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Visa Guidelines - South Korea
The guidelines below apply to students studying in South Korea for a period of over 90 days or for one semester up to one academic year. Please contact Education Abroad if you have any questions.

Is a Visa Required for US Citizens studying abroad?
  • Yes! US Passport Holders studying abroad for more than 90 days are required to apply for a D-2 Study Abroad visa in order to tner and stay in South Korea for the designated term of study.
  • If you are not a US passport holder, please contact the Consular/Visa Service to see if you need a visa to enter South Korea based on your nationality.
  • Cost: $45
Important notes
The Korean visa application requires submitting a complete D-2 Exchange Student visa application either directly to the Korean Embassy. This requires an official letter of acceptance to your Korean host institution. If you are submitting your visa through the mail, include a return self-addressed Express Mail Envelope with pre-paid postage ($19.99). The visa processing time takes 4 business days, and you will be notified when your visa is ready for pick-up.
If you are a U.S. citizens who previously had Korean citizenship, or if either of your parents/grandparents were Korean, a five year valid multiple entry F-4 Visa may be issued; previous students have had to rescind their right to Korean citizenship at the consulate or complete the process for citizenship. If an F-4 visa is issues, until it expires, this visa permits the holder to stay up to 2 years each time he/she visits the Republic of Korea.

List of requirements
  • Visa Application Form (Form No. 17), passport, a photo in a standard format, fee
  • A copy of Business Registration Certificate (or Registration Number Certificate) of a respective education institute
  • Standard Acceptance Letter* (issued by the dean/president of the university)
  • Original copy of documents proving your financial ability to support yourself
    • When submitting a parent's bank statement, family relation certificate is required to submit.
  • Recommendation letter issued by the head of your university
  • Documents proving that you are an exchange student (official documents of the host university, exchange student agreement between universities)
  • Documents proving that you have completed at least one semester (Proof of enrollment from a university)
The head of Korean diplomatic missions abroad may request for additional documents depending on the condition of the country of residence/jurisdiction if it is deemed necessary for visa evaluation.
 
Application process
The student will need to complete the Visa Application Form, and assemble their visa application (see above).
  1. Assemble required documents and materials, including your passport, for the D-2 Visa application (see above).
  2. Option 1) Schedule an appointment at the Embassy of Korea. As a student of the University of Maryland, you are under the jurisdiction of the Embassy, even if your home state is under the jurisdiction of another Korean consulate.                                                                                                       
  3. Option 2) Contact a visa courier service to deliver the complete visa application on your behalf. Note that this will require an additional processing fee.
  4. Once your visa has been processed, your passport will be mailed back to you with the D-2 Visa stamped inside.