The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines is located at 122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. It is open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Visa applications are accepted from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM, while releasing of passports (hopefully with granted visas) is from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
APPLICATION DATE: January 18, 2018
I arrived at the embassy at exactly 8:06 AM. There was no line outside but the seats inside were all occupied. Inside, I had to line up for the checking of my documents and to get a number. By 8:10 PM, I got a number. I was 15th in line for window 2. Window 3 was already open when I arrived. I guess it opened around 8:00 AM. Window 3 accepts visa applications for those who have visa/s from OECD countries, while window 2, I think, is for those who don’t have OECD visa/s.
Window 2 started calling numbers by 8:31 AM, and my number was called by 8:48 AM. I submitted my documents to their personnel and in less than 30 seconds, she gave me a claim slip with the release date of my passport. THAT. WAS. FAST. I was really impressed. I can’t really compare this with other visa experiences since this was my first ever visa application.
DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED:
- Passport – with at least six months validity
- Copy of bio page of passport
- Application form with attached (pasted/glued on) passport picture.
- Certificate of Employment – original
- Bank Certificate and bank statements – both original. I used my payroll account, which has an amount between 150k to 200k.
- Bank Certificate and bank statements – both original. I used my account from our savings association, which has an amount between 250k to 300k. I think this is unnecessary but I want to further prove that I can finance my trip.
- Income Tax Return of Form 2316 – I gave them a certified true copy.
- Letter – this letter is for my ITR. I explained that I can only give them a certified true copy of my 2016 ITR since our 2017 ITR is not yet available. I also stated that my 2016 ITR did not reflect my current salary.
VISA FEE: No fee if duration of stay does not exceed 59 days.
RELEASE DATE: January 25, 2018
I arrived at the embassy at exactly 3:36 PM. There was no line outside and there were less than 5 people inside. I got a number and waited to be called. After 5 minutes, the personnel in window 2 called my number. She handed my passport and said, “visa granted.”
My single-entry visa is valid from January 25, 2018 to April 25, 2018 with a maximum stay of 59 days.
SOME FAQs
- Can someone else apply for me? Yes. No need for personal appearance. I saw a number of people with several visa applications with them.
- Can I bring bags and cellphone/s inside the embassy? Yes. Put mobile phones in silent mode and no taking of pictures.
- What is the minimum “show money”? I honestly do not know. I have between 150k to 200k in my bank account. I guess this is more than enough.
- Will they return my documents? No. They will only return your passport.
- Do I need to write a cover letter? I don’t think so. I only submitted a letter to explain why the ITR I submitted was for the year 2016.
DISCLAIMER:
This is a personal account of my experience in getting a South Korean visa.