First step - Korean Visa requirements

First things first, you need to get a Korean visa. Visa is free for a stay of 59 days and less. But for a stay of 60 – 90 days, the fee is Php1,500.

Visa requirements for Employed individuals (all information in the documents must be consistent)

1. Application form – Fill up all the boxes, don’t leave blanks. Put N/A on every question that is not applicable, even on the ones where your answer is No.
2. 1 pc passport size colored picture
3. Original passport (still valid for the next six months from date of visa application)
4. Photocopy of passport – bio page
5. Original certificate of employment – must include the company address, contact number, job title, monthly salary, and date hired
6. Original personal bank certificate – 1page document that certifies you have xxx amount of money in personal bank account, (includes account type, current balance, account opening date, 6 mos average ADB) They say show money is around Php50,000 though my sister only have around Php40,000 during our application. The key is to make sure that your savings is more than enough for your estimated budget for the trip (that you will be putting in your application form).
7. Original or certified true copy of bank statement or passbook for the last three months.
8. Photocopy of ITR - if you just transferred to a new company and it is not yet time for issuance of ITR, you can submit the ITR you had with your past company. Or if you’ve just started with the company, say for a few months after the issuance of ITR with the new company, you must still submit that. You have choice to attach your past ITR too (but in my case, I no longer did that).
9. Photocopy of birth certificate (if travelling with family member/s)

No need to submit any other documents not mentioned above. If you’re not Employed, please check the requirements on the Korean Embassy website.

Procedure (for Filipinos)

Application:

1. Application for visa is from 9:00 – 11:00 am only, Monday to Friday.
2. Fill up the small form and line up for the queue number.
3. The embassy personnel will check your documents. Make sure your documents are arranged according to the order above.
4. Then he will ask you to sign and give you the queue number together with your documents.
5. Wait for your number to be called or to appear on the screen.
6. Submit you document to the immigration officer at the window. If you are applying in group, there’s no need to submit your documents one by one. Only one person may submit it.
7. The officer will then give you the claim stub, showing the date on the possible release of your visa.

On our experience, she no longer asks me any question. She just encircled our monthly salary in the CoE.

Releasing:

1. Releasing time is at 1:00 – 4:00 pm only, Monday to Friday.
2. Bring your claim stub and get a queue number. Wait for it to be called.
3. Proceed to Window 1.
4. The immigration officer will hand you your passport/s. They say if there’s a note, it means you’re denied or there’s other documents needed.

We were so happy when we got to see the Visa!

How to get to the Korean Embassy (in the Philippines)

You can hire a cab directly to the Korean Embassy or take MRT 3 and get off at Ayala station. Then go to the BGC bus stop and take the East route (BGC bus stop is beside Shell station). Get off at Market Market and take the jeepney bound to FTI. Tell the driver to drop you off at Korean Embassy.