My Tourist Korean Visa APPROVED! My Brother, Denied! What happened? 

Thank you! Hopefully din hahaha

Hi, thank you! I just put in N/A on the application form. Then I made sure that my explanation letter comes first before the application form when the documents were submitted. In the explanation letter, I just mentioned that my employer doesn't maintain any landline as all of the processes are done online or via email including employment verification. I shared with them the process of how they can verify my employment with the company (via email). There! :)

Hello, no actually. Wala pa akong visa that time. As in booked lang yung flights ko hehe. You have the exact same scenario with my friend. Approved na siya ng Single Entry na visa for his flight pero nagkalockdown. So di niya rin nagamit yung visa niya. But he also applied again and approved naman siya. Nilagay niya lang sa cover letter niya na approved na siya last 2020 and di niya nagamit dahil sa COVID. Isa siya sa kasama ko sa Korea :)

Hi, you don't have to provide your itinerary for visa application. :)

Hi! Yes, the letter of guarantee was notarized. Basically, what you will need to state in this letter is the information of the guarantor (name and passport number), the relationship between the guarantor and the guarantee, and the guarantee's information (name and passport number). The guarantor may also want to add that they are taking responsibility for providing all of the financial needs of the travel for the guarantee, from flights to food and other expenses. It was my brother who was being sponsored by my sister, while I supported my own travel. My mom is a housewife and doesn't have any source of income. My sister is a lawyer and has a bigger salary so her profile is a bit better than mine, so we decided to have her as the guarantor instead of me. Hope this helps!

@@samanthapizarro thank you so much for taking the time to respond! please take care :)

Hi, pwede pong ikaw na din po ang magsecure ng appointment niya just as long sakanya nakapangalan yung booking. Hindi naman po chncheck ng embassy kaninong account or email ang ginamit sa pag reserve ng slot.

@@samanthapizarro Thank you! 🤗

Hi! Additional document lang po siya. Pero if meron po magssupport sainyo or may issupport po kayo na kasama niyo papuntang Korea, need po siya iprovide as a proof of relationship.

Hi, work trip po ba ito? Tho wala akong makitang specific to this kind of scenario. From my perspective po, short term visit for employed individual po iaapply niyo and if company mo po ang magssupport then yes need po financial documents ng company. Di rin po ako sure pero try niyo po tumawag sa mga travel agency, tapos ask po kayo kung ano pong documents ang need niyo at ng company iprovide. Baka lang din po need niyo magprovide ng supporting documents why supported ng company ang travel.

Thank you! At the time we were booking which was last December pa, there wasn’t option for us to alter any details on our online registration. But if this has been recently added, that’s great news! Thanks for sharing!

Hi, from what I have read in travel groups getting approved for a visa before and having multiple trips in SK doesn't guarantee that your next visa application will be approved. Unfortunately, we can't know for sure exactly why they have rejected an application.

For our application, after 4 days nagreflect na po yung results sa website ng embassy.

Hi, wala naman pong kaso yung date sa form pero just make sure na within 3 months ng application yung date na ilalagay niyo po dahil 3 months lang po ang validity ng single entry visa. For example, this july po kayo naissuehan ng SE visa, hanggang October lang po valid yung visa. Baka po kasi pag masyadong maaga kayo nagapply based sa intended date of entry niyo, madeny po kayo.

@@samanthapizarro Thank you for the detailed reply. Note ko yan. 😊

Hi, our company has a certain process for disclosing our information to a 3rd party. So basically, inexplain ko lang po dun that they can email the company and mention the ticket number I have submitted to allow HR to disclose my information to the Korean embassy since our company doesn't maintain a landline. And yes, magkahiwalay na paper po sila ng COE pero as far as I can remember, pinagsunod ko lang sila sa documents na sinubmit sa embassy.

Hi, possible naman po na maapprove po si husband. Bale ang mangyayari is si wife ang magiisue ng affidavit of support and guarantee for the 2 kids and the husband. You just need to provide all of the financial and work documents of the wife together with the application of the other 3. Though I suggest sa application form po ni husband, sa work information ang itick ay Others then 'House Husband' or something similar to that since baka di maganda sa mata ng Consul ang 'Unemployed'.

Hi, if you are all in one online appointment you can submit on behalf of them. If hindi naman po, may nabasa po ako sa FB na pwede daw na iisa nalang ang magsubmit basta may sariling appointment yung papasahan niyo po.

@@samanthapizarro ohhh nasa iisang appointment lang po kaming apat, so okay lang po na ako yung mag submit in behalf of them?

@@filroseyurag3752 Yes, okay lang po yan :)

Hey, thank you! I don't think there is a best time to apply for a visa. Just keep in mind that if you get approved especially if it's a single entry, it will only be valid for 3 months. You can apply for a visa at least a month before your flight. In our case, my original flight together with my brother was on March 31. So we eyed to apply for a visa by the end of January. But I do suggest especially nowadays na it's very hard to secure an appointment is to try every month. Let's say you want to visit Korea during Autumn, you may want to start trying to book for an appointment at least by July or August. Party On Travel and Tours was our travel agency, they are located in BGC, just across Uptown. They have an assistance fee of 1k but for all of the agencies I have asked, they were all just 1k. :)

​@@samanthapizarro thank you so much for your very informative reply. Me and my wife are planning to go there on first week of sept. Actually it'll be our second time to visit S.korea coz we've been there last 2019 where travel agencies plays a big part for the visa application. I just wanna also ask if the cover letters are still required? and if so, should it be individually? Do they also require Marriage Certificate for married couple?

@@LordKaeL13 Hindi po required ang cover letter pero some still provide it. My friends created one. For the marriage cert, it depends if only one of you will financially support both of your travels. You will need to provide it so you can prove your relationship. But if no naman, no need na based sa requirements nila sa website. :)

Hi! Since they open slots once a month lang, i suggest trying to book a slot at least 2-3 months in advance. Single-entry visas are usually valid for 6 months naman so even if you manage to get a slot the first time, valid pa sya by the time you travel. This also works best kasi para may visa ka na before you book a flight.

​@@samanthapizarrohello good day it's me again, thank you for your reply last time. I just wanna ask also for how many days is the processing days of visa and releasing of passports? thanks in advance

Oh sa mismong application form po ito? Kasama po sa consideration dun yung accommodation din po. Estimate lang naman po siya. At the time na nagrresearch ako, ang nakikita ko is 80 to 90 USD ang budget per day. So ginawa ko lang po na 100 USD per day and nilagyan ko na rin ng sobra :) 10 days na stay po kasi nakalagay sa application form ko.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Will need to reconsider talaga paano ang gagawin namin next application. Hopefully, everything goes well for your trip this October!

@@samanthapizarro hey! I just saw that they changed the visa application process again. Starting late August, no need for online appointment. They also set up a separate office for visa application submissions. Yay!

@@cyndlc yes!! Very good improvement! Sana lang mas maging lenient na din sila sa pag approve ng visa! 🙏🏻

Hello! Single entry lang po ako. 3 months validity lang po siya.

Hi, wala pong ibabayad sa Embassy when you apply for a visa. For the requirements naman po since you will be supported by your mom, you will need to provide her bank statement and bank certificate. The Affidavit of Support and Guarantee is something that you will need to write and to be signed by your mom. This letter will also need to be notarized. Need iindicate na anak ka niya po, she must state your date of birth and that she is financially supporting your travel. Need din magprovide ng documentation that will support your relationship with your mom, so your Birth Certificate will do. Also, the situation may vary like are you a student or are you already working. You may also need to provide for that depende kung ano ang nakainidcate sa application form mo.

Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear about that. Not yet. To be honest, medyo skeptic kami to try again because there are so many people who have been denied recently. Although, we will try again next year. May I know what you have put in the Education and Employment? And what have you done differently from us?

hey, sorry for the late response! I hope you got to book your slots for next month. At the time of my application, there wasn't an option to create an account or log in as a member.

@@samanthapizarro thank you for the response! fortunately got a slot

@@billliecola9358 Hey, congrats! Hopefully, you get approved! If your small business is registered, make sure you also provide supporting documents like mayor's permit, ITR, etc. IF wala, maybe you can write a cover letter that explains your business set up. Ang nababasa ko din based on other people's experience is they indicate na Self-Employed sila kung may business sila. I think it's risky to tick Others din if meron ka naman din source of income. I suggest for you to read further sa South Korea for Dummies on FB baka may mahanap ka na same scenario sayo. Hopefully maapprove ka agad ng mga Admin in time for your submission. Here's the link: facebook.com/groups/2049523071960519 Super helpful din ng group na yan :)

hi mam, ask ko lang po if naapprove po ba yung application nyo? thanks

@@billliecola9358 Hi Ms Billie! Is it okay to share if you got approved? Thanks!

Hi, no na po. You may proceed to KVAC to submit your visa application. There’s no scheduling required, everything is walk in na po.

Hi, hindi po ako fully sure kung anong dapat gawin sa scenario niyo pero may mga nakikita po ako na yung partner ang nagssupport ng travel financially. Meaning sa application po ni bf kayo po ang ilalagay niya na magssuport ng travel niyo po. With that, ikaw po ang magpprovide lahat ng financial documents. Nagooutsource po ba kayo ng work sa bf niyo? If yes, baka dapat niyo pong iexplain sa cover letter. Try niyo po magpost sa South Korea For Dummies sa FB baka meron po dun na same exact scenario sainyo and ano ang ginawa nila para mas sure.

Hi, kasama ko din officemates ko sa trip and same din ang date ng individual slots namin. Halos same kami ng explanation letter na pnrovide explaining about our ITR. Pero for myself, di na ako nagprovide ng cover letter explaining kung anong gagawin ko sa SK. But my officemates created one and halos same lang din sila ng nakasulat. But of course, make sure na ang ipapasa niyo ay nakapangalan sa isa’t isa. :)

@@samanthapizarro salamat po mam sam❤ subscriber here, share ko din to sa workmate ko.😊

@@jessicalumbre7400 thank you po! 🫶🏻 sana maapprove kayong lahat! Masaya sa SK! 🤍

Hi po, sa mga nababasa ko po sa FB travel groups eh pwede po na ikaw po magsubmit for your kids since magkakasama din naman po kayo sa appointment.

Hi, ang processing po ng agency is 1k :) This already includes checking of the documents and submitting them to the Korean Embassy.

Hi, yes that’s enough :)

Thank you!!

Hi, oh I actually used a licensed Adobe Acrobat application so it was easier for me. Not sure lang if there’s a free version of it.

Hello, yes po. Since di naman po recommended ng embassy din na may confirmed plane or hotel bookings when we apply for a visa and di rin naman sila humihingi ng proof na yun yung real entry to SK. Nakalagay po sa application ko is March 31 ang pasok to SK pero in reality April 10 ako pumunta ng SK :)

Hi! Under one appointment lang po ba kayo ng husband niyo? If yes po, pwede po na ikaw nalang po magsubmit for the two of you pero pag magkahiwalay po na appointment, mas okay po ata na both kayo ang present on the day of the appointment. Not sure po kasi if pwede po yung ganun and if ano po ang need niyo iprovide. For us po kasi na dumaan sa agency, may letter of attorney po na sinubmit so baka may ganun din pong requirement.

@@samanthapizarro kami po ng anak ko na underage ay pareho ang date ng appointment namin sa Cebu Korean Consulate, pwede po ba ako nalang ang magsubmit ng documents sa Korean Consulate sa Cebu kasi sa Leyte po ako at may klase pa po anak ko? Wala kasi akong nakita sa website nila kong ano ang dapat gawin pag parehas ang appointment ng magka pamilya. Salamat po

Hi, no need na po. Kung kanino lang po nakapangalan yung mismong appointment, siya nalang ang need ng appearance.

Hi! First of all, congratulations! You can include a cover letter explaining that you just recently graduated and it is a graduation gift and your plans of taking the boards. Might as well include a document that will prove that. Although, for the application form I suggest that you ask further sa mga Korean visa groups sa FB that might've a similar experience with you. I don't think ticking 'Unemployed' is wise since yun din yung theory namin why my brother got denied.

@@samanthapizarro Thank you for this po. Appreciate it!

Hi, it’s Party On Travel and Tours in BGC

Hi, a single entry visa is only good for 3 months after visa approval.

Depende po sa type of entry na kailangan ng tourist. Meron din po kasi yan short term visa for students, business, etc. But for us na for leisure or vacation lang po na wala namang kamag anak sa Korea or walang invitation, C-3-9 Short Term General.

@@samanthapizarro okay po thank youu 🥰

Hi! Don’t be scared! I have read posts in FB where they don’t even have any travel history and they got approved. From what I’ve seen, if you are applying with your family there’s a better chance of you to get approved. 😊

Hi, your bank statement and bank certificate serves as your “show money”. I mentioned that in the application form, there’s a field asking about your estimated budget for the trip and with that, they will need to see that you have that much amount on your bank account (probably more). I think they’ll also look at the length of your stay and your budget. They don’t have a standard amount that they need to see since I know some people who got their visas approved with only 25-30k in their accounts.

Hi, from what I have read before if Student ka, it's mandatory to provide financial and other docs of your parents. But if you were to put your sister as the one supporting your travel in the Visa application form, need din ng sister mo magprovide ng supporting documents like the letter of support and guarantee, bank cert and statement, COE, ITR, supporting doc of your relationship, etc. If your sister is also applying for a visa, she'll also have to get those documents anyway so mas okay siguro if you are truthful sa application mo, stating na your sister will be financially supporting your travel since you are travelling together. You can also submit a cover letter bakit ganun yung set up niyo. :)

@@samanthapizarro thank you so much for responding will def take note of this 🫶🏻

@@Sunooish Good luck with your application! Hope everything goes well :)

Hi, each person who will enter South Korea will need to have a valid visa so your brother will need to get one.

@@samanthapizarro thank you so much ..

Hi, the results took 4 days to be reflected in the embassy’s website. Then the passports were ready to be picked up after 7 days since the embassy is closed during weekends.

Hi, I don’t think there is a standard amount of money they need to see in your account. I’ve seen people with as much as 20-30k in their bank account and they get approved. My guess is 30k above. A little bit above the amount you specify in the estimated budget your application form.

@@samanthapizarro 20k you mean $usd?

@@Lina_Simiti Hi, apologies for the late reply. No, just in pesos.

Hi, I’ve read in FB groups that you don’t really need to submit your old passport. Based on the requirements in the Korean Embassy’s website even photocopies of your OECD visas are enough. Pero I guess, there’s no harm in including them so that’s what we did. Kung hindi naman need, when you submit your requirements sa embassy, ibabalik naman nila sainyo yung di na kailangan ng consul. And yes! They will give it back to you together with your current valid passport.

@samanthapizarro thank you so much. Yes to no harm in trying. 😊 More videos like this on the future. So helpful. God bless❤️

If We're applying with our children under my husband, do we need to fill up separate forms for each of us? Me (housewife and my twins?) Or we're all going to be under 1 application form of my husband? Thank you so much for all the help and tips.😊😊😊

@@jennelyngonzales9421 Thank you din po! Hope everything goes well!

@@jennelyngonzales9421 It's 1 applicant = 1 application form po.

Case to case basis po ang nababasa ko sa FB groups about this one. May nababasa ako na naddeny dahil yung partner ang magfinacially support sa travel even tho financially capable naman yung applicant. As for me, I think it’s better for her to submit her own financial documents if she has good standings naman sa bank. But please do note that the consul may look at the application form and check if sino ang magssupport ng travel. Make sure lang na aligned lahat with the documents you are submitting. I suggest to further research about this through the Korean Visa groups sa FB to get other people’s experience din.

Hi, I am not entirely sure what requirements you should submit for your scenario but in the posts that I’ve read here are the requirements: - cover letter (this is not required but in your case, I think it’s best for you to write one). In your cover letter, you can explain your situation that you are currently reviewing for a board exam. If you have proof na you will be taking the boards on August, you can also photocopy a proof of that and attach it. - your own bank cert and statement since you will be funding your own travel - IF you were previously employed, I think it would help if you can provide a document that certifies that. In our company, we issue a letter for past employees to verify that they were with the company from X to X. This is also not required but if I was previously employed, I will provide this. - application form. Now the tricky part here is saying there that you are unemployed. Since I think my brother was denied due to that even though he is a PWD. I don’t want to give an advise for this one since my brother’s situation doesn’t exactly apply to yours. I suggest for you to join South Korea for Dummies PH on Facebook and ask about it. - diploma. For I’ve seen in the FB group mentioned is that for new grads, they also show this. But then again, this is not required. - ITR if you were previously employed These are the documents I think you should prepare but I suggest for you to ask around since your situation is very different with mine so I can’t really confirm for sure.

Hi, yes po need po ng separate application kahit minor po.

Hi, hindi po ako sigurado pero I think better po na magprovide nalang po ng original documents for each dependent. I don't think iisa lang naman po ng Consul ang magrreview ng lahat ng application niyo po.

@@samanthapizarro thanks po

Hi, sorry hindi po ako sure kung ano po yung yellow fever.

Hi! Bibigyan po kayo ng paperclip sa embassy :)

@@samanthapizarro so di po allowed naka staple na documents? thank you

@@imadrianpadilla Pwede naman po pero this is the experience I had and also my friends. We didn't staple anything together. Just as long as your documents are grouped well together, that should be okay.

Isa po sa usual reasons ay yung 'You have failed to prove the purpose of entry to Korea'. Hindi po nagbibigay ng specific reason ang embassy kung bakit ka nila dineny. Baka po may nakita silang nakakapagtaka or di nagmamatch sa documents niyo. Case to case basis po. Pero usually, depende din po sa Consul na natapat na nagreview ng application.

@@samanthapizarro ate normal po ba na binabalik nila ang bank statement during application? Pero yung mga ibang papers po at passport ko ay kinuha nila

@@EonniKim passport lang po ang ibabalik nila. So kukunin po nila lahat ng documents na issubmit niyo po.

Hi, this means that this is the next available dates for you to book your visa application. This happens every last Thursday of the month. So for June 1-30, May 25 po ang only day na makakapagbook po kayo for the month of June.

@@samanthapizarro tnx po. Ung affidavit of support for children need po ba nakanotary?

@@periwinkletinkle7371 yes po :)

Hi, 3 months po from the application ng visa. So for me, my application was the last week of January. So I just made it a point na may kita na January sa statement ko pero hindi po whole January ang nacapture. Basta naman po latest na statement, that should be okay.

Hi ask ko lng un sa bank statement. Nakapag pa appointment Nako sa emba Appointment ko ito Aug 24, Un savings ko sa bank nabawasan un 130k ko naging 20k na lng ksi nagshop Ako gold kahapon nalagas un savings ko eeh haha pero sa 19 at 23 pa un remittance. dpa ko nakaka kuha Ng bank statement sa bdo ko. Pwede ko ba I request sa bdo na feb 1 to Aug 1 un ilagay sa bank statement? 6months po ba un bank statement or 3months.

@@976Xoxo hi, 3 months lang po ang iissue ni bank for Korean visa application. Pwede niyo po itry kung pwede 6 months ang iissue nila. Pero ang alam ko po, ang importante po kay embassy ay ang average daily balance (ADB) ng account. May mga nababasa po ako na 20-30k lang ang current na laman ng bank account pero naapprove naman po. Basta lang makita na consistent ang labas at pasok ng pera sa account niyo po.

@@samanthapizarro hi Po ano po ba un req ni Korean embassy, bank certificate with 3months bank statement? So kung Aug Aug 23 Ako kukuha Ng bank statement sa bdo ano po kaya nakalagay sa bank statement starting may 23 to Aug 23? Or pwede kaya sbhn may 1 to Aug 1 un ilagay sa bank statement pwede po Kya un?

@@976Xoxo Hi, di ko lang po marecall if exactly 3 months from the day na nagrequest kayo ang reflected sa statement and certificate. Mas okay po siguro if magask po kayo mismo sa BDO para mas sigurado and if pwede specific date ang ireflect nila sa documents. Pero for sure po, meron pong 'Date Issued' sa statement and baka lang po magtaka ang Consul na Aug 23 kayo naissuehan pero hanggang Aug 1 lang ang reflected.

Hi! When you say group tour, as in po tour na booked sa agency malaking group? Ang alam ko po sa ganyan mas madali po maapprove. Pero just as long maprovide lahat ng finacial documents ng sister niyo po, okay po yan. Wala din naman po kasiguraduhan if maddeny or approve. Basta po eh magsubmit lang ng lahat ng kailangan :)

Hi, oh no!! Actually, I didn’t submit a cover letter. The only letter I provided was a letter explaining why I don’t have an up to date ITR and why our company doesn’t have any landline. Hindi talaga mappoint out san exactly nagkamali pag nadeny. May mga nababasa din ako na as in may visa pa sa US and other countries pero nadeny din sila. For my brother, he was denied naman din pero I think it was due to his ‘Unemployed’ sa form niya. Pero it seems like it’s a hit or miss talaga ang pagapply sa Korea. Hopefully the next time you apply, maapprove na.

Hi! Yes po, need po isama lahat ng documents ng magssupport like COE, ITR, bank cert and statement or if may business po siya or kayo. Pero heads up lang din po, based po kasi sa mga nababasa ko same ng scenario na iba ang nagsupport financially ng travel kahit nasa working age na nadeny po sila kahit binigay lahat ng documents ng nagsupport. Baka po kasi magtaka ang consul bakit po iba ang magssupport ng travel mo po. If may work po kayo currently at si boyfriend po ang magssupport baka need niyo po magbigay ng cover letter explaining bakit ganun po ang set up ninyo.

Meron nmn ako work,and may Bank Statement and Bank Certificate na rn ako nakuha sa Bank ko,si Bf Lang talaga mag shoulder Ng expenses namin sa travel

@@maffymagpusao231 Ilalagay niyo po ba sa application form details ni BF as the one financially supporting? The way I see it po kasi is baka magtaka po si Consul na may work po kayo and you can provide your own financial documents and yet iba po ang magssupport ng travel niyo based on the application form. Try niyo po magjoin sa South Korea for Dummies sa FB. Baka may kapareha po kayo ng situation. Para mas mabigyan din po kayo ng guidance sa scenario niyo :)

Pede mo po mahingi link dun sa group na sinasabi nu po Ma'am,,iready ko Lang po Sana ung mga documents just incase hanapin po

@@maffymagpusao231 ito ho. facebook.com/groups/2049523071960519 hopefully, everything goes well! :)

I think it was only around 5 business days for us

Thank you.

@@samanthapizarro Buti mabilis sa yo. I just talked to a friend inabot daw 2 weeks.

@@nqf2903 nung time po nung akin, may schedule pa po sa embassy. hindi pa kvac that time. siguro due to the volume of applications din, wala na kasing limit si kvac kung ilan lang tatanggapin nila per day.

Hi, is this for the entire trip? If yes, honestly I wasn’t able to track pero it was around 60-80k po.

@@samanthapizarro Hello there! Included na po Jan yung expenses dito sa pinas like visa and etc?

@@dorotheequilog8298 Yes, that estimate already includes visa fees, flights (I have booked an extension and have stayed for 13 days), my share of the airbnbs with my friends, food, shopping, etc.

@@samanthapizarro Thank you po!

Hi! Depende po sa gusto ninyong gawin or puntahan eh. Personally, matagal po kasi ako dun and hindi po ako nagtipid. Pero the flights itself will be around 5K to 15k. Naka seat sale po kami and nakuha lang namin ng 5K ang roundtrip ticket. Sa visa naman po, wala pong payment needed unless magpaassist po kayo sa agency.

Hi, sorry to hear that. Hmmm nagpabiometrics po kayo for Korean Visa application? For reapplying po, same procedure lang din po. Kailangan niyo parin po magbook ng appointment sa embassy every last Thursday of the month then resubmit po lahat ng requirements.

@@samanthapizarro Australian visa Po...

Tapos n aq mg biometric in ngalng dmating lng khapon ung visa q n denied...sa pg re apply uulit ba sa pg biometric...

@@mabeldelacruz4533 ay ganun po ba? Wala pa din po kasi akong experience sa pagapply sa Australian visa so di ko rin po macconfirm.

nako, yes po. Madami din po kasi nagTNT na pinoy sa Korea :(

Hi po, after 3 months pa po pwedeng magapply ulit.

@@samanthapizarro thanks po..

Hi! Sorry po, do you mean dapat po ba na pumunta ng Japan kung PWD and nadeny ng visa paKorea?