New Korean Visa Application Through Travel Agencies Starting July 2018

Heads up all aspiring travellers to Korea!

Starting 1 July 2018, all Korean visa applications will have to be processed through designated travel agencies, the Korean Embassy announced on 29 May 2018.

This change in the visa application process was due to the increased number of Korean visa applicants. From 90,000 in 2015, it increased to 120,000 by the end of 2016. And in 2017, the total number of visa applicants even increased to around 160,000. To avoid having applicants to stand in hot weather and wait for long hours just to apply for a visa, the Korean Embassy has decided to have visa applications processed by 35 travel agencies. Please see list below:

1. Aboex Travel and Tours
2. Adventure International
3. Ark Travel Express Inc.
4. Blue Horizons Travel and Tours Inc.
5. Budget Travel and Tours Inc.
6. Casto Travel Philippines Inc.
7. City Travel & Tours Corporation
8. Come On Phils. Golf & Travel Agency Inc.
9. Constellation Travels, Inc.
10. First United Travel Inc.
11. Getaway Tours International Inc.
12. Grand Hope Travel, Inc.
13. H.I.S (Philippines) Travel Corp.
14. Hanatour Manila Inc.
15. HankookCeb Corp.
16. Horizon Travel & Tours, Inc.
17. International Journeys Inc.
18. Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc.
19. JTB Asia Pacific Phil. Corp.
20. KP Joeun Consultancy Inc.
21. Las Palmas Tours and Travel Agency, Inc.
22. Marsman Drysdale Travel Inc.
23. MNK Travel & Tours Corp.
24. North Star International Travel, Inc.
25. Pan Pacific Travel Corporation
26. Party-On Travel and Tour Community Inc.
27. Rajah Travel Corporation
28. Rakso Air Travel and Tours Inc.
29. Reli Tours and Travel Company
30. Sharp Travel Service (Phils.) Inc
31. Swire Travel Phils., Inc.
32. The Baron Travel Corporation
33. Travel Pros
34. Travelservices, Inc.
35. Uni-Orient Travel, Inc.

The Korean embassy will no longer accept walk-in applicants for temporary visitor’s visa. While the visa requirements will still be same, you would have to submit your application through one of these travel agencies. Walk-in applicants for spouses and children of Koreans, holders of visa issuance number, government employees with official business trip, and for those with humanitarian reason to travel to Korea urgently, will still be accepted.

Also read: 23 Cute at Murang Pasalubong na Mabibili sa Korea

Source: Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines