Preparing to get a Korean visa? Check out the requirements for employees, business owners, students, and other types of applicants!
In a nutshell
- What are the requirements needed to apply for a Korean tourist visa (C-3 visa)? Documents vary based on occupation, but all applicants must submit an application form, valid passport, recent photograph, bank certificate, and latest bank statements.
- What are the documents required for employees? Filipino employees are expected to submit their Income Tax Return (ITR) and Certificate of Employment (COE).
- What type of documents should business owners submit? Those who own a business in the Philippines will need their DTI or SEC registration and business permit, among others.
- What if I am missing a document? Check out this guide.
Featured Deal
Guidelines for Korean Visa Applicants
If you are thinking about getting a South Korea tourist visa in the Philippines (C-3 visa), then you should prepare the basic documents like the application form, photo, passport, valid OECD-member visas (if any), and ITR, among others. You will also have to submit documents that are specific to your occupation, like the Certificate of Employment (COE) for employees, DTI or SEC registration for business owners, and school certificate for students.
Here are some general tips:
- If you’ve travelled to any OECD-member country as a tourist in the last 5 years (except Japan), you are exempted from submitting an Income Tax Return or ITR. (See the list of OECD-member countries here.)
- If you plan to submit a Korean visa application with your family members, do prepare a birth certificate and/or marriage contract to prove familial ties. (Family members include your spouse, children, parents, and/or siblings who will travel with you.)
- If you were invited by a Korean company, submit an invitation letter and a copy of their business registration. No authentication (Apostille) is required for these documents.
- If you were invited by a Korean national, you should submit an invitation letter and a copy of their passport or ID card. No authentication (Apostille) is required for any of these documents as well.
Ready to move on? The next few sections will cover the following: (1) a listing of all Korean visa requirements per occupation and (2) a detailed explanation for each type of document. Oh, if you want to get started with your travel itinerary, do check out this list of South Korea tours and travel essentials!
List of South Korea Visa Requirements
1. Korean Visa Requirements for Employees
If you are an employee in the Philippines, here are the documents that you must prepare:
- Application form
- One (1) Passport-size photo (colored)
- Original Passport
- Photocopy of Passport Bio page (page 2)
- Original & photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD-member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- Original Certificate of Employment (COE)
- Original Personal Bank Certificate
- Bank Statement for the last 3 months
- Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
- Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card, if applicable
2. Korean Visa Requirements for Business Owners
If you are a Filipino entrepreneur, prepare these Korean visa requirements:
- Application form
- One (1) Passport-size photo (colored)
- Original Passport
- Photocopy of Passport Bio page (page 2)
- Original & photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD-member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- Photocopy of Business Registration from SEC or DTI
- Photocopy of Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit
- Original Personal Bank Certificate
- Bank Statement
- Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
- Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card, if applicable
3. Korean Visa Requirements for Students
The required documents for students in the Philippines are as follows:
- Application form
- One (1) Passport-size photo (colored)
- Original Passport
- Photocopy of Passport Bio page (page 2)
- Original & photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD-member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- School Certificate (Original)
- Copy of School ID
- Copy of PSA Birth Certificate
- Parents’ Documents
- If parents are employed: original Employment Certificate Original and a photocopy of their ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
- If parents are self-employed: photocopy of Business Registration from SEC or DTI (Copy), photocopy of Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit, photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
- Original Bank Certificate
- Bank Statement
- Original PSA Marriage Certificate
4. Korean Visa Requirements for Housewives
Housewives in the Philippines must submit these documents:
- Application form
- One (1) Passport-size photo (colored)
- Original Passport
- Photocopy of Passport Bio page (page 2)
- Original & photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD-member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- Additional documents:
- If husband is employed: original Employment Certificate Original and a photocopy of their ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
- If husband is self-employed: photocopy of Business Registration from SEC or DTI (Copy), photocopy of Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit, photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
- Original Bank Certificate (for your personal bank account or your husband’s bank account)
- Bank Statement (from your personal account or your husbands’ account)
- Original PSA Marriage Certificate
5. Korean Visa Requirements for Retirees
Filipino retirees must turn in the following Korean visa requirements:
- Application form
- One (1) Passport-size photo (colored)
- Original Passport
- Photocopy of Passport Bio page (page 2)
- Original & photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD-member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- Original Personal Bank Certificate**
- Bank Statement**
- Copy of Senior Citizen Card
**If bank documents to be submitted by the retiree are named under a family member, submit a proof of relationship, e.g. a copy of marriage contract if the account holder is the spouse or birth certificate if the account holder is a child
6. Korean Visa Requirements for Freelancers
As a Filipino freelancer, you are considered self-employed if you are registered with BIR. This means that you should already have the documents that business owners do, such as the business registration (DTI), business permit (LGU), and ITR. You may want to proceed with your application just like those who own a business would.
7. Korean Visa Requirements for Foreign Residents in the Philippines
- Application form
- One (1) Passport-size photo (colored)
- Original Passport
- Photocopy of Passport Bio page (page 2)
- Original & photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD-member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- Photocopy of ACR I-Card, PH long-term visa, and arrival stamps to Philippines
- Original Personal Bank Certificate
- Bank Statements
- Other documents
- If you’re a student: original School Certificate and a copy of your School ID
- If you’re an employee: Certificate of Employment and a copy of your ITR or Form 2316
- If you own a business: DTI or SEC business registration, business permit, and a copy of your ITR or Form 2316
Additional requirements and conditions may apply depending on your nationality.
Glossary of Korean Visa Requirements
Here are some information that may help you prepare the documents that the Embassy requires:
1. Application form
The Korean visa application form is a 5-page document that seeks to know your basic information, family background, occupation, and travel history. It is pretty straightforward and can easily be accomplished in less than an hour. You can refer to this article to download the form and learn how to fill it out completely.
2. Bank Statements
Prepare your original bank statements (for the past 3 months) or a certified true copy of your passbook. You can also request the statements from your branch of account (fees may apply).
- For students: Get this document from your parents.
- For housewives: Prepare your own bank statements or get this document from your spouse.
- For retired senior citizens: If you’ll submit a family member’s bank statements, make sure to prepare either a birth certificate or marriage contract to prove the relationship.
3. Invitation Letter
If you’ve been invited by a Korean national or company, make sure to have an invitation letter, which typically includes the inviter’s name, address, occupation, reason/s for invitation, dates of travel, and sponsorship details (if applicable).
4. Original certificate of employment (COE)
The COE should include your position in the company, hiring date, compensation, office address, HR’s landline number, and HR’s email address. The Embassy notes that you cannot provide a mobile number in lieu of your human resources’ landline number.
- For students: Get this from your parents, if they are employees.
- For housewives: Get this from your spouse, if he is employed.
5. Original passport
Make sure that you have an original DFA-issued passport that is valid for at least 6 months from your intended date of departure. For example, if you plan to travel to South Korea on July 1, 2023, your passport should at least be valid until January 1, 2024.
6. Original personal bank certificate
You can get your personal bank certificate from your branch of account. When asked for what purpose, tell them that it’s for your Korean visa requirement. (When I requested a bank certificate for my payroll account in BPI, I had to pay ₱200 and wait for 15-20 minutes. Note that other banks may charge differently and may take a longer processing time.)
- For students: Get this document from your parents.
- For housewives: Prepare your own bank certificate or get this document from your spouse.
- For retired senior citizens: If you’ll submit a family member’s bank certificate, make sure to prepare either a birth certificate or marriage contract to prove ties.
7. Original & copy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD-member countries for the past 5 years (optional)
If you plan to submit your Korean visa requirements, prepare a photocopy of your visa/s and arrival stamp/s to any OECD-member country that you have in the past 5 years. If you have not traveled previously to any of the following countries, you can skip this part.
OECD-MEMBER COUNTRIES
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Chile
- Chech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea (Republic of Korea)
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
If you have your valid visa/s and arrival stamp/s on your old or expired passport/s, make sure to submit your old passport along with your current and valid passport.
8. Passport-size photo
Your passport-size photo must follow these guidelines:
- Colored
- 35 x 45 mm in size
- Taken in the past six (6) months
- Must have a white background
You may opt to go to a photo studio and avail their South Korea visa package. This usually costs around ₱100-200 and takes 15 minutes to complete. For an additional fee, you can also ask them to overlay a formal attire so you won’t have to bring or wear one.
9. Photocopy of Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit
Business owners must present a copy of their local business permit as part of their Korean visa requirement.
- For students: Get a copy of your parents’ business permit, if applicable.
- For housewives: Get a copy of your spouse’s business permit, if applicable.
10. Photocopy of Business Registration from SEC or DTI
Submit a copy of your DTI or SEC registration.
- For students: Get a copy from your parents, if they are business owners.
- For housewives: Get a copy from your husband.
11. Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
One essential Korean visa requirement is a photocopy of the ITR or Form 2316. You can typically request any of these documents from your human resources.
If, for some reason, you have no ITR to submit, consider writing a letter of explanation to the Embassy.
If you are a frequent traveler or someone who has traveled to an OECD-member country within the past 5 years (excluding Japan), know that you are exempted from submitting this Korean visa requirement. Just make sure that you submit the original and photocopy of your valid visa/s and arrival stamp/s.
- For students: Get a copy of your parents’ ITR or Form 2316, if they are employees.
- For housewives: Prepare a copy of your spouse’s ITR or Form 2316, if he is employed.
12. Photocopy of Passport Bio page
The bio page is the second page of your passport. It’s the one that contains your photo, name, and other details. Prepare one copy.
13. PRC Card or IBP Card (optional)
If you have a card from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC card) or the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Card (IBP card), submit a copy.
14. PSA Birth Certificate
If you don’t have a birth certificate on hand, you can request one from PSA online by clicking here. You can also do a walk-in application at the East Avenue Census Serbilis Outlet (offers same-day processing) or at any Census Serbilis Centers.
15. PSA Marriage Certificate
You may request for your PSA (NSO) marriage certificate online by clicking here, if you do not have one that’s readily available.
16. School Certificate (Original)
Filipino students who are applying for a Korean visa must submit an original School Certificate, which is typically provided by the school registrar. Note that Registration Forms are not allowed.
17. School ID
Make a copy of the front and back portions of your school ID.
How to Apply for a Korean Visa With Incomplete Requirements
If you face any difficulty in submitting a particular Korean visa requirement, e.g. the ITR or old passport that has your other valid visa/s and arrival stamp/s, you may want to write a letter to the Embassy to explain your situation. Here’s a sample cover letter.
Word of Caution
The Embassy of Korea in the Philippines reminds visa applicants that the following actions will result in denial of visa issuance for three (3) years:
- Providing false statements
- Submitting falsified documents
- Altering original documents
In previous years, the Embassy reported that they received forged travel documents, such as fake visas and arrival stamps to Japan. Such cases are reported to local authorities, so make sure to supply only true and verifiable information in the entire Korea visa application process.
Reference
To see Korean visa requirements for all categories, you may visit the website of the Embassy of Korea in the Philippines here.
If you’ve got any input, share them in the comments section below so you can help those who are preparing to apply for their Korean visa!
