List of South Korean visas
Encyclopedia
This is a list of visas issued by South Korea. The government of South Korea
, through the Bureau of Immigration, issues one of these visas
to all non-citizens entering the country. In 2005, 5,179,848 visas were issued, not including military and landing-permit visas, a slight increase over the previous year. More than half of these were B-2 visas.
The B-2 status allows travellers who are passport holders of various jurisdictions, including the People's Republic of China
mainland
, to stay in South Korea for a maximum period of 30 days, provided that they are using Incheon International Airport
as a transit stopover. It applies to ordinary PRC passport bearers when they are travelling between the Chinese mainland and Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan or 30 European countries. The B-2 status is encoded in Article 7 of the South Korean immigration law.
Government of South Korea
The Government of South Korea is divided into executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The executive and judicial branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and...
, through the Bureau of Immigration, issues one of these visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
to all non-citizens entering the country. In 2005, 5,179,848 visas were issued, not including military and landing-permit visas, a slight increase over the previous year. More than half of these were B-2 visas.
A visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) | Number issued (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 | Diplomat (외교) | 7,070 | 7,060 |
| A-2 | Government official (공무) | 11,854 | 10,883 |
| A-3 | Agreement (협정) | 27,946 | 25,583 |
B visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) | Number issued (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-1 | Visa exemption (사증면제) | 496,356 | 517,526 |
| B-2 | Tourist/transit (관광통과) | 3,404,923 | 3,344,602 |
The B-2 status allows travellers who are passport holders of various jurisdictions, including the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
mainland
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, to stay in South Korea for a maximum period of 30 days, provided that they are using Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul national capital area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world...
as a transit stopover. It applies to ordinary PRC passport bearers when they are travelling between the Chinese mainland and Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan or 30 European countries. The B-2 status is encoded in Article 7 of the South Korean immigration law.
C visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) | Number issued (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-1 | Temporary news coverage (일시취재) | 2,217 | 1,266 |
| C-2 | Short-term business (단기상용) | 214,621 | 258,844 |
| C-3 | Short-term general (단기종합) | 444,822 | 501,559 |
| C-4 | Short-term employee (단기취업) | 11,944 | 12,523 |
D visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) | Number issued (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-1. | Artist (문화예술) | 241 | 349 |
| D-2 | Student (유학) | 25,635 | 35,979 |
| D-3 | Industrial trainee (산업연수) | 41,365 | 48,203 |
| D-4 | General trainee (일반연수) | 10,257 | 16,496 |
| D-5 | Journalism (취재) | 379 | 357 |
| D-6 | Religion (종교) | 2,086 | 2,225 |
| D-7 | Business supervisor (상사주재) | 8,369 | 8,126 |
| D-8 | Corporate investor (기업투자) | 35,712 | 36,302 |
| D-9 | International trade (무역경영) | 5,917 | 8,099 |
E visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) | Number issued (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Professor (교수) | 3,204 | 3,500 |
| E-2 | Foreign language instructor (회화지도) | 12,439 | 15,001 |
| E-3 | Research (연구) | 5,406 | 5,838 |
| E-4 | Technology transfer (기술지도) | 819 | 606 |
| E-5 | Professional employment (전문직업) | 581 | 886 |
| E-6 | Artistic performer (예술흥행) | 4,759 | 4,518 |
| E-7 | Designated activities (특정활동) | 13,514 | 14,927 |
| E-8 | Training employment (연수취업) | ||
| E-9 | Non-professional employment (비전문취업) | 38,244 | 38,713 |
| E-10 | Vessel Crew (내항선원) |
F visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) | Number issued (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | Visiting or joining family (방문동거) | 74,479 | 120,190 |
| F-2 | Resident (거주) | 88,391 | 93,759 |
| F-3 | Accompanying spouse (동반) | 20,741 | 21,243 |
| F-4 | Overseas Korean (재외동포) | ||
| F-5 | Permanent resident (영주) | 11,239 | |
G visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) |
|---|---|---|
| G-1 | Miscellaneous | 1,247 |
H visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) |
|---|---|---|
| H-1 | Working holiday Working holiday visa A working holiday visa is a travel permit which allows travellers to undertake employment in the country issuing the visa for the purpose of supplementing their travel funds.... (관광취업) |
1,113 |
| H-2 | Working visit (방문취업제) | |
M visas
| Visa Category | Name (Korean name) | Number issued (2005) |
|---|---|---|
| M-1 | Military (군인) | 73,014 |
See also
- Visa (document)Visa (document)A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
- Immigration in South Korea
- South Korean lawSouth Korean lawThe legal system of South Korea is a civil law system that has its basis in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea.-History:The South Korean legal system effectively dates from the introduction of the original Constitution of the Republic of Korea and the organization of South Korea as an...
- Visa policy of South KoreaVisa policy of South KoreaSouth Korea maintains a visa waiver agreement list and a designated visa-free entry list with countries not included on those lists requiring a visa to enter the country...
External links
- Entry Info for Korea - The Official Korea Tourism Guide Site
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Hi KOREA e-Government for Foreigners