Consular Services
Visas For Canadians
Canadian
citizens with valid Canadian passports may enter Korea for a period
of six months without a visa (arrival day counts as day number one).
All foreigners who stay in Korea more than 90 days must obtain residence
certificates. Tourists are not required to register. Fingerprints
are generally required of all foreigners over age 20 who will be here
for at least one year.
Canadians must keep their visa status current with Korean Immigration.
Violators of immigration or entry/exit regulations are subject to
fines; i.e., if foreigners overstay their visas they must pay substantial
fines. The lowest fine is usually about 100,000 won for an overstay
of 30 days or less.
Children born in Korea need to obtain visas and other pertinent documentation,
and be reported to Korean Immigration, within 30 days of birth (Canadian
Citizens should also report the birth of a child to the Embassy to
secure your child's first passport and Canadian citizenship certificate).
Permission is required to engage in any activity (e.g., part-time
work) not covered by the original visa or status of entry. Work visas
are not granted in Korea; this type of visa must be obtained before
entry.
You must obtain extensions of stay before the expiration of the allowed
period.
There is an airport tax for all people departing Korea. There are
no special exit procedures for tourists who depart the country before
the expiration of the initial period of allowed stay. However, reentry
permits, residence certificates and other documentation may be required
of foreign residents who wish to return here. Complete information
on these procedures may be obtained from any Immigration Office of
the Korean Ministry of Justice.
In Korea, the Immigration Bureau of the ROK Justice Ministry should
be contacted for information regarding other types of visas and/or
adjustment of visa status. You can learn more from the Immigration
Bureau on-line. Their main Seoul office is located at #319-2, Shinjeong
6-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, telephone 02-2650-6225/6. Take Line
5 of the subway to Omokyo Station, Exit No. 6. The Bureau is about
a 10 minute walk once you exit the subway system.
You will find their pamphlet, "The Korean Immigration Service" (their
number 11-1270000-000279-1) a useful English-language reference for
visa questions. The Embassy does not stock copies of the pamphlet;
please contact the Immigration Bureau directly or refer to its website
www.immigration.go.kr.
Concerns and complaints should be made to Korean Immigration's "Foreigner's
Advice Office", telephone number 02-2650-6341, or to the "Control
Office" at 02-2650-6212.
Persons outside of Korea should contact the Korean Embassy or Consulate
nearest them.
Visa travel to Fukuoka
Canadians who found a job in Korea generally travels to Fukuoka, Japan
to get a working visa.
The Korean Consulate General in Fukuoka city is located at
1-1-3 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810, on Yokatopia-dori Avenue
about 500 meters south of the Fukuoka Dome. The telephone number is
092-771-0461; the fax is 092-771-0464.
According to Korean Consulate General officials, if all the necessary
documents have been submitted, visa applications to work or teach
in Korea require at a minimum 2 days to process, and may take longer
in some instances. We advise visa seekers to bring sufficient funds
(in yen or dollars) to accommodate a stay of several days. Korean
currency is often not accepted for accommodation exchange at local
hotels or banks.
The Korean Consulate General in Fukuoka is closed on weekends, Japanese
holidays and some Korean holidays (March 1, July 17, August 15, and
October 3). The
Embassy has no authority to intervene in any ROK immigration decision.
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