Short-term visit visa at a glance
| Official name | Short-term visit (C-3) |
|---|---|
| Scope of activity | Stays of up to 90 days for non-profit purposes such as tourism, transit, medical care, visiting relatives, events or conferences, and general training |
| Subtypes shown on the Korea Visa Portal | Short-term general (C-3-1) · Group tourist (C-3-2) · General business (C-3-4) · Business under agreement (C-3-5) · Business visitor (C-3-6) · Overseas Korean visit (C-3-8) · General tourism (C-3-9) · Direct airside transit (C-3-10). This is the portal's classification, given for reference. It is not a list of K-Biz Visa services. |
| Employment | Paid employment is not included |
| What K-Biz Visa handles | Writing invitation documents for family and relative visits, attendance at international events and conferences, and visits to business partners |
Inviting family and relatives
Visiting family or relatives is one of the non-profit activities covered by the short-term visit visa (C-3). Official guidance from Korean embassies and consulates includes cases that classify this purpose as short-term general (C-3-1).
The documents needed depend on the applicant's nationality and the responsible Korean embassy or consulate. Document guidance from one embassy or consulate is not applied as it stands to an application from another country.
We do not state a purpose or facts in an invitation letter or letter of guarantee that differ from the real situation. The embassy or consulate reviews the purpose of the visit from these documents.
International events and business partner visits
Official guidance from Korean embassies and consulates includes cases that classify attending an event or large conference in Korea as short-term general (C-3-1), and short business activities such as market research, business liaison, consultation and contracts as general business (C-3-4).
The actual subtype and the documents to prepare are checked against the purpose of the visit, whether the visitor is paid, the applicant's nationality and place of residence, and the guidance of the responsible embassy or consulate.
Installation, repair and supervision work done directly for profit falls outside the non-profit scope of the short-term visit visa (C-3). Such work is assessed under other visa statuses, such as Trade management (D-9), based on the facts.
Visa exemption and K-ETA are classified separately from the short-term visit visa (C-3). Whether they apply depends on nationality and the purpose of entry, so we do not give one general answer.
- Attending an event or large conference: short-term general (C-3-1) cases
- Market research, business liaison, consultation and contracts: general business (C-3-4) cases
Common points of confusion
- Two purposes
- For family and relative visits, event and conference attendance, and business partner visits, the subtype is checked against the purpose and the activities involved. Some embassies and consulates list family visits and event attendance under the same subtype, short-term general (C-3-1).
- Installation and supervision work
- Installation, repair and supervision work done directly for profit falls outside the non-profit scope of the short-term visit visa (C-3). Such work is reviewed under other visa statuses, such as Trade management (D-9).
- Documents differ by embassy or consulate
- The documents needed for a family or relative visit depend on the applicant's nationality and the responsible Korean embassy or consulate. Guidance from one embassy or consulate is not applied as it stands to every country.
- Visa exemption and K-ETA
- Visa exemption and K-ETA are classified separately from the short-term visit visa (C-3). We do not give one general answer without looking at nationality and the purpose of entry.
Before the consultation
In your first enquiry, tell us the purpose of the visit and the visitor's nationality.
What to tell us first
- Purpose of the visit (family and relatives, or an event or business partner)
- Relationship to the person inviting, or the inviting company
- Nationality and the country that issued the passport
- Planned length of stay and schedule
Documents we ask for later
- Invitation documents
- Documents explaining the purpose
- 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
Both can fall within the non-profit scope of the short-term visit visa (C-3). Official Korean embassy and consulate guidance lists family and relative visits and event or conference attendance as short-term general (C-3-1) cases, and market research, business liaison, consultation and contracts as general business (C-3-4) cases. The actual subtype is confirmed from the applicant's nationality and place of residence and the guidance of the responsible embassy or consulate.
The short-term visit visa (C-3) does not include paid employment. Installation and supervision work done directly for profit is reviewed under other visa statuses, such as Trade management (D-9).
The documents needed depend on the applicant's nationality and the responsible Korean embassy or consulate. Document guidance from one embassy or consulate is not applied as it stands to an application from another country.
Visa exemption and K-ETA are classified separately from the short-term visit visa (C-3). Whether they apply depends on nationality and the purpose of entry, so each case is checked individually.
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
- Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act
Send an enquiryTell us the purpose of the visit and the nationality, and we will reply setting out the routes to check within the short-term visit visa (C-3).