| Korean Immigration has recently implemented new policies on the E2 visa requirements, such as requiring medical records, criminal records, and interviews at overseas Korean embassies. This is a very fluid situation and there is a general opinion that the execution of the policy will continue to be refined. As a result, we cannot guarantee that our information will be current, to the moment. If you wish for the latest information and safe guidance, we please encourage you to contact Rowan at ESL-Planet, who is always at the forefront of industry changes and helping teachers get good jobs.
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[edit] First off
This trip can be best summed up by visiting this blog. There's not a great deal that needs to be covered beyond that.
[edit] Getting to Osaka
As mentioned on the Fukuoka visa run, if your employer has not yet decided on a travel agent as of yet, suggest WhyPayMore or Kangsan Travel. Kangsan Travel specializes in visa run packages for Korean expats and you can get good deals for travel and accommodation through them.
[edit] Korean Consulate in Osaka
2-3-4 Nishishinsaibashi
Chuoku Osakash
Phone: 81-6213-1401
Office Hours : 9:00-12:00 1: 30-17:00 (Monday to Friday) No Saturdays.
The consulate is closed during both Korean and Japanese holidays.
[edit] Getting Your Visa
You will need your passport, your visa code, passport, two photos and the signed application form that you can get at the consulate. You will also have to pay some money. Currently, the visa costs around 6,000 yen. Make sure that you have your passport photos taken in a random subway booth or professional photo shop in Korea, as the photo booth at the consulate is expensive. If you have long hair, note that you can't have your ears covered in an official photo.
The oft-quoted deadline for submitting your documents is 11am, which ensures that you can pick up the visa after 1:30pm, the following day. However, people have been known to show up later and still have it ready by the following day, but it's best not to push it.
[edit] Public holidays
The following are Korean and Japanese national holidays.
[edit] Korean Holidays
Jan 01 -- New Year's Day
Jan 02 -- Second Day of New Year
Feb -- Seollal, Korean new year. Check the dates that this will fall on
Mar 01 -- Independence Movement Day
Apr 05 -- Tree Planting Day
May 05 -- Children's Day
May 15 -- Buddha's Birthday
Jun 06 -- Memorial Day
July 17 -- Constitution Day
Aug 15 -- Liberation Day
Sep 15 -- Chuseok / Thanksgiving.
Oct 03 -- National Foundation Day
Dec 25 -- Christmas
[edit] Japanese Holidays
January 1-3 -- New Year (shogatsu)
Second monday of January -- Coming of Age (seiji no hi)
February 11 -- National Foundation Day (kenkoku kinenbi)
March 21 -- Spring Eqinox Day (shunbun no hi)
April 29 -- Green Day (midori no hi)
May 3 -- Constitution Day (kenpo kinenbi)
May 4 -- "Between Day" (kokumin no kyujitsu)
May 5 -- Children's Day (kodomo no hi)
Third monday of July -- Ocean Day (umi no hi)
Third monday of September -- Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi)
September 23 -- Autumn Equinox Day (shubun no hi)
Second monday of October -- Health and Sports Day (taiiku no hi)
November 3 -- Culture Day (bunka no hi)
November 23 -- Labour Thanksgiving Day (kinro kansha no hi)
December 23 -- Emperor's Birthday (tenno no tanjobi)
If a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be free as well.
[edit] Visa reciprocity and visa exemption treaties
Please note that if you only renewing a tourist visa and you are a citizen of a country that has a visa exemption or reciprocity policy with Korea, then you don’t need to go to the consulate. You can just get back on a plane and get on the very next one and come back over.
It’s important to note that Canadian citizens are granted 6 months tourist visas upon entering Korea, which is in reciprocity accordance to what Koreans get when they enter Canada.
However, it’s important to note that Americans are only granted 30 day visas upon entering Korea, but if they go to a Korean Embassy or Consulate beforehand, they can obtain a 3 month tourist visa. If you are an American make sure that you clearly understand this, regardless of what your school or recruiter may tell you, as there are countless stories of people getting confused between the US and Canadian tourist visa lengths, and having to pay visa overstay fines. If you are an American and your employer wants to fly you over on a tourist visa and do a visa run after arriving, make sure the employer is aware of your 30 day visa status, just in case there are snags that delay your visa run trip. The employment market here operates fast and sometimes you might have less than a week's notice before you need to hop on a plane, but if you have a pretty good idea of when you might be heading to Korea, try to get your passport to the nearest Korean Embassy or Consulate beforehand, so you can have your 90 days tourist visa, in advance.
[edit] Countries under Visa Exemption Agreements
[edit] Europe
Country/Period(days)
- Austria / 90
- Belgium / 90
- Bulgaria / 90
- Czech Republic / 90
- Denmark / 90
- Estonia / 90
- Finland / 90
- France / 90
- Greece / 90
- Germany / 90
- Hungary / 90
- Iceland / 90
- Ireland / 90
- Italy / 60
- Liechtenstein / 90
- Luxembourg / 90
- Malta / 90
- Netherlands / 90
- Norway / 90
- Portugal / 60
- Poland / 90
- Romania / 90
- Spain / 90
- Slovak Republic / 90
- Sweden / 90
- Switzerland / 90
- United Kingdom / 90
[edit] Asia and Oceania
- Bangladesh / 90
- Israel / 90
- Malaysia / 90
- New Zealand / 90
- Pakistan / 90
- Singapore / 90
- Thailand / 90
- Turkey / 90
[edit] Americas
- Antigua and Barbuda / 90
- Bahamas / 90
- Barbados / 90
- Brazil / 90
- Colombia / 90
- Costa Rica / 90
- Common wealth of Dominica / 90
- Dominican Republic / 90
- El Salvador / 90
- Grenada / 90
- Haiti / 90
- Jamaica / 90
- Mexico / 90
- Nicaragua / 90
- Panama / 90
- Peru / 90
- St. Lucia / 90
- St. Kitts and Nevis / 90
- St. Vincent & the Grenadines / 90
- Surinam / 90
- Trinidad and Tobago / 90
[edit] Africa
- Lesotho / 60
- Liberia / 90
- Morocco / 90
- Tunisia / 30
[edit] Countries or Regions under principles of reciprocity and national interest
Country/Period(days)
- Brunei / 30
- Hong Kong / 90
- Japan / 30
- Kuwait / 30
- Macao / 30
- Oman / 30
- Qatar / 30
- Saudi Arabia / 30
- Taiwan / 30
- United Arab emirates / 30
- Yemen / 30
[edit] North America
- Canada / 180
- United States / 30
[edit] South America
- Argentina / 30
- Chile / 30
- Guatemala / 30
- Honduras / 30
- Paraguay / 30
- Uruguay / 30
- Venezuela / 30
[edit] Europe
- Albania / 30
- Croatia / 30
- Cyprus / 30
- Latvia / 30
- Lithuania / 30
- Monaco / 30
- Slovenia / 90
- Vatican / 30
[edit] Oceania
- Australia / 90
- Fiji / 30
- Guam / 30
- Kiribati / 30
- Marshall Islands/ 30
- Naura / 90
- New Caledonia / 30
- Palau / 30
[edit] Africa
- Republic of South Africa / 30
- Swaziland / 30
[edit] External Links
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