How long is the entry ban if I leave Korea after overstaying my visa?

There is no single fixed period. It depends on how long you overstayed, whether you left on your own or were caught and removed, and whether you paid the fine. An entry ban is a measure that the Minister of Justice sets based on the reason. The detailed criteria for the length are not in the public guidance, so I cannot tell you for sure how many years it will be.

If your period of stay has already passed, you are in a risky situation. Staying past your period of stay (overstay) makes you subject to deportation. You may also face criminal punishment of up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30,000,000 KRW.

When the entry ban period differs

• Leaving on your own (voluntary departure): This is usually the best option. The Ministry of Justice (법무부) sometimes opens a 'special voluntary departure program' for a set period. If you report in advance and leave during that period, you are exempt from the fine, and the entry restriction is delayed or waived. For example, there was a program from 12/1/'25 to 2/28/'26 (90 days) that waived the fine and suspended the entry restriction for overstaying foreigners who reported themselves and then left.
• Caught and deported: The entry ban period usually becomes much longer. If you are caught, you can face strict measures such as a fine, deportation and an entry ban.
• People excluded from the benefit: Illegal entrants, people who used a forged or altered passport, criminal offenders, and people who did not follow a departure order are excluded.

What to do now

1. Before you leave, go to the immigration office (출입국) in person or file a 'voluntary departure advance report' online. You must file the advance report at least 3 days before the voluntary departure deadline (not counting public holidays).
2. Prepare your documents. You need your passport, the voluntary departure report form, and your departure flight ticket.
3. Be sure to get the fine and entry restriction result in writing when you leave, and keep it.

If you overstayed for a long time or were caught before, the result can be very different. In these cases, get a K-VISA AI administrative agent consultation in the visa service in the app. First check whether the special voluntary departure period is open now and what your own entry ban period is at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or 1345.