D-6 Religious Visa Invitation: Procedure and Documents — Period of Stay for Pastors and Missionaries and Accompanying Family

Procedure

1. 1. Check the person's eligibility

   Confirm that the person is a pastor, priest, nun, Buddhist monk, missionary or similar person dispatched by a foreign religious organization. Documents that objectively show the person's status are needed, such as an ordination certificate, a Buddhist monk certificate (docheop), a letter of appointment or a certificate of dispatch.

2. 2. Organize the inviting organization's materials

   Collect the Korean inviting organization's certificate of unique identification number or corporate documents, record of activities and financial materials. Showing in figures the plan for the religious activities the person will actually perform and the ability to provide living expenses and accommodation works better in the review than giving the person a nominal executive title.

3. 3. Apply for the Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance

   The inviting organization applies for a Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance at the immigration office having jurisdiction, and once it is issued, the person obtains a visa at a Korean embassy or consulate abroad and enters Korea. Entering first for tourism or a similar purpose and then changing to D-6 inside Korea is not permitted in principle.

4. 4. Foreigner registration after entry

   Complete foreigner registration within 90 days from the date of entry. If the place of stay changes, file a report of change of place of stay within 15 days from the date of moving in.

5. 5. Extension of the period of stay

   Apply for an extension before the period of stay ends. Submit materials that show actual activities, such as activity logs, event photographs and records of sermons and volunteer service, together with the inviting organization's financial materials.

Required documents

• Application for Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance, passport, photograph
• Evidence of clergy status, such as an ordination certificate, Buddhist monk certificate (docheop) or letter of appointment
• Certificate of dispatch from the foreign religious organization
• Certificate of unique identification number of the Korean inviting organization, or certificate of all registered matters of the corporation
• Record of activities and financial materials of the inviting organization (evidence of providing living expenses and accommodation)
• Activity plan

Fees

In the industry, preparing and filing documents for a D-6 Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance or an extension is generally priced at several hundred thousand won, and the fee varies with whether family members accompany the person and the amount of inviting-organization material to be organized. We review the materials of the person and the organization and advise you on the fee after a consultation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, attached Table 1-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, attached Table 1
• Immigration Act, Article 31
• Immigration Act, Article 36

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-05

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

• Submit clergy evidence written in a foreign language together with a translation and the necessary authentication.
• Applying for an extension after the period of stay has ended results in overstay, so apply before expiry.

Frequently asked questions