For the Freshmen and Enrolled Student

Following the immigration law in Korea, all international students at KU must obtain a student visa (D-2) before the semester begins. Student visa (D-2) is to be acquired at the Korean embassy/consulate in the student's home country prior to entering Korea. A number of documents are required for the D-2 visa application, and among them, some documents take a long time to be issued. Hence, students are advised to prepare the requirements in advance to get the visa on time. It is students' responsibility to obtain a student visa (D-2) before the semester begins.

For students who already have a student visa (D-2) issued using the Certificate of Admission (CoA) from another university for the same degree program at KU, they may be required to make a departure and apply for a new student visa (D-2) issued with the CoA from KU at a Korean embassy/consulate in his/her home country.

Student visa (D-2) itself is also divided into a number of specific types as in below.
- D-2-3: Master’s Degree / D-2-4: Doctoral (Ph.D), Masters & Ph.D Integrated Degree / D-2-7: KGSP (Korean Government Scholarship Program) student (regardless of the degree)

Individuals holding the following visa statuses are eligible to apply for a change of status.

List of Short-Term Visa Holders Eligible for Change to Student (D-2) Visa

※ Students with A, E, or F-type visa do not need to apply for a student visa(D-2).

Required documents for student visa (D-2) application for Freshmen

CoA Application process Freshmen:

Please contact the administrative office of your admitting graduate school using the email address below:

• Graduate School Students
  → Please contact the Graduate School Administration Team (graduate1@korea.ac.kr)
• Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) Students
  → Please contact the GSIS Administration Team (gsisadmin@korea.ac.kr)
• Global MBA Students
  → Please contact the Korea MBA Administration Team (mba_admissions@korea.ac.kr)
• Professional Graduate School Students
  → Please contact the Global Service Center (gsc@korea.ac.kr)

D-2 visa application upon returning to the school

• International students who returning from a leave of absence
• International students who are maintaining active enrollment status while taking online courses for a degree program from overseas (excluding those who have completed their program requirements)
• Students currently enrolled in a degree program who hold a visa type eligible for study in Korea but are now unable to maintain their current visa status.
  ex) students studying under an F-3 visa who have reached adulthood, or those on an E-7 visa whose employment contract has expired
• Students who entered Korea with a single-entry visa, applied for an Alien Registration Card (ARC), but left the country before receiving it and re-entered under a visa waiver or similar status

CoA Application process for returning to the school:

This notice is for international students who are taking leave of absence, who are returning from their leave of absence, and who took online courses from their home country or the exchange student abroad.

• 1. Application for Reinstatement by International Students(KUPID)

  KUPID

• 2. Submit CoA documents via KUPID

• 3. The original Financial Proof must be physically sent to the GSC

• 4. After review, the BRC and CoA will be sent by email

• 5. Arrival before the start of the Semester

• 6. Alien Registration and Submission of Arrival Report

Required Documents

Required documents for student visa (D-2) application for enrolled student

Required documents for Alien Registration Card (ARC) application for Freshmen / Enrolled Student

Alien Registration Card (ARC) is a personal identification card for foreigners, allowing them to stay in Korea legally. Once the international students arrive in Korea with a student visa (D-2), they must apply for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) at Sejongno Immigration Office by the time the semester starts.
All international students at KU must go to Sejongno Immigration Officefor visa and immigration affairs regardless of their place of residency. Immigration office is assigned by the student’s home institution, not by their place of residency.

※ Do not forget to scan your fingerprints before leaving the immigration office

※ If there are any changes to your personal information, such as your address, passport number, or name, please update your ARC within 14 days from the date of change. For address changes, you may update your information at the local community center (dong office) or the district office.

CoA Application process for returning to the school:

Visit the Global Service Center in person and submit the Arrival Report by Friday of the first week of classes. New students must also report their entry to the CoA application office.

Proof of RC (Choose one option)

Appointment Receipt (Sejong-no)

Certificate of Application for Permit of Stay

Copy of front & back sides of RC

Mandatory requirements before departure(D-2 holders):

All international students must notify GSC of their departure at least one week before leaving Korea (email or in person).Reporting is not required for short vacation travel, but you must inform GSC if your stay abroad is uncertain or delayed.

Departure for graduation, dual-degree, exchange, employment, or permanent leave must be reported. If you are leaving Korea for one semester as an exchange or dual-degree student, please submit both your departure and return flight tickets to gsc@korea.ac.kr. This will allow us to reactivate your existing D-2 visa upon re-entry.

Researching Student Visa(D-2-5):

Students intending to engage in research activities (not taking classes)

Eligibility

• Individuals who are not enrolled students at the university but hold a Master's degree or higher who intends to engage in research activities (e.g. experimenting, thesis writing, etc.) in a specialized field.
  - This includes those engaging in research activities equivalent to research assistants or research associates following the completion of a master’s degree (regardless of field) or those participating in post-doctoral research while receiving a stipend sufficient for living expenses.
  - Cases where an individual is invited by an academic professor to participate in his/her/their individual research contract(개인연구용역) is excluded.
• (Exception) Undergraduate students in science and engineering fields from their home country who wish to engage in research activities at Korea University.

Process Overview

• The research institute invites a researcher or the applicant applies directly to the research institute.
• The applicant must meet the D-2-5 eligibility requirement (Master’s degree or higher).

Step 1. Request for President’s Seal(on the Confirmation of Foreign Researcher)

- Foreign Researcher: Prepare documents
- Department/Institute: Submit documents and request the President’s seal
- GSC: Review the submitted documents

• Document Preparation

  Review the guideline and prepare all required documents.

• Submission to GSC

  Submit the required documents to the GSC via email for signature.

• GSC Review & Signature

• Step 2. President’s Seal Process

  The department/institute obtains the President’s official seal on the Confirmation of Foreign Researcher.

Step 3. Visa Application at a Korean Embassy/Consulate

Required documents generally include:

• Confirmation of Research Student (with President’s seal)
• Business Registration Certificate
• Other required supporting documents (Please refer to the guideline)

* Documents may be added or exempted at the discretion of the consulate in charge of the visa evaluation process. Therefore, applicants must check the list of required documents with the consulate in their jurisdiction before submitting your visa application.

Step 4. After Entry to Korea –ARC Application

• Foreign research students must apply for an alien registration card at the immigration office within 90 days of arrival to ensure legal stay in Korea.
• When applying for an residence card, a verification letter for foreign research students with the university president’s official seal, dated after the arrival date, is required.
• The inviting department/institute revise the date on the Confirmation of Foreign Researcher(Step 1) to the date after entry and submit it to the GSC for signature. Once signed, the department/institute obtains the President’s official seal.
• Visit the Seoul Immigration Office (Sejongno Branch) to apply for the Registration Card (ARC) with the President-sealed Confirmation of Foreign Researcher and other required documents.(For the detailed list of required documents, please refer to the guideline.)