South Korea Working Holiday Visa Application Process
South Korea Working Holiday Visa Application Process
The South Korea working holiday visa is a holiday and work visa established within the scope of the Mutual Cooperation and Reconciliation Document between the Republic of Korea and related countries. The South Korea working holiday visa is a type of visa known as the H-1 visa, which is granted to citizens of countries included in the work and holiday visa program with 25 countries worldwide, allowing them to vacation and work in Korea for up to one year. The Republic of Turkey is not among the 25 countries included in the working holiday agreement with South Korea.
Who is Eligible for a Korean Working Holiday Visa?
The Korean working holiday visa is given to citizens of countries that have signed a working holiday agreement with Korea and who will work in a temporary job to cover their travel expenses to Korea.
Which Countries Have Working Holiday Agreements with Korea?
Countries that have a working holiday agreement with Korea are listed below.
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Chile
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Holland
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
- Swedish
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
- United States
Can Turkish Citizens Get a Korean Work and Travel Visa?
Citizens of the Republic of Türkiye cannot obtain a Korean work and travel visa because there is no working holiday visa agreement between South Korea and Türkiye.
What are the Application Requirements for South Korea Work and Travel Visa?
South Korea work and travel visa application requirements are listed below.
- The applicant's country of citizenship must have a working holiday agreement with Korea.
- Must be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of application.
- The applicant must have a clean criminal record.
- Health criteria must be met for vacation and work in Korea.
- The visa fee must be paid along with the Korean working holiday visa application form.
- A travel plan must be prepared and submitted.
- It is necessary to have travel health insurance valid for the duration of the trip.
- There must be financial capacity to cover the cost of return.
- At the initial stage of the holiday in Korea, a minimum financial resource of 3,000,000 KRW is required.
- It is necessary not to have been included in the Korean working holiday program before.
- A person who holds a South Korea working holiday visa must not accompany his/her dependents during his/her stay in Korea.
- It is necessary to be in the country where the application is completed at the time of application for a work and holiday visa and on the date the visa is granted.
- A passport valid for at least one year issued by the participating country or region is required.
- It is necessary to go to Korea for holiday purposes, and people who want to work or study longer than the given work permit period must apply for a different type of visa instead of a working holiday visa.
How to Get a South Korea Work and Holiday Visa?
People who want to get a South Korean work and holiday visa must apply in person or through accredited agencies at the South Korean Consulate in the country they reside in. Working holiday visa applications cannot be made from Korea.
For a South Korea work and holiday visa, the applicant must complete the necessary documents, make an appointment through the South Korean consulates in Türkiye, and complete the application process by going to the relevant consulate on the appointment day, submitting the necessary documents, and paying the visa fee.
What are the Required Documents for Korea Work and Holiday Visa Application?
The documents required for the Korea work and holiday visa application are listed below.
- South Korea work and holiday visa application form
- A valid passport
- One passport photo measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm
- South Korea health insurance
- Reservations for transportation or sufficient financial resources for return
- Documents proving sufficient financial resources for travel, such as bank statements
- South Korea travel plan
- Application fee receipts
- Criminal record
- Health report
- Student certificate or graduation certificates
In addition to the standard work and holiday visa documents mentioned above, the South Korean Consulate may request additional documents.
What kind of health insurance should I get for a South Korea Work and Travel Visa?
For the South Korea work and travel visa, health insurance must cover all risks related to legal liability, repatriation, illness, birth, disability and hospitalization during the entire period of stay in Korea and must be at least 40,000,000 KRW. For the work and travel visa, Korean travel health insurance must be issued for 1 year.
How Much Is the Korean Working Holiday Visa Application Fee?
The Korean working holiday visa application fee is $60 and visa application fees are paid in dollars at the South Korean Consulate visa unit at the time of appointment. It is not possible to pay Korean working holiday visa application fees by credit card and fees are only accepted in cash.
South Korea working holiday visa costs for 2022 are approximately $125, including visa application fee, hotel and transportation reservations, travel health insurance, sworn translation, notary procedures and consultancy fees.
How to Track South Korea Working Holiday Visa?
South Korea working holiday visa tracking and inquiries can be made online via https://www.visa.go.kr/openPage.do?MENU_ID=10301. For the Korean visa inquiry, name, surname, date of birth and passport number, application number or registration number must be entered.
How Many Days Does It Take to Get a South Korea Working Holiday Visa?
South Korea working holiday visa procedures are completed within an average of 14 working days.
In cases where South Korea work and travel visa applications are completed at least one month before the planned travel date and are made with incomplete documents, the visa issuance period may be extended and working holiday visa applications may be cancelled if the missing documents are not completed within 3 business days.
How Long Is a Korean Work and Travel Visa Valid?
The Korean work and travel visa is issued with a maximum validity period of 1 year.
What are the rights provided by the South Korea Working Holiday Visa?
The rights granted to the holder of the South Korea working holiday visa are listed below.
- Right to live in South Korea for 1 year
- Right to work in South Korea
- The right to learn a language in South Korea
- The right to enter and exit Korea as many times as desired during the visa period
What are the Working Conditions with a Korean Work and Holiday Visa?
It is forbidden to work as a teacher, manager, researcher, artist, model, etc. with a Korean work and holiday visa, but it is allowed to work in businesses such as cafes, restaurants, guesthouses and hotels.
People who want to work in South Korea with a work and holiday visa are allowed to work for 25 hours per week and are legally paid 9,160 KRW per hour of work in South Korea.
What are the Language Education Opportunities in Korea with a Work and Travel Visa?
With a work and travel visa, language education in Korea can be received at certain universities or private institutes.
People who go to Korea with a working holiday visa can enroll in a Korean language course, the official language of South Korea, without obtaining a student visa. South Korean language schools where language education can be received in Korea are OEM, Galwol Community Welfare Center, Global Seoul Mates (GSM), Lexis Korea Seoul and Ganada Korean Language Institute.
Can a Work and Holiday Visa be Converted to a Korean Special Talent Visa?
A work and holiday visa can be converted to a Korean special talent visa, but only citizens of the UK, France, Ireland and Denmark can convert their work and holiday visa to a special talent visa before the H-1 visa expires.
Citizens of the UK, France, Ireland and Denmark who have a job offer and the opportunity to obtain a work visa in South Korea can convert their work and holiday visa to an E-7 visa, known as a South Korean special talent visa , before the H-1 visa expires ; otherwise, they must wait for the work and holiday visa to expire before obtaining another visa.