Living in South Korea

What is it like to study in a university in South Korea

Two words: constant excitement. If you find yourself studying and living in South Korea, you’ll have endless chances for adventure. Major technology hubs like Seoul, alongside wonderful countrysides and mountain regions – you can spend all of your time outside of classes exploring and soaking in the scenery.

Apparently, in South Korea, there is a reputation of students dressing nicely to all of their classes. Several international students and locals have reported on this tradition, and it has come to be a stereotype of Korean university life – every student dresses up as if they are going to a job interview. This is a stark contrast from, say, American universities, where students roll immediately out of bed in their pajamas and slippers. In South Korea, it’s all about the professional look that compels everyone to think: ‘this guy must be important.’

Tuition fees in South Korea

Like most countries around the world, South Korea separates their universities into public (government-backed) universities, and private universities. Yet, one of the unique things about South Korea is that they don’t charge a different price to international students; instead, foreign students have the same fees as their domestic classmates.

• Public universities: 3810 EUR per semester
• Private universities: 5080 EUR per semester

Cost of living in South Korea

South Korea can be a rather expensive place to go for your studies with average minimum living costs being 1,200 EUR/month. But, you can find plenty of ways to save money and budget properly while you’re there.

Here is a breakdown of prices in South Korea

• Renting a 3-bedroom apartment near a city centre: 1,230 EUR per month
• Monthly transportation pass (train, metro, bus): 42 EUR
• 3-course meal for 2 at a midrange restaurant: 32 EUR
• Milk: 1.81 EUR
• Cappuccino: 3.34 EUR
• Loaf of bread: 2.13 EUR
• Rice: 3.10 EUR

About South Korea

South Korea, officially called The Republic of Korea, is an independent state in East Asia, covering the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The country is fenced in by the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, the closest neighbouring countries are North Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan. With an overall population of over 50 million, the capital Seoul- a vibrant city, second largest in the world, is home to almost 20 million people.

South Korean Culture

Much of Korean culture is rooted in Confucianism and emphasizes family and community values within a hierarchical structure. The hierarchy is based upon relationships between people and emphasizes the social importance and relevance of familial and communal relationships.

Harmony within families and between individuals is of primary importance when you study in South Korea, and many Korean people focus on establishing, maintaining, and protecting individual and familial “kibun”. Kibun is a concept that has no direct English translation, but roughly translates to pride, emotion, feelings, and portrayal. South Koreans take great care to maintain respectability and status (social and cultural, individual and communal) through the diligent care of and respect for kibun. This is especially evident in many South Koreans’ focus on establishing and maintaining harmony, or a sense of peace, calm, and comfort in any situation, no matter the circumstances.

Food When you Study in South Korea

Staple foods in South Korea include rice, vegetables, legumes (such as soy and mung beans), and meats. Popular flavors include sesame, ginger, garlic, spicy dried peppers, and fermented sauces, foods, and pastes. South Koreans bring their foods and flavors together to create regional specialties and dishes. Common specialties include soups, noodle dishes, stir-fried dishes, and raw dishes such as Miyeok guk, Baek Kimchi, Japchae, and Tangypyeongchae. South Koreans commonly serve multiple dishes during one meal so that people can enjoy a variety of foods and flavors. Meals are often times served with eumcheongnyu, or non-alcoholic beverages, such as teas, sweet rice drinks, fruit punches, fermented grain juices, and herbal beverages. Many South Koreans also enjoy alcoholic drinks such as beers, rice wines, and Soju.

Much of South Korean film and musical culture is uniquely South Korean. The country is well-known for its locally-made television dramas and mini-series, and also has a relatively popular and well-developed film market primarily comprised of Korean-made films. Popular music in South Korea includes genres such as “K-Pop” and “trot”, both of which have unique and dynamic sounds.

Interesting facts about South Korea

• When Korean’s write a name in red ink, it means that someone is dead or is about to die.
• In 1999, South Korea passed a law requiring all online shopping and banking to be done using Internet Explorer. It is still in place. Probably why they miss out on so many deals.
• South Korean wedding garments are usually red, which is a symbol of good fortune
• When taking a photo, South Koreans say “kimchi” instead of “cheese.”

Listed Institutes in South Korea

Student visa for South Korea

Decide which visa you need

What kind of visa you can apply for depends on your nationality and for how long you will study in Korea. There are four different visa variants to choose from for those who want to study in South Korea:

Take a short course on visa waiver - up to 90 days for most nationalities

Citizens of EU (except Cyprus and Portugal), the United States, Australia and many other nations are entitled to travel to Korea for 90 days as a tourist without a visa. Canadians can stay for 180 days while Portuguese and Russians can stay for 60 days. Some nations are limited to 30 days, and some countries cannot travel to Korea without a visa. 

You can take a short program on visa waiver in South Korea within your allowed time limit. You can, for example, take a language course or a summer course at a university. If you don’t have time to apply for a student visa to Korea, it might be possible to enter Korea on visa waiver and switch to a student visa after you arrive but before you have overstayed your visa waiver. Please talk to your school before attempting this solution. If possible, it is best to apply for a student visa before going to Korea.

When traveling on visa-waiver, you get a stamp in your passport on arrival, and you don’t need to apply for a visa back home. Please note that you must be able to show that you leave Korea within the allowed time period. You don’t need to have a return ticket home; you can show a ticket to another country as well as long as you can prove that you will leave Korea on time. The airlines usually check this when you check in, and without an exit ticket, you might be denied to board your flight to Korea.

If you need to stay in South Korea for more than 90 days, and you can’t apply for a student visa (for example, if you take a long language course at a school that can’t sponsor a student visa), you can leave South Korea temporarily and go back again to extend your stay with another 90 days. For example: You leave South Korea on day 88 of your visa waiver to visit Tokyo during a weekend. When you return to South Korea, you get another 90-day stamp in your passport. Note that you can only do this once. This is a loophole and nothing that the authorities in South Korea would recommend. Please double-check with your school to see what they recommend before attempting this.

Student visa – valid for your entire study period

If you are planning to study at a Korean university for more than 90 days, then you should apply for a student visa. To apply you need a Certificate of Admission from a Korean university. To obtain such a document, you usually need to pay for at least 2 terms of 10 weeks each. Korean universities provide 4 terms of 10 weeks per academic year.

A student visa is called a D-visa, followed by a number that varies depending on what you will study in Korea. On a student visa, you can apply for the right to work part-time after you have studied in Korea for six months. Talk to your university for more information.

Working Holiday visa - study or work for a year in South Korea

Another option for those who want to stay for a longer period of time in Korea is the WorkIing Holiday visa (H-1 visa). It's valid in a year; you can only get one's life when you are between 18-30 years old. On a Working Holiday visa you have the right to work and study at private institutions such as language schools.

According to our latest information South Korea has Working Holiday Agreements with Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, UK and The United States. Read more about the Working Holiday Visa at the Korean Embassy.

Family Visas - The best visa for people of Korean heritage

If you have previously had Korean citizenship or if you have a parent or grandparent who has had it, you can apply for a F-4 visa that is only available to people of Korean heritage. This visa entitles you to work and study in Korea for two years without any restrictions. Then you have the opportunity to extend your visa. 

During the remaining steps, we will primarily focus on the student visa since that is what most students would apply for.

Apply to a school in Korea

Before applying for a student visa, you must apply and get admitted to a Korean university. Universities often have specific application windows. For the application you usually need:

• The school's application form
• A copy of your passport
• Your high school diploma in English
• Proof that you have can finance your studies in Korea

Get your visa documents (if you have applied for a university)

After you have been admitted to a university program, it is time to pay the tuition fee (which usually is very reasonable in Korea). Once it has been paid the university will send you a Certificate of Admission and/or a Confirmation of Visa Issuance. When you have received this document, you can apply for a student visa at the Korean embassy in your home country. If you wish to enter Korea on a student visa, we recommend that you pay your tuition fee no later than 2 months before your program starts. This should give you enough time to receive your admission documents and apply for the visa. If you don’t have enough time to get a student visa before your program starts you can travel to South Korea on visa waiver, as a last resort, and transfer to a student visa on-site as we described under headline 1 above. Contact your school for more information about this before you leave.

Apply at the Korean Embassy in your country

You apply for a visa at the Korean embassy in your home country. Here you can find the addess, website and other contact details to the Korean embassy in your home country.

Contact the Embassy or your school if you have questions about the visa application. Below you which documents that is usually requested at the embassy when you apply for a student visa or Working holiday visa. Please note that this information might differ for different embassies and nationalities so make sure to check the instructions on the Korean Embassy’s website in your country for more details.

For student visa

• Your passport in original with a copy of the photo page. The passport must be valid at least 6 months after the planned entry to Korea.
• A filled in visa application (see the embassies’ website)
• Visa application fee
• 1 passport photo
• Visa documents from a Korean university (see headline 3)
• Proof of financing
• If you attend a university exchange program, additional documentation may be required.

For working holiday visa

• Your passport in original and a copy of the photo page. The passport must be valid at least 6 months after the entry to Korea.
• A filled in visa application (see the embassies’ website)
• Visa application fee
• 1 passport photo
• Proof that you have access to at least $ 12,000
• A return ticket within one year
• Proof that you are insured during your stay in South Korea
• A one page description, in English, of what you will do in South Korea
• A health certificate filled in by your doctor

All documents must be in English or Korean. Don’t forget to double check with the Embassy which documents are required in your country.

Get your visa

In Sweden it usually takes about two weeks to get your visa after the Embassy has received your visa application. Waiting times might differ in other countries. Contact the embassy if you are short of time to see if they can help you faster. You must collect your visa personally at the Korean Embassy unless you use a visa agency that does the job for you.

Working in South Korea

Foreign Students: “Are We Allowed to Work Part-time in Korea?