiving a certificate of visa issuance approval from the Immigration Office.
Who makes the final decision on my visa?
It depends on the visa. The Head of the Embassy or Consulate may issue a visa at their discretion, but only for an issuance-approved visa. For visas they are not cleared to issue on discretion, approval must be requested from the Minister of Justice under Regulations Article 8, Section 1 of the Immigration Control Act.
What documents do I need to submit?
Your passport, a Visa Issuance Application, and other documents required by the visa status you apply for. If a certificate of visa issuance recognition is necessary in your case, submit it with your application. The document list for each visa type is published in the official visa instruction guide, so confirm yours there.
How long do I have to pick up my visa after I apply?
You must claim the visa within 3 months after the date of application, or within 3 months after the notification date of the Minister of Justice’s approval if such approval is needed. If you miss that period, you must apply for a new visa.
Can I travel to Korea while my visa application is still being processed?
No. If you enter Korea before the visa is actually issued, it is assumed that you are withdrawing your application, and the issuance is canceled. Wait until the visa is issued and attached to your passport.
To put how to get a Korean visa into practice, start by fixing the status of stay that matches the purpose of your visit, then read the official instruction guide for that visa type and build your document set from it before you apply at the Embassy or Consulate. Once you have applied, note the 3-month limit for claiming the visa, and do not enter Korea until the visa is in your passport. Rules and required documents can change and often depend on your visa type, so confirm the current details, including any fees, on the official pages below or with the 1345 Immigration Contact Center before you act.
Last checked: October 24, 2026. Rules, fees and required documents in Korea change often, and some depend on your visa type and district office. Always confirm the current details on the official pages below before you go.