This post is perfect for those who want to apply for a Tourist Visa to South Korea from the Philippines. I will share here the steps on how I got my single-entry Visa to South Korea in the simplest way I can.
I was able to travel to Seoul together with my parents in December years ago to experience the winter season. These are the steps that I have done for us to receive a single-entry Visa to “The Land of the Morning Calm.”
Follow these steps and hopefully, your application will also have the same outcome – that is an approved Visa.
Applying for a South Korean Visa in the Philippines is simple, you only need to follow 5 easy steps. What’s difficult is the preparation of the requirements and the waiting time as it would take more than a month before you get to know the result of your application.
Read also: South Korea Itinerary for 5 Days 4 Nights: 5 Best Tourist Spots to Visit
There are different types of visas depending on your specific purpose of visit. It can be for study, business, and tourists. Each type requires different documents for the applicant. This particular post will discuss the steps on how you can get a tourist visa for South Korea.
Step 1: Fill up the Visa Application Form
This is probably the crucial part to have your visa application approved. You can download the latest visa application form at http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_3283/list.do. Simply go to the download tab and select the “Visa Application Form (2020.01.01)” in the list of choices.
The form comes in 3 different formats. I suggest that you choose file2 which is in PDF format. For me, it is a lot easier to fill out as compared to the word and hwp format.
There is a total of 5 pages. Fill up the form completely as accurately as possible and to the best of your knowledge. Leave blank, questions that are not applicable to your current status.
In this part, you have to prepare your personal details as you need them when filling up the given questionnaires in the form.
- Passport information (passport number, place of issue, date of issue, date of expiry)
- Contact information (mobile number, landline, valid email address, emergency contact info)
- Marital Status and Family Details (information about spouse, residential address, and contact number)
- Education (name of the school in college and address)
- Employment details (name of company, job position, office address, and landline)
- Details of Visit (purpose, period of stay, address in Korea, and contact number in Korea)
- List of countries visited in the last 5 years (purpose of visit, and period of stay)
- List of family members traveling to South Korea (name, date of birth, nationality, and relationship)
- Details of the sponsor such as the name of the sponsor, date of birth, relationship, address, and contact details (if applicable)
- Funding details (estimated travel cost per person, the person paying for the travel expenses, relationship, contact details.
- Assistance with this form (provide the details if someone fills out the form on your behalf)
- Declaration (state the date of application, and affix your signature)
You can fill out the form using the Adobe acrobat reader DC installed on your personal computer. In my case, I choose to fill out the form using the latter. The reason is simple, it is a lot easier because I am familiar with the app. You can also edit the information without making your application form look like scratch paper after you wrote the wrong information for a particular questionnaire.
Step 2: Prepare the Korea Visa Requirements
The requirements are listed in the Embassy of the Republic of Korea on the Republic of the Philippines’ official website. It is the same link I have provided in step 1. http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_3277/list.do. The requirements vary based on the status of the applicant.
If you will be visiting Korea alone, or as a group, each applicant must produce the requirements stated on the website.
For example, if you are currently employed in the Philippines, you need to submit the documents asked such as the original passport, photocopy of its bio page, original certificate of employment stating your position, date hired, salary, office address, and human resource (HR) landline telephone number and email address. You also need to produce the original bank statement for the last 3 months. If you are a registered professional, you need to submit a copy of your PRC ID.
There is no visa fee if you will visit Korea for less than 59 days. However, you need to pay the designated travel agency for their service to process your application.
Based on experience, the designated travel agency may ask for an additional document before they start processing your application.
Step 3: Submit the Requirements to the Travel Agency and Pay the Fee
Previously, Filipinos can walk into the Korean Embassy to personally process their visa application. However, due to the increase in the number of Filipino tourists applying for visas, the embassy designates numerous travel agencies where applicants can submit their documents starting July 1, 2018.
One of the reasons is to minimize inconvenience on the part of the applicant. The latter do not have to fall in line for hours outside of the embassy while waiting for their turn for a Korean Visa application.
There is a total of 35 travel agencies that are accredited by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines. You can scan the list and check which agency is near your location.
My advice for you is to visit their respective website to be familiar with their location, processing fee, and processing time. You may also call their office, to inquire about your concerns like their office hours and updated details.
When you are done choosing the agency, submit all your documents to them to avoid delays. Afterward, pay the processing fee.
Step 4: Wait for the Release Date of your Visa
During our application, the release of the visa takes about 30 to 40 days after submitting all of our documents. The number of days may vary. There is nothing we can do about it so we just wait.
Usually, the single-entry visa will lapse 3 months from the issue date. I would suggest that you apply for your tourist visa 2 to 3 months prior to your scheduled travel date.
Also, make sure that you will not travel outside of the Philippines for the duration of your application, as the travel agency will keep your passport during these dates.
While waiting, you can start making a travel itinerary based on your planned number of days to stay in South Korea.
Step 5: Collect your Passport with the attached Korean Visa
Hopefully, this will be the case. After processing your visa, the travel agency will inform you through SMS/text if your passport is filed and/or released from the embassy.
You can follow up with the agency to know if your passport is ready for collection based on their given tentative date.
How to View the Visa Requirements for South Korea
As I have mentioned earlier, Korea asked applicants for different requirements depending on their current status. You can view the requirements at http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_3277/list.do.
Go to Visa Requirements under the “Consular / Visa Service”
How Much is the Korean Visa Application Fee?
The cost of getting a tourist visa for South Korea is free of charge. However, you have to pay a processing fee between 500 pesos to 1000 pesos to the travel agencies that process your application.
