South Korea Work Visa - Definitive Guide

When you have a job in South Korea and you need a permit to be able to get the job and work in the country, you will need a work visa for South Korea. There are different kinds of visa as per the type of work profile you are applying for. Some of the visa types are short term while some are long term. The validity of the visas will also differ accordingly.

Types of South Korea Work Permit

The work visa for South Korea can be classified into several categories, C-type, D-type, E-type, and H-type. They are categorized as per the area these jobs are about. The types are as follows:

• C4 - It is issued for short term employment that allows the holder to stay in the country for 90 days. It is issued for artists like musicians and painters.
• D7 - This type of visa is issued for the employees who are being transferred from country to country. This kind of transfer is generally intra-company and is provided for a company assignment or company resident.
• E1 - This is the kind that is issued for the academicians. It allows them to do research beyond their college level, and give guest lectures.
• E2 - It is provided to the foreign language instructors who work in organizations, broadcasting companies, educational institutions and others.
• E3 - This type of visa is for the applicants who are looking forward to doing research in the areas of Natural Sciences and advanced technology. It also has qualification barriers, the candidate must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in the respective field.
• E4 - It is issued at the times when an expert is being invited to South Korea to give technical expertise in the fields of technology and natural sciences.
• E5 - It is the type that is provided to the professionals with international degrees in their profession and is approved by the Korean Government. Generally, it is issued for the practice of medicine, architecture, engineering, and similar others.
• E6 - This type of visa is issued for arts and performances. It is provided to applicants who are willing to perform in the areas of arts, music, sports, literature, or fashion, to earn profit from it.
• E7 - It is the kind of work visa for South Korea that is issued for special occupations. The holder will be able to carry out a certain kind of work.
• E10 - This type is issued for the applicants who are applying for employment as crew members on the ship in South Korea.
• H1 - This type of visa is also called as ‘Visa for Working Holiday’. It is issued to the applicants of particular countries allowing them to work to support them financially while they travel around South Korea. It is applicable to the countries with whom the South Korea government has signed the Agreement on Working Holiday. The visa allows a stay up to one year.

In order to apply for a work visa for South Korea, you will have to apply offline to the visa application centre. But prior to that, you will have to match the provided eligibility criteria. The process for the application is not quite complicated but may require professional assistance. South Korea work visa application procedure is given as follows:

1. Download the South Korea work visa application form from the official website of the visa application centre.
2. Fill out all the required information on the form and go through the checklist provided.
3. Fulfil all the requirements that are asked by the authorities.
4. Attach all the supporting documents along with the photographs as per the specifications.
5. Submit the application form to your nearest branch of the visa application centre.
6. Pay the fee at the time of submission.
7. Collect your passport and work permit after the processing of the visa.

When you are filling out the form, you must make sure that you fill out all the correct information. The information provided must match the details on the passport and other documents. If in case, any issues are found with the application, there are chances that your visa may get refused. A visa refusal can affect applications for your further visa for South Korea or any other country. To avoid the same, it is safe to acquire a professional visa consultation.

Before applying for the visa, there are certain parameters that you need to meet. These vary from type to type. Some of the most important ones are listed as follows:

• You must meet the health requirements

• You must be healthy enough to travel to South Korea.
• You must perform a medical test before travelling to the country and provide a relevant documentary proof.
• You must be within the age limit to be able to apply for a work permit.
• You must meet the character requirements

• You must be of good character and have genuine intentions behind working in South Korea.
• You need to provide a relevant documentary proof for the same as well in the form of a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).
• You must have sufficient funds

• You must possess or have access to sufficient funds to be able to cover your stay and other expenses in South Korea.
• Bank statement or any equivalent document is to be submitted as well as proof of the same.
• Your South Korea work permit must be sponsored by the employer.
• You must have confirmed employment in South Korea

• Your employment must be confirmed.
• You need to have a job and a letter from the organisation confirming your employment to be able to apply for the South Korea work permit.
• The company that is hiring you must have submitted the visa application to the Entry Division of the Immigration Office, and the application must be approved by the Ministry of Justice.
• If working on a contract period, the contract period must be mentioned on the cover letter.
• For long term professional visas, you need to know if your degree certificate needs to be legalised.

There are different kinds of documents required as per the type of the visa. However, there are certain requirements that are common for all kinds of visa. The requirements to get a work visa for South Korea are as follows:

• Original passport with validity at least 6 months ahead of the date of travel
• Completely filled visa application form
• Two photos as per the photo specifications
• Cover letter from the invitee company
• Resume
• Academic qualification documents
• Health Certificate
• Ministry of Justice approved CCVI (Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance)
• Employer documents
• Certificate of Incorporation
• Certification of Registration
• Letter of financial guarantee from the company
• Proof of identification and nationality
• PAN card
• Adhaar card
• Proof of confirmed travel dates 
• Confirmation slip 
• Air tickets
• Proof of sufficient funds to support your stay in South Korea
• Travel requisition by employer
• Letter of mission
• Certificate of income or tax payment issued by a public agency
• Certificate of deposit balance
• Proof of accommodation
• Invitation letter
• Hotel reservation

• Two copies must be provided
• Photo size: 35mm x 45 mm.
• Coloured copy must be provided.
• The face must cover about 70-80% of the frame - 32mm x 36mm.
• Head should well-centred.
• A gap of 2mm to 6mm must be kept between the top of the head and the frame.
• The picture must not be older than 6 months.
• The background must be white
• Neutral expressions
• Glasses are not permitted.
• Headgears are not allowed except for religious reasons.
• Clothing shouldn’t match the background.

The processing time required at the time of issuance of a work visa for South Korea depends on various factors. For instance, the verification of documents and the processing of CCVI will take one to several weeks to get done. Therefore the processing time required afterwards is quite variable as well. Generally, once all the documents are submitted, you will have your permit issued within 5 to 10 days. Even this period will be affected by the workload at the embassy office, the staff availability, whether the documents are complete or the rest of the documents are yet to be submitted and others.

The fee that is paid for the issuance of a work visa for South Korea will differ as per the type of the same. It is estimated based on several parameters. It is to be paid to the visa application centres along with the service charges. Also, you must pay the fee only in cash, else if you do not have access to a visa application centre branch, you can send in the fee with a demand draft.

After you have submitted the application form for a South Korea work permit, 

• You can just wait for the processing and track the status of your work permit in the meantime. 
• When the documents have been verified and the processing has been done, you can collect your passport and your work permit from the visa application centre.
• If there are any other requirements to be fulfilled or if there are any mistakes in the application, the embassy or the agency must be informed.
• If there are any changes related to the application, for instance, change in marital status or birth of a child, you must inform the embassy/agency.
• You can even check the status of the application and the processing in the meantime. 
• If there is a change of plans, you can withdraw the application.
• The visa fee is generally not refundable.

To check the status of your work permit, you can visit the official website of the visa application centre. You will need to enter your reference number and your date of birth to check the processing of the visa. 

Once you have received your work permit, there are certain things that you must keep in mind. Some of the important pointers are given as follows:

• Before you travel

• Note the visa expiry date as well as the number of entries permitted. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to South Korea within the validity of your visa.
• Make sure to carry a copy of your passport and other travel documents while you are in the country.
• Issue health insurance and travel Insurance from a certified company.
• At the Border

• Get your documents checked and your passport verified.
• Obtain the entry stamp on your passport.
• Consult the airport authorities for any kind of assistance required.
• Check your visa copy for other guidelines and rules to be followed.
• When you enter South Korea

• Ensure not to get involved in any kind of activities that are not permitted to a non-South Korean resident. You may get into trouble otherwise.
• You can work as well as tour the country on this permit.
• You can later invite and sponsor your family to the country as well.
• The tourist prohibited areas must be stayed out of.
• Make sure you don’t overstay and apply for a visa extension in time.