Living in Korea, explained properly.
Visas, banking, phone plans, taxes and housing — written for people who actually have to do it, and sourced from the published criteria.
Documents Required for a Korean Visa: The Checklist by Status
The documents a Korean visa application generally asks for — passport, photo, proof of purpose, financial evidence and the certificates that need apostille or translation — arranged as a checklist you can prepare before applying.
documents required for korean visa — Read guideWhat's in this guide
- Most Korean visa applications share a core pack: passport, photo, application form and a document that proves the purpose of your stay.
- Status-specific evidence — employment contract, school admission, family certificates — is where the list differs, and foreign-issued documents often need apostille or certified translation.
- Prepare documents before booking, because the purpose must match your situation and the office asks for the original where a copy is not accepted.
Recently updated
- Banking
Korea International Transfer: How to Send Money Abroad as a Foreign Resident
The practical mechanics of an international transfer from Korea — the annual limits that apply to foreign residents, the documents banks require, how a bank wire compares with transfer apps, and the mistakes that get transfers returned.
- Phone
Getting a Phone Plan in Korea Without an ARC: What Works and What Waits
What phone service you can buy in Korea before you have an alien registration card (ARC) — why prepaid is the passport-only route, why postpaid and app verification wait, and how to switch after registration.
- Visa
How to Renew Your Korean Visa: Windows, Fees and Step-by-Step Steps
How visa renewal (extension of stay) works in Korea — when the application window opens, how to file on HiKorea or at the immigration office, the fee by status, and what happens after you apply.
- Visa
Alien Registration Card in Korea: Deadline, Documents and Why You Need It First
The ARC deadline, what to bring to immigration, how to book a slot on HiKorea, and the everyday services that stay locked until the card arrives.
- Visa
D-10 Job Seeker Visa in Korea: Points, Documents and What It Allows
The D-10 lets you stay in Korea while looking for work or preparing a start-up. Here is the points assessment, the documents required, and the activity limits that catch people out.
- Visa
D-2 Student Visa in Korea: Requirements, Part-Time Work and Attendance Rules
What the D-2 student visa requires — admission, financial evidence and documents — plus the part-time work permission process and the attendance rules that can cost you the status.
- Visa
D-4 Visa Korea: Language Study Requirements and What It Does Not Allow
The D-4 general trainee visa covers Korean language study and similar training. Here are the published requirements, the financial proof expected, the part-time work rules and the attendance conditions that affect extension.
- Visa
E-2 Visa Korea Requirements: Documents, Criminal Check and Employer Ties
The E-2 foreign language instructor visa has a fixed nationality list, an apostilled document set and a visa tied to one employer. Here is what is required and where applications commonly stall.