Korean Job Discussion Forums

[defaultusername]

Hello,

I'm leaving for Korea next week and just came across a tourist visa website at: http://www.travelvisapro.com/visa/korea

I'm a bit confused by this. I thought you didn't need to buy a tourist visa, just leave and return every 90 days. Are these places basically a moneymaking scheme? And what exactly do they mean by multiple-entry tourist visas? Any help is appreciated!

[Richard Krainium]

Get your tourist visa on arrival. Don't waste your money.

[ttompatz]

[Lolimahro]

You enter Korea as a tourist in ways, from my understanding (based on one year ago, so correct me if I'm wrong):

1. If your SO buys a round-trip ticket and can prove that they are going to leave Korea within 90 days of entry, then they don't need a tourist visa. However, I have hear that they don't look for the round-trip ticket.

2. If your SO buys a one-way ticket, then you should also look into getting a C3 tourist visa. It is good for 90 days, but you don't need a return ticket to get it. It is good to get if your SO is planning on getting a job in Korea and thus doesn't want to chip in more money for a round-trip ticket they won't use. My husband and my son entered Korea on this visa and later I transfered them to F3 dependent visas after getting my Alien Registration Card.

This is based on information I received from the Korean Consulate in Chicago in 2009. On their website it doesn't look like they require documents for the visa anymore, which may mean that you don't have to apply for one at all. The best bet would be to call the Korean consulate nearest you in your home country to be sure. My experience with Korean Immigration lately has been one of rules not published clearly and publicly and has resulted in me wasting a lot of time at the Immigration office when I didn't need to be there.