Agreement (Status-of-Forces / SOFA and other agreements)
협정(A-3) — Non-immigrant, diplomatic/official category (A series). Status of stay tied to an international agreement with the Korean government; holders are exempt from foreigner (alien) registration.
At a glance
Persons who are exempted from foreigner registration under an agreement with the Korean government, or who are recognized as needing such exemption, and their family…
Duration of status under the agreement (협정상의 신분존속기간) — i.e. the stay period is tied to how long the person retains their SOFA/agreement status (length of the military…
Not entitled to work on the Korean economy on the A-3 status alone.
None.
Who can apply
- ✓Persons who are exempted from foreigner registration under an agreement with the Korean government, or who are recognized as needing such exemption, and their family members (per Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Control Act, Attached Table 1).
- ✓In practice this is dominated by the US-ROK Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): members of the US armed forces’ civilian component and the dependents of both military members and the civilian component.
- ✓(Active-duty US military members themselves normally enter under SOFA Article IX with travel orders and a SOFA stamp rather than an A-3 visa.) The category also covers persons under other similar agreements (e.g. certain exchange/technical-assistance agreements).
- ✓Under SOFA, ‘family/dependents’ means the spouse and children under 21, plus parents, children 21 or older, or other relatives who depend on the member or civilian-component employee for more than half of their support.
Documents you'll need
- Passport valid for the intended stay
- visa application form with photo
- document proving eligibility under the relevant agreement (for SOFA: US travel orders / official assignment documents, SOFA sponsorship or ID showing status of forces / civilian-component / dependent status)
- proof of family relationship for dependents (e.g. marriage/birth certificate). (unverified — exact SOFA A-3 checklist is administered jointly with USFK
- confirm current list with the issuing consulate/USFK newcomer processing)
How to apply
- For US forces, handled through USFK newcomer in-processing with a SOFA stamp rather than an ordinary consular visa; where a visa is issued it is an overseas embassy visa (사증).
- Not the Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) route.
- For US forces, most A-3 processing is handled through USFK newcomer/in-processing channels together with the SOFA stamp in the passport, rather than as an ordinary consular visa application.
- Because A-3 is granted under an agreement, holders are exempt from the foreigner registration and residence-card requirement that applies to most other long-stay foreigners.
Stay & extension
Duration of status under the agreement (협정상의 신분존속기간) — i.e. the stay period is tied to how long the person retains their SOFA/agreement status (length of the military assignment or civilian-component contract), not a fixed number of years. Visa validity for A-1 to A-3 is within 3 years from the date of issuance.
Stay may be maintained/extended for as long as the qualifying status under the agreement continues; handled through the competent immigration office (and, for SOFA, USFK in-/out-processing). No standalone maximum applies beyond the life of the agreement status.
Working on this visa
Not entitled to work on the Korean economy on the A-3 status alone. Under a 2001 US-ROK SOFA Memorandum of Understanding, dependents may obtain a separate Korean work permit without surrendering their A-3 status; without that authorization, paid employment outside the US forces framework is not allowed.
Requirements in detail
None.
No labor-ministry endorsement; status derives from the SOFA or other international agreement and is administered together with USFK.
Sub-types
Single A-3 code with no numbered sub-types; practical groups: SOFA civilian component, their dependents, and persons under other qualifying agreements.
Dependents of SOFA members and civilian-component employees are admitted under A-3 (spouse and children under 21, plus relatives dependent on them for more than half of their support).
Not applicable — A-3 holders are exempt from foreigner registration, so they receive no ARC and cannot issue the mobile Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) (from 2025-01-10).
Common mistakes
Assuming active-duty US soldiers need an A-3 visa (they normally enter on orders + SOFA stamp); assuming A-3 holders must do foreigner registration and carry a residence card (they are exempt); assuming A-3 dependents may freely take Korean jobs (a separate work permit is required); confusing A-3 (agreement/SOFA) with A-1 diplomatic or A-2 official visas.
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