How to Write a C-3 Short-Term Visit Invitation Letter — Documents for Inviting Family or Business Partners and Reasons for Refusal

Procedure

1. 1. Check the purpose of the visit and the status of stay

   First see whether it is a matter that ends within 90 days, such as a family visit, a business trip or contract talks. If the schedule includes working in Korea and being paid, C-3 cannot be used and a status of stay that permits employment must be considered.

2. 2. Prepare the invitation letter and the letter of guarantee

   In the invitation letter, state the personal details of the inviter and the invitee, their relationship, the purpose of the visit, the period of stay and the itinerary, who bears the cost of the stay, and the planned date of return. If the inviter takes responsibility for the cost of the stay and the return home, a letter of guarantee is submitted with it.

3. 3. Prepare evidence of relationship and finances

   For a family visit, prepare documents showing the family relationship with translations, and the inviter's income and employment materials. For short-term business, prepare the inviting company's business documents, a statement of the purpose of the business trip and an itinerary, and the invitee's certificate of employment.

4. 4. Visa application at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad

   The invitee applies for a visa at the Korean diplomatic mission or the visa application center in the country of residence. The required documents and the standards for translation and notarization differ by mission, so check the guidance of the relevant mission first.

5. 5. Managing the stay after entry

   After entering on C-3, the principle is to depart within the period of stay granted. An extension can be applied for before the period expires only when there is an unavoidable reason such as illness, an accident or a flight cancellation.

Required documents

• Visa application form (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 17, submitted by the invitee to the Korean diplomatic mission)
• Invitation letter (personal details of the inviter and the invitee, purpose, period, itinerary, who bears the costs)
• Letter of guarantee (when the inviter guarantees the cost of the stay and the return home)
• Copy of the inviter's identification, certificate of employment or business registration certificate
• Evidence of the inviter's finances, such as a certificate of income
• Documents proving the family relationship, with translations (family visit)
• Inviting company's business documents, statement of the purpose of the business trip, itinerary, and the invitee's certificate of employment (short-term business)
• Copy of the invitee's passport and return flight reservation details

Fees

Service fees in the industry for preparing the invitation letter, the letter of guarantee and the documents range from several tens of thousands of won to several hundred thousand won and vary with the number of invitees and whether there is a history of refusal. We will advise you after a consultation based on your case.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 12, attached Table 1
• Immigration Act, Article 24
• Immigration Act, Article 25
• Immigration Act, Article 90

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-01

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• If the schedule includes activities for remuneration in Korea, consider a status of stay that permits employment instead of C-3.
• If the content of the invitation letter and the evidence differ from each other, the visa may be refused over the authenticity of the documents.

Frequently asked questions