After learning Korean for all this time, it’s a no brainer that South Korea would be my dream country to visit, right? Well, if you didn’t put it together, it is my dream country to visit and all this time I was saving up for it and looking for information on how to get the visa.

Now, I am a Canadian Permanent Resident but because I am a Nigerian passport holder, it doesn’t matter to the South Korean Consulate so I do still need a visa to visit South Korea.

Before I visited South Korea, I could barely find any information on the visa process for Nigerian passport holders even after running around messaging influencers on TikTok, Instagram etc. I went through the stress so that all my Starlights who need a visa to South Korea, don’t need to.

Below, I have listed all the documents you need to get a South Korean general tourist visa as well as the South Korean Consulate websites for Canadian residents.

Documents required:

• Very detailed travel itinerary
• Bank Statement (Last 3 Months)
• T4 (Previous year)
• Booked Flight ticket (roundtrip)
• Booked accommodation (entire duration of your trip and a separate one if you’re also visiting Jeju Island.)
• Visa fee (in cash OR money order. As at 2023, it’s $52 and some countries vary so please call or email the embassy to confirm).
• Passport photo (white background, 3.5 * 4.5cm)
• Valid passport (original and must be valid for more than 6 months).
• Filled Application form (General Tourism C-3-9 classified as a person who visits Korea for the purpose of sightseeing on vacation or leisure).
• Employment verification letter or School enrolment letter.
• Original PR Card OR study/work permit. (Original & photocopy, front & back).
• Personal Reference letter. (This was my first time going there and I was sponsoring myself for at least 3 months so, my friend wrote one for me and following this, the visa officer asked for a copy of his Korean passport, which I also submitted). (But this is optional).

If you are neither a Canadian resident nor a Nigerian passport holder, except the visa fees, the above requirements are pretty standard and should apply to you as well. But please check again with the Korean Consulate General in your country of residence.

After you have these documents, your next step is to book a visa appointment on the Korean Consulate website of your country of residence (only eligible after staying there for 2 years or more if you are not a citizen).

For Canadian residents;

Book an appointment: For British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Northwest Territories residents, HERE.

For Ontario (Except Ottawa) and Manitoba residents, HERE.

For Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador residents, HERE.

Find the various visa application forms: HERE.

Find out the status of your application: HERE.

Visa Guidelines: HERE.

P.S. If you’re mailing your documents instead, include an Xpresspost (sold by Canada post) in your package for the return of your original documents, as every other document will not be returned. Even if you submit your documents via mail, you may still need an interview with a visa officer.

Once your visa has been approved, it’s valid for three months starting from the day it was approved. After that, it is invalid. Especially if you applied for a single entry visa.

So, Starlights! There you have it! All that you need to apply for a tourist visa to South Korea. See you next time!