Interested in visiting the place where K-pop and K-drama came to life? Make it happen with the new Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC) in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig, Metro Manila.
Decked with a sleek modern look and plenty of chairs for queueing customers, KVAC will now be Filipinos’ one-stop shop for submitting their visa application documents, passports, and payments for their upcoming trips to South Korea. It is now the exclusive hub for visa application and issuance in the Philippines, as the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines will no longer be carrying out these duties.
Ever ready to accommodate the influx of Filipino tourists coming to South Korea, the new visa processing center opened its doors to the public on August 29, 2023. It is located on the 9th and 10th floors of Brittany Hotel BGC on 6 McKinley Parkway. Currently, it accepts walk-ins.
The center promised to boost service quality and waiting times for future tourists. “There is a total of 28 counters, which includes 20 reception counters, 4 release counters, and 4 payment counters. Thus, the waiting time for submission of visa application is shortened,” the Korean Embassy said in a Facebook post. “The 308㎡ waiting space has an information desk, kiosks, computers, photocopiers, writing desks, nursing rooms, and a space for cultural exhibits for a convenient and pleasant waiting time.”
The following is the current list of short-term visa requirements for employed Filipinos:
- Duly accomplished visa application form
- 1 passport-size colored photo
- Original passport
- Photocopy of passport bio-page
- Original and photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- Copy of Professional Regulation Commission card or Integrated Bar of the Philippines card, if applicable
- Original certificate of employment, including applicant’s position, date hired, compensation, office address, Human Resources landline number, and Human Resources email address
- Original personal bank certificate, including account name, account number, account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months average balance
- Original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months
- Photocopy of ITR (income tax return) or Form 2316
- Visa fee (free for those staying in Korea for 59 days or below, and PHP 2,000 for those traveling for 60 to 90 days)
The visa requirements for Filipino students can also be found below:
- Duly accomplished visa application form
- 1 passport-size colored photo
- Original passport
- Photocopy of passport bio-page
- Original and photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable
- Original school certificate
- Copy of school ID
- Original Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) birth certificate
- Parents’ documents
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- Original PSA marriage certificate
- If employed: Original employment certificate, including position, date hired, compensation, office address, Human Resources landline number, Human Resources email address, and photocopy of ITR or Form 2316
- If Self-employed: Business Registration from SEC or DTI (copy), business permit or mayor’s permit (copy), and photocopy of ITR or Form 2316
- Original personal bank certificate, including account name, account number, account type, current balance, account opening date, and 6 months average balance
- Bank statement (original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months)
- Visa fee (free for those staying in Korea for 59 days or below, and PHP 2,000 for those traveling for 60 to 90 days)
Those who do not fit these categories may visit the Korean Embassy’s website for more information. The link is in the tweet below.
https://twitter.com/scvannasummer/status/1696887682213843042
The Korean Embassy announced in another Facebook post that all visa types will be accepted by KVAC. However, in special circumstances, the embassy declared that it will process visa applications for “diplomatic passport holders, official passport holders, and those who require a visa urgently within one to two days due to clear humanitarian reasons”.
Individual applicants will be accommodated by KVAC from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., whereas agencies will be assisted from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Special counters for travel agencies, persons with disabilities, and other distinguished guests will be provided by the center.
Atop existing visa fees, a PHP 900 fee for every application processed in the center will apply. In the aforementioned Facebook post, the embassy noted that “the processing period for visa issuance will differ depending on the daily number of applications received”. It added that it will announce the expected processing period to visitors. In general, visa applications will take about 5 business days to be processed.
“In the early stages of official operation, heavy demand for applications is expected, which may result in [a] crowded waiting area and extended waiting time. Therefore, if you have enough time on your schedule, please avoid visiting KVAC on the first week of official operation,” the embassy advised in the post.
Up until the completion of the assessment process, applicants will receive SMS texts on the status of their prospective visas. However, this service cannot be availed by those who course their applications through travel agents.
After their applications are approved, individuals and agencies can expect their visas to be issued from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Delivery services will incur extra charges.
On its website, KVAC indicated that other information regarding Korean tourism and visa services will be accessible to the center’s visitors. Travel agencies will also have the opportunity to provide and update visa-related information on-site.
Itching to submit your visa applications? KVAC may be contacted at 02-8248-5440 or kvacph@visaforkorea-mn.com.
Korea’s initiatives to welcome Philippine passport holders include visa-free entrance to Jeju and Yangyang, and reduced days for visa processing.
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