HOW TO APPLY FOR SOUTH KOREA TOURIST VISA FOR FILIPINOS and OTHER EXPATS Residents in Qatar + TIPS FOR GETTING APPROVED

Posted on by luckilylenny

Entering the Embassy of South Korea, the guard just welcome us with a smile on his face knowing that we will apply for tourist visa, and followed it with a response, “Oh! someone just got rejected today.”

Something about South Korea that makes it extra special and irresistible for Filipino travelers is for sure the dramatic sights, exquisite foods and just as like me who is also eyeing for K-pop idols and Korean cosmetics.

Facts have been delivered in many other blog posts how majestic the beauty of South Korea in each different season. Four seasons, each has its unique way of delivering the beauty and will put you in awe.

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If ever that you come up to visit very soon your dear Oppa, here’s the complete guide in visiting the land of kimchi.

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HOW TO APPLY SOUTH KOREA TOURIST VISA FOR FILIPINOS AND OTHER EXPATS RESIDENTS IN QATAR

STEP 1:

Complete ALL basic requirements. The documents that you will submit plays a significant factor in getting your visa approved. The following documents shall be provided:

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optional: you may add an additional document if ever you have a Korean friend who is willing to provide you an Invitation letter. (click here for the form)

Visa Form: Click here

STEP 2:

Submit your complete documents to Korean Embassy. You can either submit it personally or ask someone to submit it for yourself but I strongly suggest to do it on your own. Note also that the visa application is FREE in case you are planning for a short visit with less than 59 days.

The embassy is located at Diplomatic Street, Westbay Doha Qatar and you may click here for the map. The Consular Office is open every Sunday to Thursday, 7.30AM to 3PM and closes for lunch break for 12PM to 1PM.

The embassy itself is not crowded and there is no queue for you to wait. Hence, I advise to be extra patient since the lady in the Consular office is not accommodating and friendly. 

They will give you a claim stub for you to check and wait online to get your visa approved. Visa approval and processing takes 3-5 working days.

STEP 3:

Pray perpetually to get your visa approved. You can religiously check the status of your application here.

To check the application status, enter your passport number, name in passport and birthdate. Note that you should choose Diplomatic Office as the type of application.

Check the example below:

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STEP 4:

To claim your passport with approved visa, you should present the stub to the Consular office and voila, get ready for your trip!

**The applicant will be notified by the Embassy through email or call in case that there should be a need to submit further documentations.

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TIPS FOR GETTING APPROVED VISA

  1. Make sure that all your documents are COMPLETE and with VALID DATES. Company documents of your sponsor should also be  updated and your passport should be valid 6 months before your intended trip.
  2. Make sure to leave no blank space in the Application Form and should there be no answer for it, you may write N/A. Avoid erasures too.
  3. Have sufficient savings in your bank account to fund your trip. Most people suggest that a safe amount of 1000 QR for every day that you will spend there will likely increase your chances to get approved. Most importantly, since they are looking into the SALARY BANK ACCOUNT, make sure that your salary in 3 months is in unified and consistent amount. (Not decreasing, due to loan and deductions)

 

So there you have it, I hope this article guides you all the way through it!

Lee Jong Suk, Song Joong Ki, Jin Goo, Lee Min Ho, Ji Chang Wook ~ we’re coming for you all guys! Charot! 😛

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80 thoughts on “HOW TO APPLY FOR SOUTH KOREA TOURIST VISA FOR FILIPINOS and OTHER EXPATS Residents in Qatar + TIPS FOR GETTING APPROVED”

  1. My sister and I are in the process of applying visa for South Korea, and please take note with regards to the Certificate of Employment, if you are working for a company it is required that the Qatar Chamber of Commerce will verify the signature of the signatory in the COE and then it should be notarized/attested by the Qatar Consular Department in MOFA, so sa COE pa lang gumastos na kami ng 150QR…

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      1. It is the same address as MOFA…dont be confused with that..50QR is for the verification of the signatory and 100QR is for the attestation of the COE in MOFA…btw what is your nationality? if you are from these countries ”China, Philippine, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mongolia, Pakistan, Srilanka, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Peru, Syria, Sudan, Macedonia, Kosovo, Cuba, Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Somalia, Gambia, Senegal” you need to get your Certificate of Employment verified and attested if you are not from the countries listed then no need.

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        1. Hi Miss Anna, for Govt.employees in Qatar kailangan pa rin ba ng signature verification from Chamber of Commerce sa COE or I can go directly to MOFA for the attestation.

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    2. Hi Ms. Anna, need pala ang attestation ng MOFA? Need din ba naka address sa Korean Embassy and Certificate of Employment. Thanks

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      1. Yes, need sya…nope sa amin ng sister ko ”To whom it may concern lang”…kakakuha lang namin ng approved visa namin today….

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        1. hello, Ms. Anna, pwede po ba makiki-explain what exactly po yun Company’s establishment card(Front and back side printed in one page) and commercial registration? saan at pano po ba yun hihingin sa company? sa Qatar Airways po ako nagwowork.

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    3. hello, ask ko lang po kailan po kayo nag submit ng application?then kelan po lumbas yung result ng application nyo? nag check ako online pang 3rd day na wala pa din sa system nila yung application ko, though sabi naman 5-7 working days.ganon po ba talaga katagal kahit may Schengen at UK visa from previous years?

      thank you in advance for replying 🙂

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    4. Hi Anna,

      Ask ko lng yung employment certificate mo ba,pinastamp pa sa Labour bago ang MOFA?gusto ko lng sana e clarifiy.

      Salamat

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    5. Hi,

      Ang ticket nyo from Qatar to Korea or daan pa kau ng Pinas like magbakasyon pa kayo.. ok lng nman cguro na from Pinas to Korea ang ticket. thanks.

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    6. Hi. Miss Anna ask ko lang po kung nagpatranslate kayo ng english to arabic of COE?or ano po ang requirements for Qatar Chamber and MOFA.
      Thanks po.

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    7. Ms. Anna, ask ko lang sana ung procedure ng pag attest ng COE from Chamber of Commerce then to MOFA.
      Do you have the exact office address Chamber of Commerce and MOFA.

      Thanks.

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  2. hi, just recently read your vlog and thank you because it is very helpful for a first timer like me. Anyhow, i just want to clarify as our salary bank account have already 10K qr intended for the trip as of Oct. 2018. we will apply visa on Feb 2019. Is it ok that on the next months December – Jan 2019 will withdraw my salary? But we will remain only the 10,000 balance? Thank you for your kind reply. 🙂

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  3. Hi there thank you so much for sharing your helpful information. Well, i am also planing to visit south Korea. I have all the required documents as you mentioned except company computer card. Well i am little bit confused about it, even my boss doesn’t understand it.
    Currently, I am working in Qatar armed forces. from the travel agency staff told me that i don’t need that company computer card, because i am government job holder. Is it true? And one more question please do i need to submit insurance paper too?

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  4. Hi Lenny,

    I am planning to apply my visa here in Qatar, rather in Ph I just want to clarify things.

    In the above requirements, is salary certificate (from my company) and bank salary certificate is different? do i need to prepare both?

    Do you think is it okay that i always do one time withdrawal in my salary account monthly? or they need to see that i have money in my salary account? Because you know as an OFW once we receive our salary we withdraw it to transfer in the Ph. In short, I have nothing left in my salary account only small amount. Thank you in advance for your answer.

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      1. ** *bank certificates must be sealed and stamped from your bank provider.

        For security and assurance purposes, try to save money on your bank account. That’s what I did and it works! Good luck!

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    2. Hello Ms Lenny, I am currently working in Qatar and have already booked a flight to Korea with my husband and children to get PAL discount sale, My question is, if the flight schedule that i booked will be on December 3 to 9, 2018, can I start applying for the visa on September 2018 (next month). I am thinking that the visa might get expired since I still have 3 months to wait before the scheduled flight as I am also considering the need to get all the required documents on my current company in Qatar while It is still possible to complete all these certificate requirements.

      Many Thanks & God Bless,

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      1. Hi Lenny, I know you said 3-5 days for processing… how long did yours take? We called embassy they said 5-7 or more is that true? How long did yours take?

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  6. Hi luckilylenny,
    This is Sohail .I m from Pakistan and I m working in this metro project in administration department ,I want to go to south Korea for a visit .I have my bank statement , company NOC,airoplane ticket ,hotel reservation,QID and valid passport ..
    I need your help that if in above mentioned documents ,if more documents need for visit visa ,so please inform me that I start preparing that documents…

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  7. Hi Luckilylenny,
    thank you! for the information you shared it’s really helpful.
    my company stopped issuing original salary certificate, now they only issued to me a system generated salary certificate and they sent me an email asking me to print it out in colored as they no longer issue hard copy (original copy) salary certificates except system generated ones.
    do you think it’s proper for me to print the and attach a copy of the email the HR department sent to me (saying they no longer issue original copy) and attach it with my printed system generated copy of salary certificate for submission at the embassy?

    thank you.

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    1. Hi Emmanuel,

      You can send the system generated one. After all, it is still a salary certificate issued by your company. From there, you have to attach the bank certificate validating your salary transfers each month.

      Best of lucks to you Emman!

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  8. Hi Luckilylenny,

    say your tourist visa application is approved, and you already arrived in Korea. Is it possible to change the tourist visa into working visa?

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  9. Hi luckilylenny,

    Good Day!

    May I know if the departure location going to Korea should be here in Qatar or it can be from other places example, Manila?

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  10. Hi Dear,
    Greetings ! What would be the average salary package to apply short stay visit visa as I’m holding Indian Passport and current work place is Doha Qatar since 1 and half year.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Hi! This is Chandra sheakar Rai, I would like to know how much salary package in Qatari royal should be to apply for visit visa for short trip like for a week or so.

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  13. Hey Lenny, thanks for the info. you provided, however, I’d like to ask, cause i applied last May 9 2018 for my visa, but just recently i got the update from their website about my application and it says that the application date is 15/05/2018. What does this mean? they just submitted my application after 6 days I actually applied? do i have to wait for another 5-7 days again?

    Thank you so much

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    2. Hi Chichu,

      I was wondering, can you give me an update after the reply above?
      I am currently in the same situation whereas the application date is a week after when I submitted the orignal documents.

      What did you do? And did you get an approved Visa? Thank you so much!

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  14. hi. i already have the korean visa but it’s already expired. by any chance, do you know what are the requirements or the process for this? thanks a lot

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  15. Dear Luckilylenny,

    I have South Korea tourist visa, I plan to stay in Seoul for 2 weeks do you know if the immigration or customs official I will ask me how much money I should possess during my stay. Because I plan my budget for $3,000 in 2 weeks maximum.

    Please I need urgent reply if possible

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  16. Hi there, I applied South Korea Tourist visa here in Qatar and the lady gave me pay stub to come after 7 working days it today’s fourth working days. Whenever I checked my online application status it’s showing “Application Unfinished” do you know why this is happening.

    Liked by 1 person

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  17. Hi there, I apply South Korea tourist visa here in Qatar and I visited Japan in 2017 for 11 days trip also I have expired visa to Japan & I don’t use it. But the lady checked & accept my submitted document and gave me claim stub and come in the next 7 days. I submitted my visa applicant on March 14, 2018 from March 15 excludes weekend when I check my application online it’s showing Applicantion Unfinished could you please help me why this happening. “Applicantion Unfinished”

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  18. Hi Lenny! I have read 2 other blogs (visa application here in doha) and both of them including yours is saying that Flight ticket and Hotel reservation is required upon visa application. But on the other blogs I have read which application is made in the philippines, ticket and hotel reservation is not required, some says the person who is checking the papers even removed those two mentioned documents on there pile as this is not required. Now I’m confused, can you please help me to clarify if I can apply visa without these two documents presented? Thank you in advance for your response 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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  19. Hi, your blog is really helpful, i would just like to inquire as an agency in Philippines has sent me the booking itinerary for our trip where they indicated the hotel details it is considered than the hotel booking. ? Thanks for your informations

    Liked by 1 person

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          1. Hi Lenny, sorry for being so kulit. I would just like to ask as because i tried to check the status of my application which i submitted 26/03 . when i tried to check, i indicated Passport no, fullname (lastname firstname) birthday. but its not found … do they update the it through their online access system ?

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  20. Hi Ma’am! I have some questions. If the trip will be on October 2018, when do you suggest that we apply for the visa? I’ve heard that we should be doing the trip within 3 or 6 mos after the visa has been approved? Or something like it. Thank youuu!

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. i have no Sallry Acount Becuse my sallry arive on my pay card (Master Card) But I have Saving Account in Barwa Bank And my Saving is 40,000QR Kindly Help me luckily lenny i Will applied on Behaf of my saving account emmbesy will acepted my saving account satetment are only sallry bank satetement kindly reply ….

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  22. HI WE ARE A FAMILY OF FOUR (ME, MY HUBBY, AND 2 KIDS AGED 4 AND 7). SHOULD MY HUBBY AND I SUBMIT A SEPARATE SET OF DOCS, OR ONE SET WILL SUFFICE (I AM GETTING MORE SALARY THAN HIM AND KIDS ARE UNDER MY SPONSORSHIP). THANKS!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. The embassy may ask you to provide separate documents since you belong to separate sponsorship. Then, from your documents, you can attached all documents of your sponsored children. The form has also designated space where you have to fill in the family members you will travelling with, from there you can specify that you will be travelling as a family. Disclaimer: My answer will not guarantee anything, hence I think this will be the logical answer based on my experience. Thank you!

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  24. Hi! Your post is really helpful! I’ve got everything except for the computer card. I’ve googled everywhere and saw a document(?) like thing, how did you get yours? Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but what’s in a computer card? What’s the equivalent of this document? I’ve tried to browse the documents that I can request from HR but there’s no computer card or maybe it’s in a different terminology. Sorry ><

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  25. Pingback: GOT’EM AT AUTUMN | EASY-7 DAYS TRAVEL ITINERARY IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (PART 1) – LUCKILYLENNY

  26. Hi your post is very helpful.. i really try to look on ways to get korean visa here in Qatar and your blog really helps. Anyways, i saw in one of the blog (from other blogger) that they require 18000 qar in a bank to be approved which is i think a bit too much.. 😆 and i just want to confirm that as you mentioned, you need at least 1000qar for everyday you will stay there so it means if i am planning to stay for 7 days.. it should be 7000 qar? And about the bank statement, you mentioned also that only the salary bank statement is the one you submit.. just to confirm because as you see we are working here as OFW so we tend to remove our salary from our atm.. it means for the last 2 months..it might be zero or only little amount left.. i hope you get my point.. 😊 its a bit confusing.. because in the Philippines.. you need to have at least 3 months of your bank statement that should be not decreasing.. i mean your own savings account not a salary account..i want to know if they require it here in Qatar or Salary Account is okay. Thank you. 🙂

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    1. Hello Ytchie,

      1,000QR in each day you’ll be staying is a matter of an assurance strategy for you to get an approval. In that way, you can attest that you can support your stay in Korea. (Tip lang naman 🙂 )

      In my case, I only provided my salary bank account with remaining Riyals intended for my trip.

      If you have no savings left on your salary account, you can also attach your savings account in Php. The requirement for the salary bank account is for them to see that our salary is with consistency.

      Thank you for dropping by! Best of lucks!

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  27. Hi.. I just applied for visa last december 4..Today december 11, i checked my status and it appears that my application status goes as “application recieved” does this mean my visa is denied unlike the one u posted as “approved”? please help..thanks

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  28. Pingback: INITIAL THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA | LUCKILYLENNY TELL-ALL – LUCKILYLENNY

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