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lorunner07
Joined: 04 Jun 2011
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 Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject: Last steps before arriving in Korea |
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So I received my visa in my passport last week and booked my plane ticket for korea! Unfortunately i've never been on a plane overseas before and am not sure what to expect. I'm not really worried about the flying, but I like knowing what to expect when I can - like how immigration works, what documents I need (passport and plane ticket?), what I can expect at the airports, etc.
Any advice or guidance would be appreciated. I know it seems silly but I'd like to make sure I don't get any bad surprises that I could have prevented.
Thank you. |
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Centauri
Joined: 15 Sep 2011
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Well I've never dealt with immigration and customs in Korea, but the way it works in most countries is: First, you get off of your plane, follow the crowd of people, and get in line at immigration. The immigration officers will need to see your passport and usually an immigration form that you will have been given to fill out back on the airplane. They'll look at your visa and probably ask you a few questions (I've never entered Korea with a work visa before, so I don't know how much they'll ask you) and then stamp your passport and tell you to move on. After that, you'll head to the baggage claim and get your bags, and then you'll move on to customs. Customs is where you have to declare certain items that you're bringing into the country. Back on the airplane, they'll also should have given you a customs form telling you what items must be declared (this can include things like meat products, fresh fruits and vegetables, pets, etc.). Now once you get to customs there will usually be 2 paths you can take: a red one that says something like, "Goods to Declare" and a green one that says, "Nothing to Declare." Choose the appropriate path and take it. If you have stuff to declare, they'll usually ask you what it is, and they may or may not ask to see it and inspect your bags. After that you can move on and you'll be done with everything and end up in the arrivals hall of the airport. If you don't have anything to declare just walk along the green path, which will take you straight into the arrivals hall. However, sometimes customs officials will still stop you and inspect your bags anyways, this is pretty routine (at least in the US it is) so just go along with it.
Anyways to recap:
1. Exit the plane, and have your passport, immigration form, and customs form ready.
2. Go to immigration and get your passport stamped.
3. Go to the baggage claim and get your luggage.
4. Go through customs and either declare or don't declare anything depending on what you're bringing into the country.
Hope this helps! |
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Centauri
Joined: 15 Sep 2011
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh, and most plane tickets now are E-Tickets, so just bring your passport and the ticketing people will scan it and print out your boarding pass. You should print out a copy of your itinerary and bring it with you just in case they can't find you in the system though. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| If you have a visa, expect to basically be waved through. |
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Squire
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:49 am Post subject: |
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| It might be an idea to get a print out of the subway map of whichever city you are going to (if you do go to a big city). Hardly essential though |
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koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:40 am Post subject: |
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| Worry more about the 12 or so hour flight. For me that's the hard part, so last time I came to Asia, I took 4 shorter flights. |
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DaHu
Joined: 09 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:47 am Post subject: |
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| koreatimes wrote: |
| Worry more about the 12 or so hour flight. For me that's the hard part, so last time I came to Asia, I took 4 shorter flights. |
+1
Absolutely true. It's brutal. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 3:53 am Post subject: |
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| DaHu wrote: |
| koreatimes wrote: |
| Worry more about the 12 or so hour flight. For me that's the hard part, so last time I came to Asia, I took 4 shorter flights. |
+1
Absolutely true. It's brutal. |
It really depends on the person. I like long flights, personally, as do a lot of my friends. It's the perfect time to catch up on reading, movies, and sleep, all while being somewhat intoxicated. |
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Squire
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:11 am Post subject: |
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I didn't mind the flights. I took two 8 hour flights to get here, but I was so excited about arriving it didn't seem like a big deal. I had plenty to do and got a bit of sleep on both flights
It might be a good idea to get hold of a decent Korean language textbook and a pad of paper. Something useful to absorb yourself in |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:16 am Post subject: |
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| Squire wrote: |
I didn't mind the flights. I took two 8 hour flights to get here, but I was so excited about arriving it didn't seem like a big deal. I had plenty to do and got a bit of sleep on both flights
It might be a good idea to get hold of a decent Korean language textbook and a pad of paper. Something useful to absorb yourself in |
I'm a firm believer that the best way to make yourself hate long flights is to try to do anything of consequence on them. |
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roguefishfood
Joined: 21 May 2011
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:55 am Post subject: |
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I can't imagine taking 4 shorter flights!!
I haven't been to Korea yet (on my way this winter hopefully) but when I went to Japan I INSISTED on a non-stop flight. Sure, I got a little rammy by the end of 13 hours, but I don't mind making my little seat my home, taking naps, zoning out at the window... as long as no one around me pukes (What a horrible sound... but I've been lucky so far with every plane I've been on, if anyone has, I didn't know about it) I'd rather just get drugged up on dramamine and settle in for the duration instead of take a bunch of small flights, knowing that when I get out of the plane, it's OVER. |
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koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I can't imagine taking 4 shorter flights!! |
I basically had them back to back, so it didn't seem so bad. However, I had to transfer from the domestic to international "wing". I think it was in San Francisco. I thought we were about to do a drug deal or something. They took us to these stairs and just 5 of us went down and waited in the back of a building for a bus to come. Then, it was business as usual.
It's like going to a truck stop. You get out, stretch, and then wait like 20-30 minutes for the next flight. Right now, I have chosen to take the bus home for a 2 hour lunch break and return to teach just one class. I would rather do this than sit for 2 hours doing nothing at the school. I don't need 2 hours for lunch. My morning is now gone, and I can reset my mind for the afternoon.
Actually, you may need to do 3 flights. It's not that strange of a scenario. You take one domestic flight, then go to whichever country you are going to. You sometimes need to change airlines also. Then, when you arrive in the country you might have to take a domestic flight there. Particularly, Korea, because Seoul and Busan are the popular areas to live in. You might have to take a domestic flight to Daegu. I never went to Busan, so I don't know if those people have to go to Daegu also.
Maybe I'll become a buddhist someday and be able to sit through those long flights. I don't want to resort to alcohol to get me through. |
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roguefishfood
Joined: 21 May 2011
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:31 am Post subject: |
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| koreatimes wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I can't imagine taking 4 shorter flights!! |
Actually, you may need to do 3 flights. It's not that strange of a scenario. You take one domestic flight, then go to whichever country you are going to. You sometimes need to change airlines also. Then, when you arrive in the country you might have to take a domestic flight there. Particularly, Korea, because Seoul and Busan are the popular areas to live in. You might have to take a domestic flight to Daegu. I never went to Busan, so I don't know if those people have to go to Daegu also. |
I live in New York right now, so I can get non-stop flight to most major places and once in Korea, you can guarantee I'll be taking a train the rest of the way to wherever I have to go if at all possible. I LOVE taking trains, planes are stressful but nothing more soothing than an above-ground train, and from what I hear, Korea is good for that. I've never understood why America just doesn't seem to get the romance of trains. |
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Lazio
Joined: 15 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 3:16 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| DaHu wrote: |
| koreatimes wrote: |
| Worry more about the 12 or so hour flight. For me that's the hard part, so last time I came to Asia, I took 4 shorter flights. |
+1
Absolutely true. It's brutal. |
It really depends on the person. I like long flights, personally, as do a lot of my friends. It's the perfect time to catch up on reading, movies, and sleep, all while being somewhat intoxicated. |
For someone taller than say 6' it aint much fun. I like flying, even long haul but when your knee is pressed against the seat in front of you for several hours it makes you feel less happy about the whole thing. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:20 am Post subject: |
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| roguefishfood wrote: |
| koreatimes wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I can't imagine taking 4 shorter flights!! |
Actually, you may need to do 3 flights. It's not that strange of a scenario. You take one domestic flight, then go to whichever country you are going to. You sometimes need to change airlines also. Then, when you arrive in the country you might have to take a domestic flight there. Particularly, Korea, because Seoul and Busan are the popular areas to live in. You might have to take a domestic flight to Daegu. I never went to Busan, so I don't know if those people have to go to Daegu also. |
I live in New York right now, so I can get non-stop flight to most major places and once in Korea, you can guarantee I'll be taking a train the rest of the way to wherever I have to go if at all possible. I LOVE taking trains, planes are stressful but nothing more soothing than an above-ground train, and from what I hear, Korea is good for that. I've never understood why America just doesn't seem to get the romance of trains. |
Because you're 10 years old and weren't alive when trains were the big thing? 
The KTX travels at about 180-190 MPH. At that speed, it would take 15.3-16.14 hours to go from NY to SF, assuming that you went full speed the whole way with no stops. Compared to a 4-5 hour flight. Speed and money.
Now, I'm assuming you haven't been to Korea? Let me give you a couple tips. The KTX seats suck - they are small and don't recline at all. The baggage area on the train sucks - if you're coming here for the first time, it's going to be a pain fitting it into the tiny little baggage section. Plus, you have to haul your luggage from the airport to the train station. It is a bit easier now, IF you are leaving from Seoul Station, but not if you have to go to Yongsan - still a pain. Best bet is the buses. Big, comfy seats and large luggage compartments below. MUCH better than the train in this situation.
OP - chill. Relax. Take a deep breath. Centauri and Northway are spot on.
The BEST advice I can give you is to relax. Immigration and customs is the easy part. Once you get out into the arrival hall, that's when the stress begins. Your ride won't be there. You'll want to use the bathroom but can't find anyone to watch your bags. Or they will be there but won't speak any English. Or they'll be picking someone else up too but that flight will be 3 hours later.
Whatever happens, just stay calm and cool. There will be so many cultural differences and misunderstandings and you'll want to punch a baby in the face - but don't. Just stay calm and roll with what happens.
Good luck. |
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