Your complete guide to a South Korean Visa for Indians

South Korea has become an increasingly popular tourist destination for Indians. Here is a guide to getting a South Korean visa with an Indian passport.

Do Indians need a visa for South Korea?

Yes. Indians need a visa to visit South Korea. The visas are organized as short-term (a stay of 30 days or less) or long-term visas and popular visas are for work, studying, or tourism. Since the Republic of Korea does not offer a visa-on-arrival for Indians, applying for a South Korean visa is required.¹

Types of South Korean visas

South Korea offers short-term visas for tourism, medical treatment, business meetings, or visiting family and friends.

South Korean immigration also has specific long-term visas, like D2, for students pursuing higher education in the country. Similarly, it has work and employment visas for Indian citizens with employment in South Korea.

All visa applications for South Korea are submitted through VFS Global in India.²

South Korea tourist visa for Indians

South Korea offers single-entry and double-entry visas for tourists to visit and travel the country. While the single-entry visa has a validity of 90 days from the date of issue, the double-entry visa has an extended validity of six months. However, the stay in South Korea is restricted to 30 days at a time.³

South Korea work visa for Indians

South Korea has two types of employment visas, depending on the nature and tenure of the employment contract. Short-term employment visas are available for occupations that do not require more than 90 days of stay in South Korea. This can also include work for performances in music, literature, fine arts, theater, or other areas of culture.

Long-term employment visas are allowed for people with full-time employment in South Korea in various fields like IT, e-business, nano-technology, bio-technology, and more. These visas are also available for those looking for research or technical training and require a stay of more than 90 days.⁵

South Korea student visa for Indians

South Korea offers a D-2 student visa for Indian students considering higher education in the country. You can only apply for a long-term student visa once you are admitted to a program or university in South Korea. The validity of this visa is 90 days, within which the student must apply for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) at the local Korean immigration office to continue the stay.⁶

Can Indians apply for an e-visa for South Korea?

Indian citizens are not eligible to apply for an e-visa for South Korea. They must apply for a visa before leaving India through VFS Global.

South Korea visa fees

Here are the visa fees for Indian nationals applying for a South Korean visa. If you need a visa quickly, express visa facilities are available at a higher cost.⁷ All applicants must also pay the VFS Global service charge while applying.

South Korean visa requirements for Indians

The general requirements for South Korean visas for Indians are as follows.¹⁰

• Original Passport with a validity of more than six months.
• A completed visa application, filled in by the applicant in blue or black ball pen in block letters.
• Two recent passport-sized color photographs
• Recent bank statements for the last six months
• Income tax return showing funds to pay for your stay in South Korea.
• Long-term visa applicants must submit a tuberculosis test certificate.
• Health Condition form.

Here are checklists to make sure you have all the supporting documents in place based on your visa category:

• Short-term Tourist visa
• Short-term Visa for visiting friends and family
• Short-term Medical Tourism visa
• Short-term student visas
• Long-term employment visas
• Long-term student visas

How to apply for a South Korean visa

Indian citizens can apply for a South Korean visa through VFS Global, the authorized visa application center for South Korean visas in India.⁹

Here is the visa application process.

1. Identify the appropriate visa type and make sure you are eligible.
2. Download the visa application form from the VFS Global website.
3. Complete the application form and prepare the necessary documents.
4. Book an appointment with VFS Global.
5. Visit the visa application center at the time of your appointment.
6. Pay your visa fees at the visa application center.
7. Submit the form and documents and complete the biometric requirement.

Once you have successfully submitted an application, you can track your visa application online. When a visa decision has been made, you will receive an email and be provided a time to collect your passport and other documents from the visa application center.

How long does it take to get a South Korean visa?

Generally, it takes ten to twelve working days to process a South Korean visa. The express visa applications are processed within five to seven working days. Student visas can take more time to process.¹¹

Visa Validity

Short-term South Korean visas are valid for 90 days, whereas long-term visas can extend beyond 90 days, depending on the visa category.¹²

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