What to buy in Korea: Pasalubong Ideas for souvenirs, snacks and more
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South Korea visa requirements and application for Filipinos: Travel guide
South Korea is culturally unique, and offers a lot for visitors heading on vacation, to work or to study. If you’re thinking of making a trip you’ll need to understand the tourist visa requirements for Korea to make sure you can travel hassle free. So - is Korea visa free for Filipinos, or do you need to apply for your paperwork in advance?
This guide covers the Korean visa requirements from the Philippines and how to make a Korea visa application. We'll also introduce the Wise card, a handy travel companion to make seamless card payments when you're overseas.
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Is Korea visa-free for Filipinos?
The South Korea visa requirements for Filipino tourists usually mean you need to apply for a visa before you travel, through the Korean Visa Application Center in Manila¹. You can also apply through a designated travel agency, which may have more fees but can be a lot less hassle.
The tourist visa usually needed is called the C - 3 visa. There are several different classes of C - 3 visa depending on the nature of your travel, and the Korean tourist visa requirements may also vary depending on whether you’re heading out as an individual, as a group, or for a specific purpose like a business meeting.
If you’re not sure which type of visa you need you can use the online Korea visa finder provided by the Korean government².
Types of Korean visas available for Philippine citizens
The Korea visa finder lets you enter information about your plans in Korea, to generate your visa options. You can also ask the visa application center for advice if you’re unsure.
The main types of visa available for Philippine citizens in Korea include:
- Short term visit visas for tourism or business
- Professional and work visas
- Visas to study in Korea
- Medical visas for treatment in Korea
- Family reunification visas
- Investment visas
South Korea visa requirements for Filipinos
The South Korea visa requirements for Filipinos depend a lot on the type of travel you’re planning. The visa for tourists can be arranged through a travel agent, which allows you to apply as a tour group as well as on an individual basis. If you’re going to Korea to work or study you’ll usually need a job or an offer of admission on a course of study before you can apply.
Korea tourist visa requirements
You’ll need to apply for a visa for Korea for all visits including for short term tourist visits. Usually the visa you need for a stay of 90 days or less is the C - 3 class, which has additional sub classes to cover different visit types. To enter the country you will need:
- Your valid passport
- Your valid visa
- A completed arrival card
You must enter before the expiry date of your visa and you may be asked by border officials to prove that your visit purpose matches the visa type.
Korea work visa requirements
To get a Korean work visa you must first have an offer of employment from a Korean company. There are different process flows for getting a Korean visa depending on the specific visa you need. In some cases the applicant completes the process in full, in some the sponsoring company completes the process, and in others, both parties must take certain steps in the process.
Your employer’s HR department can help to advise you on the steps needed based on your specific visa type, or you can discuss your requirements with the Korean Visa Application Center which also has advice services.
| 👀 Travelling to South Korea? Check out our handy guide on Korea pasalubong ideas |
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How to apply for a Korean visa as a Filipino
Let’s work through the South Korea visa requirements for Filipino tourists step by step. Bear in mind that if you’re not a citizen of the Philippines, the process may be different:
Step 1 - Gather your documents
You’ll need to make sure you have all the information and paperwork needed to support your visa application before you head off to the visa application center. The exact requirements may vary a little depending on the visa type you want, but usually include:
- Visa Application Form³
- Passport
- Passport type photo (3.5cm x 4.5cm)
- Fee
- Additional documents based on type of visit - for example, a contract for a work visa, or a letter of admission from a university for a study visa
Step 2 - Apply in person
Although it used to be possible to set an appointment in advance as an individual application, this service ended in January 2025. You can now only apply as an individual by walking into the visa service center and waiting in line. The service center location is as follows:
9/F (zone2) Brittany Hotel 6 McKinley Parkway, Aura Complex, BGC, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines
Applications are taken for individuals in the mornings from 09:00 ~ 16:00, weekdays only - the office is closed during weekends, Philippine Holidays and Korea consulate holidays.
You can also have a designated travel agent apply on your behalf. If you have questions regarding the service availability, you can contact the visa center at:
kvacph@visaforkorea-mn.com
Step 3 - Receive your visa
Visas are issued at the visa application center in the afternoons, and can be provided to the individual applicant or to the agent that applied on their behalf. Normal processing time is about 8 working days, or you may be able to expedite the service to receive your visa in 5 working days in some cases.
You can arrange to get an SMS from the application center once your visa is ready for collection. If you can’t go back to the visa center you can also pay extra for delivery, as follows:
Within Metro Manila: 300 PHP - delivered about 3 - 5 working days after issuance
Outside Metro Manila: 400 PHP - delivered about 5 - 7 working days after issuance
Korea visa application fees
There are a couple of Korea visa application fees you’ll need to be prepared for, including a fee to the application center and also a fee paid to the Korean embassy. The application service fee is 900 PHP per application⁴ payable in cash at the center only.
You must also pay an embassy fee as follows⁵:
- 90 days or less single-entry visa - 40 USD
- 91 days or longer single-entry visa - 60 USD
- Double-entry visa usable up to 2 times - 70 USD
- Multiple-entry visa - 90 USD
Travelling to Korea? Get more won out of every peso when you make payments abroad with the Wise card
Once you get your Korean visa, you’ll be looking for a way to seamlessly and conveniently spend in KRW with low, transparent fees.
With the Wise card, makaka gastos ka ng 40+ currencies sa mid-market rate, kasama ang USD, SGD, GBP at JPY. Kaya, siguradong makakakuha ka ng sulit na deal sa mahigit 150+ countries. Para makapagsimula, gumawa ka lang ng libreng Wise account, mag-order ng card, at mag-top-up ng PHP.
Maaari kang mag-order ng physical card ng Wise sa halagang 369.90 PHP. Kung mayroon kang physical na card, makakagawa ka ng chip and PIN payments, at may 2 libreng ATM withdrawals na aabot sa 12,000 PHP bawat buwan.
Kapag nasa abroad ka, puwede mong piliing gumastos ng direct as PHP at hayaan mag auto-convert, o i-convert sa gusto mong currency gamit ang iyong Wise account. Kahit ano piliin mo, makukuha mo ang rate na nakikita mo sa Google, na may kasamang low, transparent fees mula 0.57%. A cheaper and easier way to spend foreign currency.
Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the Korea visa application form?
You can get the Visa application form on the website of the Korean Visa Application Center.
What are the Korea visa photo size and requirements?
You’ll need to provide a passport type photo as part of your application for a visa - the Korea visa photo size is 3.5cm x 4.5cm. Your picture must be in natural colours and meet the image standards which are explained at the visa application center.
How long does a Korea visa application in the Philippines take?
The Korean visa processing time is about 8 working days, or you may be able to expedite the service to receive your visa in 5 working days in some cases. Bear in mind that once your visa is processed you will also need to go back to collect it or pay extra for delivery, which takes 3 - 5 working days within Metro Manila or 5 - 7 working days elsewhere.
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Wise Pilipinas is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. For any questions or concerns, check out our Help Centre, or log into your account to talk to us by phone, email or chat.
Sources:
- Korea Visa Application Center
- Korea visa finder
- Visa application form
- Korea visa application fees
- Korea visa embassy fees
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
