How to get a visa to South Korea in the Philippines?

I had a chance to visit Seoul in early June 2014. It was a school field trip, a class that should be attended before you get a passing grade. So my parents were mandated to shell out money for this “field trip”. Good thing, the school chose South Korea this term. I immediately let the K-Pop side in me.

Supposedly, the school will be the one who’ll pass the requirements in the embassy but because my passport was late (I applied for Philippine passport late and they released it late from the expected date. As usual) so I had to do it by my own.

Here are the requirements for South Korea Visa (Filipino Employees):

1. Application Form
   – It is downloadable in the website of South Korea Embassy in the Philippines (here). Print it and answer every detail asked from the form.
2. 1 piece of Passport size picture
   – This one will be pasted in the application form.
3. Original Passport (should be valid for more than 6 months)
   -if you don’t have a passport you can apply in here.
4. Photocopy of the Bio-Page
   – It is in the second page of your passport, make it colored.
5. Original & Photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past years.
   – Korean Visas will not be counted. If you South Korea will be your first country to go to then this requirement don’t apply to you. Just ignore it.
6. Original Certificate of Employment
7. Original Personal Bank Certificate
   – NOT A BANK STATEMENT. My adviser told me to put at least P50k on my bank to approve my visa. I don’t know if it is the required amount.
8. Photocopy of ITR (Income tax return)
   – For seaman, just print an article from our government that seafarers are exempted from tax.

Here are the requirements for South Korea Visa (Student):

The requirements from 1 to 5 is needed.

• You have to have a photocopy of you student ID
  – Make it colored for clearer identification.
• Original School Certificate
  – Ask them on your school admin.
• For Original Certificate of Employment – You need to ask for your parents Certificate of Employment, if you use your relative’s (not your parents) Certificate of Employment then you have to make an affidavit of support.
• For Original Personal Bank Certificate – Ask your parent’s certificate for this. Same case from the previous item, you need to make an affidavit of support if you will be using your relative’s (not your parents) bank account. If you have an account with an amount that will approve your Visa then you don’t need to to make an affidavit of support.
• Photocopy of ITR – ask you parent’s ITR for this. Same case, if you are using your relative’s ITR then make an affidavit of support. Good thing, my dad is seaman so I don’t need this, I just printed an article saying the seaman’s exemption in taxes.

After completing the requirements you have to pass them to the embassy. They have a specific time range for applicants, 9am to 11am only. Here’s the address:
Republic of Korea Embassy in the Philippines
122 Upper McKinley Road
McKinley Town Center
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1634
Telephone number: +632-856-9210

Processing Time: 3 working days (for those who have visas of OECD member countries)
5 working days (for those who do not have visas of OECD member
countries)
Visa Fee: 59 days (or less) stay in Korea — GRATIS
60 to 90 days stay in Korea — PHP1,800.00

For American passport holder the fee is P2,025

After 5 or 3 days of processing time, you have to get your visa during the releasing time which is 2pm to 4pm.

Tweet

Tweet #WeekendSidetrip

Tweet to @WeekendSidetrip