Get a Korean Visa Without Sweat

This is my first time to apply for a visa and as a freshman, overacting in preparation is normal. There are people who I asked about their experiences and their stories sound like getting a visa needs so much effort. Personally, in any visa application, I think there is no specific logic on which applications will be approved or rejected. So it should be good to prepare with best effort and honesty.

To share our experience, here’s what we have done when we applied for a tourist Visa:

      

1) Research on how to’s. In this instant era, we are lucky to get information easily. Google alone can help you. But asking real people give a better feel of reliability. Ask friends who have done it or contact the embassy itself.

      2) Get requirements. In our experience, we submitted the following:

• Visa Application Form – download from website
• 1 Passport Size photo with white background – latest of at least 6 months and to be attached in the Application Form
• Original Passport – latest at least 6 months valid prior to travel
• Photocopy of Bio-page of your passport
• Certificate of Employment
• Personal Bank Statement
• Copy of latest ITR

Side note: Now from here, the common question that I get is - “how much balance should your bank account have?”. My answer will be, like most of the blogs that you would probably read. It is dependent on how long you will stay there. Make an estimate through research and by asking people who had been there. Because most likely, people will not be comfortable to disclose their treasures (who would want to?).

3) Go to the embassy and submit your documents. At this date, the Korean Embassy is located at 122 Upper McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1634 Philippines. You may take a cab from any entry point going to BGC or from Guadalupe MRT station, ride a jeep FTI/C-5 bound. Ask the driver to drop you off there. Popular nearby landmark is SM Aura which is about 100 meters away from the embassy.

The embassy is open at 8:30 am and process tourist visa applications from Mon-Thurs from 9-11 am only,while release of visa is scheduled in the afternoon, from 2-4pm.

At the gate, the reception will ask for an ID and will give you a temporary one. You will also need to sign up in their log book. Inside, somebody will verify your documents and if all are okay, he will give you a number to be called when a person from the window 1 is ready to serve you.

If you come in a group, only one is required to submit it through the window. But I’m not sure if this is an absolute assumption. Based on our observation, it looks like physical appearance is not really required. This may be something that can be verified when you contact the embassy.

And that’s it! If there will be few people at the time you will come there, submission may be done in less than 30 minutes.

     4) Get your visa. After submission of documents, we were given a piece of paper with a schedule of release on it, which is 1 week after. Though, visa may still be claimed within 30 days from that scheduled date.

Release of visa is as easy as submission. There was no interview or anything. Just show that piece of paper and wait to be called. The distribution of approved visas is like getting a soda from a vendo machine.