South Korea is located on the Korean peninsula and is separated by a border from North Korea. It is washed by the Yellow Sea from the west and the East by the east. 70% of the area is occupied by mountains. The state consists of the following administrative-territorial units: the capital of Seoul, 9 provinces and 6 major cities.
Do I need a visa to South Korea?
A necessary condition for entry into South Korea of citizens of the CIS countries is to obtain a visa. A visa-free entry into the country is also possible, but it is available only to those who have visited Korea at least 4 times in the last 2 years and at least 10 times in general. Also without a visa it is possible to enter on about. Jeju, but under two conditions: to arrive there by direct flight and not leave the island's borders.
Visa to Korea - documents
If you are going to South Korea as part of a tourist group, it's easiest to arrange a visa through a certified travel agency accredited by the consulate. If the visit is of a private nature, then the visa to Korea must be registered independently, personally present at the filing of documents.
The list of documents required for processing a visa to South Korea varies depending on its type.
So, a short-term visa must be issued to individuals whose purpose of travel is tourism, visiting relatives, treatment, journalistic activities, participation in various events and conferences.
Long-term visas are required for citizens entering the country for long periods of time as students, researchers, high-level management positions and as exclusive specialists.
Ethnic Koreans from China and the CIS countries are entitled to entry visas for foreign compatriots in the following categories:
- specialists in a certain industry who have successfully worked in South Korea for at least six months;
- persons who have graduated in the country of a master's degree or graduate school and have a scientific title of not less than a master's degree;
- specialists who are engaged in professional activities in their country, who previously visited South Korea and did not violate customs regulations and visa regime.
How to get a tourist visa to South Korea?
Tourist visa allows you to stay in Korea for not more than 90 days. Term of its registration is 3-7 days. To do this, apply to the travel agency or consulate documents in accordance with the following list:
- a foreign passport valid for at least six months at the time of filing and a copy thereof;
- a copy of the old passport if it had visas of Japan, the USA, Canada or Schengen ;
- 1 color photo on a light background measuring 4.5 by 3.5 cm;
- a visa application form filled out and signed personally by the applicant in Korean or English;
- an invitation from the hotel, in which the rooms are booked or another host, the original;
- a certificate from the employer's workplace, printed on a letterhead with mandatory indication of the period of service, position and salary received. Pensioners must provide a copy of the relevant certificate, students and schoolchildren - a document from the educational institution;
- detailed plan of stay in the country, confirming that
responsibility for the person entering the country is borne by the travel agency or by the receiving party.
It is also desirable to provide copies of tickets in both directions, but this is not included in the list of mandatory documents for visa issuance.
Cost of visa to South Korea
The fee for a short-term one-time visa is $ 50, for a short-term two-time visa - $ 80, for a long-term visa - $ 90, for all other types of multiple-entry visas - $ 120. Payment is made at the consulate immediately after the documents are filed in US dollars.