How to Apply for A Tourist Visa South Korea in Manila (Updated: 2018)

South Korea is a dream destination to many Filipinos. Thanks to the advent of K-Pop, the rise of koreanovelas, and the flourishing of the Ko...

South Korea is a dream destination to many Filipinos. Thanks to the advent of K-Pop, the rise of koreanovelas, and the flourishing of the Korean diaspora in the Philippines.

I have made good friends with a number of Koreans over the years: classmates, workmates, bosses. And all of them have brought with them great tales about their homeland, putting South Korea on my travel map. But it wasn’t until this month that I was finally able to make this trip a reality.

Visa applications can be intimidating to many, especially first-timers. While you may hire a travel agency to do this, I strongly advise you against it because you can easily do it yourself. The truth is, it is a very simple process. Getting a Korean visa is easy, fast, and FREE.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to acquire a tourist visa from the Korean Embassy on your own.

1. Complete the basic requirements.

The list of requirements alone can be quite overwhelming, so let’s break it down. First, here are the documents you MUST HAVE regardless of your employment status.

Duly accomplished application form. Download here. You can also find it below.
Passport (must still be valid for at least 6 months)
Photocopy of the passport Bio page (Page 2)
1 passport size colored photo
If invited by a Korean: an Invitation letter and a copy of the inviter’s passport. (Ignore if not applicable.)
Easy, right? That’s the first step.

Korea Visa Application Form

2. Prove that you can financially support the trip.

Here are the additional documents you need to secure according to your employment status.

A. FOR EMPLOYEES

Certificate of Employment. Must be original; and must have the address of the employer, the landline number and email address of employer’s HR department, applicant’s position, date hired, and compensation.
Original Personal Bank Certificate. Must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB.
Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook covering the last 3 months.
Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
B. FOR SELF-EMPLOYED

Photocopy of Business registration form from DTI or SEC
Photocopy of Business permit or Mayor’s permit
Photocopy of ITR
Original Personal Bank Certificate

C. FOR HOUSEWIVES

Husband’s Original Bank Certificate
Husband’s Original Certificate of Employment
Photocopy of husband’s ITR
Photocopy of NSO Marriage Certificate

D. FOR STUDENTS

Parents’ Original Bank Certificate
Parents’ Original Certificate of Employment or Photocopy of parents’ SEC/DTI Permit and Mayor’s Permit (whichever is applicable).
Photocopy of ITR of parents
Photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate of applicant
Photocopy of School ID
Original School Certificate
Note regarding the ITR/Form 2316: Although there have been cases wherein ITR photocopies are accepted even if they are not authenticated or notarized, to be on the safe side, it would be best to submit ANY of the following:

ITR with BIR Received or BIR Certified True Copy Stamp
Copy of Alphalist with BIR Stamp
Copy of NOTARIZED Sworn Declaration, Transmittal Form with BIR Stamp submitted by company to BIR
If you’re a freelancer, read: Korea Visa FAQs

3. Photocopy all your OECD Visas (If You Have Them)

Only if you have them. If you don’t, skip this part.

If you have visas to any member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), you will need to submit the ORIGINAL copy and a photocopy of all of them. (Past Korean visas are not counted.)

To see all the OECD member countries, visit this website.

Doing this will expedite the process and cut short the waiting period.

Frequent travelers who have been to OECD member countries within the past 5 years are also exempted from submitting ITR. However, I’m not sure how they define “frequent travelers” or how many OECD visas would it take to qualify as a frequent traveler.

The guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace gate
The guards at Gyeongbokgung Palace gate

4. Submit the documents to the Korean Embassy.

Now that you have all the required documents, it’s time for a visit to the embassy. You just need to go to the embassy or consulate, get a number, and wait several minutes.

Here are their addresses:

KOREAN EMBASSY IN MANILA
122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig city 1634, Philippines
Email Address: ph04@mofa.go.kr
Contact No.: (63-2) 856-9210 visa local no. 270, 500

KOREAN CONSULATE IN CEBU
12th Floor Chinabank Corporate Center, Lot 2, Samar Loop Cor. Road 5, Cebu Business Park, Mabolo, Cebu City
Email Address: phi_cebu2015@mofa.go.kr
Contact No.: (63-32) 231-1516(-9)

I haven’t tried applying at the Cebu Consulate, but at the Embassy in Manila, this is how the process goes:

Register and leave an ID at the guard’s station before entering the consular center.
Once inside, get a number from the personnel stationed by the door. He will check if you have all the docs. If he’s satisfied, he will give you a number.
Wait for your number to be called.

Repost from:
Neon Sobrino Queman
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pinoyepsinkorea/permalink/1884606398276088/