What visa does a foreigner need to enter a university in Korea?

To enter a degree program at a university in Korea (junior college or higher), you need a Student (D-2) visa. If you only take a Korean language course at a language institute attached to a university, the visa is the Language Training (D-4-1) visa.

Programs are divided like this

• D-2-1 associate degree, D-2-2 bachelor's, D-2-3 master's, D-2-4 doctoral programs
• D-2-5 research program, D-2-6 exchange student, D-2-8 visiting student
• D-4-1 Korean language training, D-4-7 foreign language training

Degree programs (D-2-1 to D-2-4) are usually issued with a stay period of up to 2 years and a single-entry visa. Research programs, exchange students and visiting students get up to 1 year. Language trainees (D-4-1, D-4-7) get up to 6 months.

The usual steps are as follows

1. Apply for admission to the university.
2. The university issues a Standard Admission Letter (표준입학허가서), registers it in the Ministry of Justice's International Student Information System (유학생정보시스템, FIMS), and sends it to you.
3. The university gets a Certificate of Visa Issuance Confirmation (사증발급인정서) from the immigration office that covers the area where the university is located. Students of Excellent Accredited Universities (우수인증대학) can apply for the visa directly without this step.
4. Apply for the visa at a Korean diplomatic mission in your home country (or where your last school is located), then enter Korea. You apply on the Visa Portal (visa.go.kr).

Key documents

• Standard Admission Letter (표준입학허가서) — issued by the university president or dean.
• Copy of the educational institution's business registration certificate (or unique number certificate) — get it from the university.
• Proof of last education — an apostille or consular confirmation is needed. For Chinese education, submit a CHSI or CDGDC certification report.
• Tuberculosis test certificate — only for those it applies to.
• Family relation certificate — only if you submitted your parents' bank balance certificate or similar.
• Basic documents (application form, passport copy, 1 photo) are also submitted.

⚠️ Points to note

• Broadcasting and cyber universities, lifelong education institutions, vocational training courses at Polytechnic Colleges, and most night universities are not eligible for D-2.
• Courses at vocational training facilities, such as vocational schools, are also not eligible for D-2.
• Nationals of Cuba, Syria, Macedonia and Kosovo are subject to control.
• Nationals of China, Vietnam, Mongolia and Uzbekistan need a Certificate of Visa Issuance Confirmation for some programs (language training at lower-tier or general universities, exchange students, visiting students).
• For associate degree, language training and short-term students, the accompanying family (F-3) visa for spouses and children is restricted.

The exact documents may differ by nationality and type of university. Check once more with the international office of the university you will enter, and with HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or 1345.