The four visa statuses compared
| Short-term visit (C-3) | A short-term visa status for stays of up to 90 days for non-profit purposes, including visiting relatives, tourism, transit, medical care, events or conferences, and general training. |
|---|---|
| Dependent family (F-3) | The visa status for the spouse and unmarried minor children of a main visa holder in Culture and arts (D-1), Study (D-2) and General training (D-4) through Specially designated activities (E-7), Residence (F-2), Overseas Korean (F-4) or Working visit (H-2), other than the statutory exclusions. The statutory exclusions for each main visa status are checked individually. |
| Visiting and joining family (F-1) | A long-term visa status covering several purposes, such as visiting relatives, living with family, being supported as a dependant and settling household affairs. |
| Marriage migrant (F-6) | The visa status for the spouse of a Korean national, for a father or mother raising a child born in a marriage with a Korean national, and for a person who can no longer keep up the marriage because the spouse has died or gone missing or for similar reasons. |
Common points of confusion
- Short-term visit (C-3) does not mean family invitation
- The legal scope of activity of Short-term visit (C-3) covers visiting relatives and also other non-profit purposes, such as tourism, transit, medical care, events, conferences and general training. Visiting family or relatives is only one of these purposes, so not every short-term visit is called a family invitation visa.
- A short-term visit does not change automatically into a long-term stay
- Entering Korea on Short-term visit (C-3) does not set a path to Dependent family (F-3), Visiting and joining family (F-1) or Marriage migrant (F-6). If you need a long-term stay, check the legal eligibility and procedure for that visa status separately.
- Dependent family and visiting and joining family cover different people
- Dependent family (F-3) covers only the spouse and unmarried minor children of a legal main visa holder. Visiting and joining family (F-1) covers wider purposes, such as visiting relatives, living with family, being supported as a dependant and settling household affairs.
- Invitation documents are not the same in every country
- Guidance and required documents for a short-term visit (C-3-1) for family visits depend on the applicant's nationality and the responsible Korean embassy or consulate. The document list of one embassy or consulate cannot be applied as it stands to every country.
Before the consultation
In your first enquiry, tell us your relationship to the family member in Korea, that family member's visa status, and the purpose and length of the invitation.
What to tell us first
- Your relationship to the family member in Korea, such as spouse, child or relative
- The current visa status and nationality of the family member in Korea
- The purpose and expected length of the invitation or the accompanying stay
- For a marriage, when the marriage took place and in what form
Documents we ask for later
- Documents proving the family relationship
- Documents proving the relationship, such as a marriage or birth certificate
- Invitation documents
- Copies of the passport and ID
We ask only for the sensitive documents the review needs, and keep and delete them under our privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
Short-term visit (C-3) is a short-term visa status for stays of up to 90 days for non-profit purposes, including visiting relatives, tourism, transit, medical care, events, conferences and general training. To stay longer than this period, you need to check separately the legal eligibility and procedure for the visa status that applies, such as Dependent family (F-3), Visiting and joining family (F-1) or Marriage migrant (F-6).
Dependent family (F-3) is the visa status for the spouse and unmarried minor children of a main visa holder in Culture and arts (D-1), Study (D-2) and General training (D-4) through Specially designated activities (E-7), Residence (F-2), Overseas Korean (F-4) or Working visit (H-2), other than the statutory exclusions. Visiting and joining family (F-1) is a visa status covering wider purposes, such as visiting relatives, living with family, being supported as a dependant and settling household affairs.
The spouse of a Korean national, a father or mother raising a child born in a marriage with a Korean national, and a person who can no longer keep up the marriage because the spouse has died or gone missing or for similar reasons are covered by Marriage migrant (F-6) under the law. If the spouse in Korea is not a Korean national, we check eligibility for Dependent family (F-3) against that spouse's visa status.
Guidance and required documents for a short-term visit (C-3-1) for family visits differ by the applicant's nationality and the responsible Korean embassy or consulate. Submitting a letter of invitation or a letter of guarantee does not by itself decide visa issuance or entry. The visa review follows legal criteria, such as whether the applicant fits the visa status and how the purpose of entry is explained.
Related agencies and laws
The procedures and criteria on this page follow the guidance of the agencies and the laws below. How they apply is checked case by case.
Agencies
- Ministry of Justice immigration offices
- Korea Visa Portal
- Korean embassies and consulates
Laws
- Immigration Act
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act
Send an enquiryTell us your relationship to the family member in Korea and the purpose of the invitation, and we will reply with the route that fits among Short-term visit (C-3), Dependent family (F-3) and Marriage migrant (F-6), and the documents to prepare.