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C-3

Short-Term Visit Visa

단기방문 (C-3) — C-3 Short-Term Visit (up to 90 days, no work)

● Active Category C Before arrival

Last updated 2026-07-04 · Official Korean government sources

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change — always confirm on the official sources for your country.

At a glance

Who it's for

Foreign nationals who want to stay in Korea for 90 days or less for a short-term purpose without working for pay.

Length of stay

Up to 90 days per entry.

Can you work?

No. Employment or any paid activity is not allowed on a C-3 visa. It is for short visits only, not for work or long-term study.

Korean needed?

None. No TOPIK or Korean-language level is required for a C-3 short-term visit.

Fee & time

Fee: Visa issuance fee (paid to the Korean mission, charged in USD-equivalent): single entry (stay 90 days or less) about USD 40; double entry about USD 70; multiple entry about USD 90. Fees are non-refundable even if the visa is refused. Separately, K-ETA (for visa-exempt travelers who choose to apply) costs KRW 10,000. The C-3 visa fee is not fixed in a single KRW amount because it is set in USD and varies with the exchange rate and any bilateral fee-waiver agreements. · Time: Varies by mission, commonly a few business days to about 1-2 weeks.

Leads to

C-3-1 short-term language study→D-4 (language training) or D-2 (degree study) if the student continues studying

Where this fits in your journey

Before arrival

Get admitted, prepare documents, apply.

During study

ARC, extensions, permits while in Korea.

After graduation

Job-seeking and work visas.

Settlement

Long-term residence and PR.

Who can apply

✓Foreign nationals who want to stay in Korea for 90 days or less for a short-term purpose without working for pay.
✓Common reasons: tourism, visiting family or friends, attending events/conferences/seminars, market research or short business meetings, medical treatment, religious or cultural activities, collecting academic materials, and short-term study such as a language course under 90 days.
✓Student-relevant uses: (1) a short (under 90 days) Korean language course when the student does not need a full D-4 study visa; (2) parents or family visiting Korea for a student’s entrance ceremony (입학식) or graduation ceremony (졸업식).
✓Note: many nationalities can enter for short visits visa-free (visa waiver) and do not need a C-3 visa at all; a C-3 visa is mainly for nationals who are not visa-exempt or who want a longer/repeatable short-term stay.

Documents you'll need

Visa application form (electronic application via the Korea Visa Portal is recommended as of 1 May 2025)
passport valid at least 6 months
passport photo
application fee
proof of funds / bank statement (typically 6 months)
for C-3-1 (events/general) and C-3-4 (business): invitation letter and/or sponsor guarantee, employment or business registration certificate (with English translation) and tax payment certificate
for C-3-9 (tourism): travel itinerary, round-trip flight and accommodation booking, and (if the applicant is a student) a school enrollment/recommendation letter
for a short-term language course: an admission/enrollment letter from the accepting institution
for family visits: proof of relationship and the inviter’s Korean ID/ARC copy. Exact documents vary by the Korean embassy/consulate and the applicant’s nationality.

How to apply

Overseas embassy visa (사증) from a Korean mission abroad, normally via the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr).
Visa-exempt nationals need no C-3 and enter visa-free; C-3 is a short-stay category not usually changed in-country.
Apply at the Korean embassy or consulate in your home country (or the mission covering your country of residence), in most cases through the Korea Visa Portal (www.visa.go.kr).
Visa-exempt nationals do not apply for a C-3 visa; they simply enter under the visa-waiver rules for stays up to 90 days.
Because C-3 is a short-stay category, it is normally issued abroad rather than changed to inside Korea.

Stay & extension

How long you can stay

Up to 90 days per entry. Typical formats: single-entry visa = stay up to 90 days, visa valid 3 months; double-entry visa = stay up to 30 days per entry, visa valid 6 months; multiple-entry visa = stay up to 90 days per entry, visa valid 1, 5, or 10 years depending on eligibility.

Extending your stay

As a short-term category, C-3 is generally NOT extended beyond 90 days except for limited unavoidable reasons (e.g. illness, humanitarian grounds) approved by an immigration office. A student who entered on C-3-1 for a short language course and wants to keep studying can register for the next semester and apply at a Korean immigration office to change status to a study visa (D-4) instead of extending C-3.

Working on this visa

No. Employment or any paid activity is not allowed on a C-3 visa.

It is for short visits only, not for work or long-term study.

Requirements in detail

Korean language

None. No TOPIK or Korean-language level is required for a C-3 short-term visit.

K-ETA / entry

Applies to visa-exempt travelers who enter without a C-3: K-ETA before boarding (KRW 10,000, valid 3 years), 67 countries/regions exempt through 31 Dec 2026, ages 17-under and 65-over exempt; no valid K-ETA means an e-Arrival Card is required. C-3 visa holders enter on the visa, not K-ETA.

Sub-types

C-3-1general (단기일반) (events/seminars, language course <90d)

C-3-2group tour (단체관광)

C-3-3medical tourism (의료관광)

C-3-4short-term business (단기상용)

C-3-8overseas-Korean visit (동포방문)

C-3-9general tourism (관광) / visiting family or friends.

Family

No dependent status; each visitor applies for their own C-3 (or enters visa-free).

2025–2026 policy updates

K-ETA temporary exemption extended: visitors from 67 visa-waiver countries/regions can enter Korea for stays of up to 90 days WITHOUT applying for K-ETA.
The Ministry of Justice extended this temporary exemption through 31 December 2026 (KST) (in force 1 Jan 2026 – 31 Dec 2026; originally introduced for the 2023-2024 ‘Visit Korea Year’ and repeatedly extended).
Exempt travelers may still choose to apply for K-ETA voluntarily (e.g. to skip the paper arrival card), in which case the KRW 10,000 fee applies.
K-ETA validity is 3 years from issue (or until passport expiry, whichever comes first), and travelers aged 17 or under and 65 or over are exempt from the K-ETA requirement.
Electronic visa application via the Korea Visa Portal became the recommended method as of 1 May 2025.

Common mistakes

Thinking C-3 lets you work or take up full-time long-term study – it does not.
Assuming everyone needs a C-3 visa when many nationalities are visa-exempt for up to 90 days (they should check visa-waiver rules and K-ETA instead).
Overstaying past 90 days – C-3 is rarely extendable.
Booking a language course longer than 90 days on C-3 (that needs a D-4 study visa).
Forgetting K-ETA for non-exempt travelers, or wrongly applying/paying for K-ETA when your nationality is currently exempt.
Parents coming for a ceremony sometimes forget to carry proof (invitation, student’s enrollment proof) that customs/immigration may ask for.

Where this leads

C-3-1 short-term language study→D-4 (language training) or D-2 (degree study) if the student continues studying

in general C-3 short-term visits are not a normal path to long-term status and in-country changes are limited.

Official source ↗ Official manual ↗

If you break the rules: Overstaying past 90 days brings a penalty fine (범칙금), a departure order or deportation, and a re-entry ban; any paid work is illegal employment. Immigration Act violations can carry fines up to KRW 30 million.

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