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Passport
As with almost every other country it is necessary and
essential to have a valid passport in order to seek entry. The
passport must also belong to you, be valid and not within six
months of its expiration date. Korea as many other countries,
will not issue an entry visa if the passport validity is less
than six months.
Visas
VISA EXEMPTIONS. Due to reciprocal visa-exemption agreements,
nationals of all Western European countries
are not required to obtain an entry visa before coming to Korea.
For such nationals, a 90-Day (or in some cases a 60-Day) permit
will be issued automatically at the customs entry point.
Nationals from New Zealand, Israel, Singapore, Thailand and
Mexico also qualify for 90-Day permits.
TOURIST & BUSINESS VISAS. Nationals of all other countries
- including Australia,
USA and Canada, require visas for stays longer than 30 days. If
you do not qualify for a visa exemption and require a stay
longer than 30 days then you should apply and obtain the visa
before you depart. When making such applications, it is
important to specify if your travel is Business related as the
South Koreans do not like business related activities to be done
on a pure tourist visa. Visa violations can be subject to stiff
fines.
WORK VISAS.
You can apply for a work visa from either outside or inside the country. However,
if you apply from inside Korea you will need to exit the country
to pick up the visa (this may soon change). Once a work visa has
been issued, this can be extended from whilst in Korea and you
will not be required to leave as long as you have support from
your current employer to do so. If supported by an Employer, the
Employer will normally attend to all of the necessary paperwork,
including a copy of your contract which must be signed by you.
An un-signed contract can again attract penalties. Work visas
are normally valid for 1-year and are renewable for at least a
further year.
ALIEN REGISTRATION. Individuals who intend to remain in Korea for work of study
on a long term
basis must also apply for 'Alien Registration' within 90 days of
arrival. This must be done at the Immigration office in the
province where you intend to reside.
BUSAN IMMIGRATION. The Busan Immigration
office is located within 5 minutes walk of the 'Chungang-dong'
Station found on Subway line number 1. Contact details are as
follows:
Busan Immigration Authority
#17-26 Jungang-dong 4-ga, Jung-gu, Busan
Tel: +82 (0) 51 461 3030/3041/3061
Website (English pages):
www.moj.go.kr
Other Documents
Other important documents include travel insurance and, if you
intend to drive, an international driving license.
TRAVEL INSURANCE.
Travel Insurance is probably best arranged before coming to Korea. It
is possible to get insurance in Korea, but English policies are
not common.
DRIVING LICENSE. To drive in Korea you must be at least
21 years old, have at least 12 months driving experience, have a
valid passport/visa and and international driving permit. A
national driving license from you own country alone is not
enough. If you intend to stay in Korea more than 90 days, then
you must obtain a Korean driving license. This can be obtain by
exchanging your own national driving license, which will avoid
the need to take a written and driving test. Drivers not from
the USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany or Japan also need a
certificate from your Embassy confirming that you are licensed
to drive at home. If you are from one of these countries a
license is normally within one week, otherwise it can take up to
three months whilst he Korean authorities go through their own
checks.
It is also advisable to bring original copies of your previous vehicle insurance
documents. Being able to demonstrate a good (clean) insurance
history can attract significant discounts.
PHOTOGRAPHS. In Korea official photographs must be provided
for all visa, driving and other such applications. The
photograph size should be 3cm x 5cm and the background colour
must be neutral, preferably white.
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