New Requirements for Korean Visa Application in the Philippines

Last February 17, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines made an announcement for new tourist visa application requirements, which took effect last March 1.

I’ve been planning to renew my Korean Visa which expired last December 2014, so I took note of the changes.

Before the announcement, the requirements are as follows:

1. Application Form
2. One (1) piece of passport size colored picture (3.5 cm x 4.5cm with white background; should be glued to the application form)
3. Original Passport (should be valid for more than 6 months)
4. Photocopy of Passport Bio-page (page 2)
5. Original & Photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past 5 years (If applicable, and Korean Visas will not be counted)
6. Original Certificate of Employment
7. Original Personal Bank Certificate 
8. Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
9. Invitation Letter & Copy of invitors Passport if personally invited by a Korean (If applicable)
10. Invitation Letter & Copy of Korean Company Business Permit if invited by a company in Korea (If applicable)

Now after March 1, 2015, Korean Visa applicants would need to provide additional information for the following:

• Certificate of Employment- must include applicant's position, date hired, compensation, office address, HR landline number(cell-phone number is not allowed), HR e-mail address.
• Bank Certificate - must include account type, current balance, account opening date, 6 months average balance (ADB)
• Copy of Income Tax Return- should have personal TIN number

Also as an additional requirement, the embassy also requires applicants to submit their Bank Statements or Passbook for the last 3 months. This may be in its original or certified true copy form.

All documents must be issued within 3 months on the date of application.

IMPORTANT DETAILS FOR 1^ST TIME APPLICANTS:

Tourist visa processing is FREE if you intend to stay for 59 days or less in Korea and has a fee of Php1,800 if you intend to stay for 60-90 days.

Visa Application time is 9-11 am (Monday-Friday) and provided that you are submitting complete and correct documents, Korean Visa Application should be a breeze.

Visa is usually released after 5 working days. Releasing time is 2-4 pm (Monday-Friday).

Also, those who have travelled to OECD member countries within 5 years as tourist are exempt from submitting ITR copy and may apply at window 3 (frequent travellers). Their visa will also be released after 3 working days. (You can check OECD member countries HERE)

However if you have unused tourist Visa to the OECD member countries, you will be considered as first time traveller, and thus, should apply at window 1 or window 2. 

For those who have travelled to Korea, only those who have visited more than twice within 4 years will be considered frequent travellers.

Some tips that I can give based on the 2 instances that I successfully applied for a Korean Tourist Visa are as follows:

• Always download the latest application form.
• Write legibly and if possible, avoid erasures in the application form. Leave no blanks too. You can put N/A for those that are not applicable to you.
• Never tamper the documents that you submit. Never submit falsified or invalid documents.
• There is no specific guideline as to how much money should be declared in your bank account but at least you should have enough money to cover for your trip with a little extra for emergencies (and this is just my hypothesis)
• You can submit supporting documents such as plane tickets, approved leaves, and confirmed hotel reservations but they are not necessary (but do keep them in handy).

Good luck with your application, and hopefully I, too, will be able to secure a new Korean Visa and be able to visit Seoul again! ^^

For more details and to download the application form online, visit the official website of the Korean Embassy in the Philippines HERE. 

Planning to visit Korea? For information about Korean Tourism, you may visit the Korea Tourism Organization Official page, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

For Filipinos, follow Korea Tourism Organization Manila at Facebook, Twitter, and KakaoTalk (@ktomanila) for the latest updates on Korea tourism, events, tour packages and promos. :)