Study Abroad (Student) Visa
유학 (D-2) — D-2 Student Visa (Degree / Regular Course)
At a glance
Foreign nationals accepted to study full-time at an accredited Korean junior college, university, or graduate school (an academic institution recognized under Korean…
The visa itself is usually issued as single-entry with about 3 months validity to enter.
Allowed only with a part-time work permit (체류자격 외 활동허가) obtained in advance via HiKorea, after completing at least 6 months of study (for status-changers) and meeting a…
No Korean level is required to obtain the D-2 visa itself.
Time: Varies by embassy/consulate and nationality; commonly about 1-2 weeks.
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 accepted to study full-time at an accredited Korean junior college, university, or graduate school (an academic institution recognized under Korean law).
- ✓Covers students enrolled in an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program, and also research students, exchange students, and short-term (summer/winter) students at a regular school.
- ✓The student must plan to stay in Korea longer than 90 days.
- ✓Note: some universities are barred from sponsoring new student visas for a period after a government review (see the 2025–2026 policy updates below).
Documents you'll need
- Completed visa application form with a passport photo
- passport valid at least 6 months
- certificate of admission (표준입학허가서 / Standard Admission Letter) issued by the Korean school
- the school’s business registration certificate
- certificate of your final/highest education completed (may be waived if the host university holds IEQAS certification, but is required for applicants from certain higher-risk nationalities)
- proof of financial ability such as a bank balance certificate and recent bank transaction statement (may be waived for students at IEQAS-certified universities)
- tuberculosis (TB) test result if you are from a designated country
- for exchange/short-term students, a letter confirming enrollment at your home school. Exact document list varies by the Korean embassy/consulate and your nationality.
How to apply
Commonly a Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) filed by the host university via HiKorea, or a consul-general-issued visa (공관장 사증) issued at an overseas Korean mission; domestic change-of-status is possible (e.g., D-4 language student changing to D-2). Two common routes.
- Apply directly at the Korean embassy/consulate in your country with your admission certificate and supporting documents.
- The Korean university applies on your behalf for a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) through HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr); once issued you take the certificate number to the embassy/consulate for the visa.
After you arrive, register for an Alien Registration Card and handle extensions or status changes at the local immigration office (many services filed online via HiKorea).
Stay & extension
The visa itself is usually issued as single-entry with about 3 months validity to enter. The permitted stay per grant is generally up to 2 years, aligned with your program.
Total stay is capped by program level: associate degree up to about 3 years (4 for a 3-year program); bachelor’s up to about 6 years (7 for a 5-year program); master’s up to about 5 years (6 for a 3-year program); doctoral up to about 8 years. (Caps per studyinkorea.go.kr; confirm current figures in the latest official manual (체류자격별 안내매뉴얼).)
Extend your period of stay at the local immigration office (or via HiKorea) before your current stay expires. You generally need proof of continued enrollment, academic transcript/grades, and proof you can cover living costs.
Immigration reviews attendance and academic performance; poor grades or low attendance can affect extension. Total stay cannot exceed the program-level caps noted above.
Working while you study
Only with a part-time work permit applied for in advance on HiKorea. Weekly caps (법무부 안내매뉴얼 2026.6.1):
| Level | Korean std not met | Korean std met | Certified univ / top student |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate & Bachelor | 10 h/wk | 25 h/wk | 30 h/wk |
| Master & Doctoral | 15 h/wk | 30 h/wk | 35 h/wk |
- Allowed only with a part-time work permit (체류자격 외 활동허가) obtained in advance via HiKorea, after completing at least 6 months of study (for status-changers) and meeting a Korean-ability threshold.
- Weekly hour caps (법무부 안내매뉴얼 2026.6.1, in force since 2023.7): WITHOUT the Korean-ability standard met — associate & bachelor 10h/week, master/doctoral 15h/week; WITH it met — associate & bachelor 25h/week (30h at IEQAS-certified universities / top academic performers / Korean-excellent), master/doctoral 30h/week (35h certified).
- Weekends, public holidays and vacations have NO hour limit.
- Manufacturing part-time only with TOPIK level 4 or higher.
- Korean-ability standard: associate & bachelor yr1-2 = TOPIK 3 (or KIIP 3+/pre-assessment 61+/Sejong intermediate-1+); bachelor yr3-4 = TOPIK 4 (or KIIP 4+/pre-assessment 81+/Sejong intermediate-2+); master/doctoral = TOPIK 4.
- Working without the permit is illegal employment (up to 3 yrs or KRW 30M).
Requirements in detail
No Korean level is required to obtain the D-2 visa itself. However, Korean proficiency (TOPIK) affects other things: the part-time work permit ties allowed working hours to TOPIK level (commonly TOPIK 3 for undergraduate years 1-2 and TOPIK 4 for later years / graduate students to unlock more hours), and universities/immigration may check TOPIK for admission or extension.
Universities may require TOPIK 3-4 for degree admission depending on the program.
Bank-balance proof of about US$20,000 for metropolitan (수도권) or US$18,000 for non-metropolitan (비수도권) degree study (approx KRW 20 million); students at IEQAS-certified universities (인증대학) receive relaxed or waived financial-proof requirements.
No personal quota; institution-level only — universities under IEQAS (교육국제화역량 인증제) that lose certification or exceed illegal-stay-rate (불법체류율) thresholds face restrictions on issuing student visas.
Sub-types
D-2-1Associate (전문학사)D-2-2Bachelor (학사)D-2-3Master (석사)D-2-4Doctorate (박사)D-2-5Research (연구유학)D-2-6Exchange (교환학생)D-2-7Work-study (일-학습연계유학)D-2-8Short-term (단기유학).Spouse and minor children may accompany on F-3(동반) status while the student maintains D-2; F-3 dependents cannot engage in paid work.
D-2 students who complete foreigner registration (외국인등록) and hold an ARC can issue a mobile ARC (모바일 외국인등록증) via HiKorea, rolled out from 2025 with IC-chip ARC linkage; same legal effect as the physical card and usable for identity verification.
2025–2026 policy updates
- On 2026-02-12/13 the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Education announced the results of the 2025 Educational Internationalization Competency Certification (교육국제화역량 인증제, IEQAS) review and international-student recruitment/management survey.
- Results: 181 universities certified for degree programs and 123 for language-training programs (both up from the prior year). 20 universities were designated for ‘visa scrutiny’ / visa-issuance restriction — 16 degree-program schools and 4 language-training schools — barred from issuing new student visas for one year starting the second semester (fall) of 2026.
- Separately, the maximum penalty period for universities that violate recruitment/management rules under the Immigration Control Act was extended from 1 year to up to 3 years.
- Financial-proof requirements continue to be waived for many students at IEQAS-certified host universities.
- (Effective: fall 2026 for the visa restrictions.)
Common mistakes
- Depositing the required funds just before applying — banks statements/balances are expected to have been held for a period (often kept ~1 month) and sudden large deposits may be rejected.
- Starting a part-time job before the work permit is approved (illegal employment).
- Letting grades or attendance drop, which can block extensions.
- Assuming the visa allows unlimited work.
- Applying to or enrolling at a university currently under a visa-issuance restriction.
- Confusing D-2 (degree/regular school study) with D-4 (language training / non-degree).
Where this leads
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