How Much Is South Korea Visa Fee?

Considered to be one of the world’s must-visit destinations, South Korea welcomes an average of over 634 thousand foreign nationals annually.

The green, hilly countryside, centuries-old Buddhist temples, coastal fishing villages, and high-tech cities such as Seoul – the capital – are among the things that make South Korea a top attraction.

To experience the East Asian tiger for tourism, business, or visitation, you must apply for a visa. One of the inevitable steps in the application process is paying the visa fee. But how much is the visa fee?

Korea Visa Portal General Guide quotes $40 as the fee for a single entry visa into South Korea for foreign nationals. The visa has a validity period of 90 days or less. The South Korea Visa fee for 91 days or longer single entry is $60. 

On the other hand, a South Korean Visa for Multiple Entry is $90 per person, while a Double-entry visa (usable up to twice) is $70 per person.

This means that the visa fee is determined by the type of visa you are applying for, and it may vary according to the dollar’s exchange rate to your home country’s currency.

Remember that visa fees paid for travel processing to South Korea are not refundable whether or not the visa was eventually granted.

Also, note that there are specific countries whose citizens would have to pay adjusted visa fees when applying for South Korea Visa. Citizens from a selection of countries may also be in the visa-free category.

Before going further with your application, you want first to know what category your country falls under, as listed HERE.

The South Korea Visa fee is generally determined by the type of visa you’re applying for. So let’s walk through the kinds of visas available for foreign passport holders planning a trip to the Korean country.

South Korea Visa Types for Foreign Passport Holders

Aside from the single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry visas, South Korea offers visa-sub types, including student visas, business visas, and the like, that last for 90 days under a single entry. All of the visa-sub types fall under these three categories of visas:

Single Entry Visa

Foreign passport holders intending to enter South Korea once must apply for a single entry visa. It has a validity period of 90 days, but the long-term category lasts more than 91 days. Both types come at different visa fee price points, as explained earlier.

Double Entry Visa

In South Korea, a double entry visa suits visitors who have plans to enter the country twice within a validity period of 30 days within six months. The visa permits holders to enter South Korea twice within six months, and each visit will be permitted for 30 days.

Multiple Entry Visa

 Valid for 12 months, the Multiple Entry Visa for South Korean travel is ideal for applicants who want to go in and out of South Korea more than twice within a year.

What are South Korea Visa Requirements?

When applying for a South Korea Visa, you should be more concerned with the necessary documentation that the embassy expects you to put together upon submission for smooth processing and to avoid visa rejection.

To begin with, you need to provide a valid international passport from your home country and a correctly filled and signed South Korea Visa application form.

Other requirements include one Passport-photograph of the applicant, the visa processing fees, and a prepaid envelope by any primary courier service to return the passport and original documents.

 Depending on the nature of your visa, you may be required to provide travel health insurance and an invitation letter from a South Korean sponsor.

Some specific visa types will also require a leave letter from the applicant’s employer in your home country as well as proof of accommodation in South Korea – you can present this in the form of hotel bookings for your entire stay in South Korea or the address of your sponsor who you’ll be staying within South Korea.

How To Pay South Korean Visa Fees – Apply for Visa

Payment of South Korean visa fees comes during your application processing at the nearest Embassy or consulate of South Korea in your country of residence.

Except you have a sponsor or host in South Korea that can request a visa on your behalf through the South Korea Visa Portal of the Korea Immigration Office, you will need to submit the South Korea visa application at an Embassy/Consulate and then wait for the visa application to be processed.

Please note that the rules for submission and booking an appointment with the South Korea Consular office will vary depending on the country you are applying from.  

This is why it is essential to first make findings on where the South Korean embassy is located in your country, contact them (or visit their website) to know about new, specific details on applying for a visa.

Once you submit all the required documents and your visa processing fees, the immigration officer will access the visa. After being approved by the embassy, the permit will be affixed to your passport booklet, allowing you to enter south Korea legally.

What is South Korea Visa Processing Time?

The time frame within which your visa application will be processed, starting from when you submit it, will depend on the Embassy or Consulate you are applying in. Due to these dynamics, submitting your application 15 days before your intended travel date is best.

It would help if you were careful about how early you submit a visa application. Anything earlier than three months before your intended travel date is not ideal.

What Are The Eligibility & Requirements for a South Korean Student Visa

The South Korean visa is calibrated as the D-visa. It targets individuals who want to pursue academic endeavors in any institution in South Korea.

If the program you want to study in South Korea will take beyond a year, there is an opportunity to apply for a part-time job in South Korea that will help foot the expenses of studying in a foreign country.

But upon application, you must be able to show proof of funds of around ten thousand dollars in your bank statement to prove sustainability while you study.

Aside from this, you will need to submit a notarized photocopy of certificates of previously acquired degrees and an acceptance letter from the institution in South Korea as proof of enrollment.

International students on scholarship are expected to provide a scholarship certificate as proof during the application process for the Student visa.

A health insurance certificate is required from applicants obtaining this type of visa. The Health insurance should be one with a validity period that lasts for the trip and is issued by a renowned insurance company.

Also, applicants are expected to show proof of Tuition fees payment, either in part or complete, before even processing the visa application.

Do I Pay For South Korea Visa in Local Currency?

The processing fees for a South Korean visa will be paid in your home country’s currency from where you apply. Of course, most quoted costs are expressed in the US dollar, but the exchange rate with your local currency will differ.

It will help if you can access a real-time exchange rate calculator to know the exact cost in your local currency.

Is There Refund For South Korean Visa Fees?

South Korean Visa applications can get rejected. But one of the common questions people ask is whether or not the fees will be refunded if the application is denied.

Chances are you know the answer already. As with the visa fees of many other destinations, the visa fee paid for the South Korean permit is not refundable.

If the destination government in South Korea has a flexible system, you can appeal the rejection without paying the fee again. This is why many applicants prefer to utilize the service of Visa processing constants that will help them do a follow-up in case issues like this arise.

Final words: Extending a South Korea Visa

We have seen the current cost of a South Korea Visa for the various permits the country offers foreign passport holders. We have also looked at the eligibility and requirement for applying for a South Korean visa.

But another frequently asked question is about the extension of visa validity in South Korea as a visitor. The answer is Yes. A South Korean visa can be extended longer than the original visa allows. This is processed through the immigration office in South Korea.

It is an entire application process because you must file for a South Korean visa extension, which must be at least four months before your current visa expires.

For visa extensions, documents like your passport, the completed application form for permission of extension of stay, payment of the processing fee, and your Foreign Registration Card (for long-term visa) are required.

That is all for now on how much South Korea Visa fees are, and I hope you found this helpful.

Remember that the most important part about applying for a South Korean visa is not the fee itself. The documentation and its validity and completeness are highly sacrosanct.

I also recommend you take a visa eligibility test to properly plan your application to increase your chances, especially if you are a first-time applicant.