Obtaining or renewing your visa is one of the last steps you need to take before starting your new job. An E2 visa is the official visa status for English teachers coming to Korea. This process will start after you have submitted your final documents to your school and have been sent a visa issuance number from Korvia. We have outlined below the steps each candidate needs to take based on their situation.

Those coming to South Korea for the first time to teach English will need to obtain an E2 visa from abroad. This process usually takes less than a week, but can sometimes take up to 2-3 weeks to complete. The process can be expedited by visiting your local Korean consulate in person so that you are not subject to shipping delays. If a consulate is too far away, you may also mail it in via express mail. Once your visa is ready, you can specify (at the time of application) whether you would like to pick it back up in person or have it mailed to your house.

Below is a complete list of steps to obtain your E2 Visa if you are a new teacher coming to Korea.

For EPIK teachers, a Notification of Appointment (NOA) will be sent after your placement is confirmed.

STEP 1

Your recruiter at Korvia will send you an email with a personalized up-to-date Visa application with information pertaining to your employment already filled out. Please print out the form and keep it with you.

STEP 2

Your recruiter will also send you all the required documents that you will need to submit to the Korean consulate. Please print out these documents and put them with your completed visa application.

STEP 3

Please prepare the following documents to take/mail to your local Korean consulate:

Due to COVID-19, Korean Consulate and Embassy might request a doctor’s note. Please contact/check with your Korean consulate if you need additional documents.

  • Valid Passport and/or Photocopy of the personal data page (check specific requirements with your consulate)
  • Completed Visa Application
  • One (1) Passport Photo attached to the Visa Application
  • Original Notice of Appointment or Photocopy (check specific requirements with your consulate)
  • Employment Contract
  • Self-Addressed Prepaid Envelope (for return of the passport by mail)
  • Cash (for visiting in-person) or Money Order (for mailing-in) for the amount specified at the following Visa Fee Table.

  • Valid Passport & 1 Photocopy of the personal data page
  • Completed Visa Application
  • One (1) Passport Photo attached to the Visa Application
  • E2 Health Statement (Please download the form HERE and complete it)
  • Self-Addressed prepaid Envelope (for return of the passport by mail)
  • Cash (for visiting in-person) or Money Order (for mailing-in) for the amount specified below:

CANADIAN APPLICANTS ONLY: Canadian applicants might need to have one more set of sealed university transcripts as this is a requirement by Canadian Korean Consulates.

IMPORTANT: Korvia advises all applicants to call or contact their local Korean Consulate to inquire about exactly what documents they will need to obtain their visa. Document requirements can vary from country to country and consulate to consulate.

If the consulate requires other documents that you previously prepared and sent to Korvia, Korvia will provide you with scanned files of those documents for you to print and submit to the consulate.

Step 4

Visit in-person or mail your printed out application form and documents to your local Korean Consulate. Please keep in mind that your area might be under a certain Korean Consulate’s jurisdiction.

IMPORTANT: If you plan to have your passport/visa mailed back to you, please include a a self-addressed return envelope. Prices may vary, so please check with your local carrier.

On average it will take approximately 5 business days from when the consulate receives your request (not including shipping time). We strongly recommend using a trackable overnight carrier to send your visa documents to the consulate.

Step 5

Receive your passport back after your visa has been processed. The visa grant notice will be a piece of paper that can be printed out from visa.go.kr. Now you’re ready to come to South Korea! Congratulations!

Updates for U.K. Citizens

For U.K. Citizens, starting from January 17, 2022, The Government of the Republic of Korea opened the Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC) in London, operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to manage the Korean visa applications submitted by the UK nationals to apply for a visa in South Korea. U.K. citizens MUST apply for their E2 visas with KVAC.

For questions or more information regarding the visa application process for first time teachers coming to South Korea, please inquire with your recruiter at Korvia.