How to Apply for a Certificate of Visa Issuance Confirmation — Inviter Application, Eligible Persons and Documents

Procedure

1. 1. Confirm eligibility

   The certificate may be issued to nationals of countries without diplomatic relations or of specified countries, to persons in sojourn statuses from D-1 (Culture and Arts) through F-6 (Marriage Immigrant), H-2 (Working Visit), G-1 (Miscellaneous) and F-5 (Permanent Resident), and to others the Minister of Justice deems especially necessary (Enforcement Rules, Article 17(1)). The required documents depend on the status, so decide the status first.

2. 2. File with the office covering the inviter's address

   The inviter submits the application form with the documents required for the status to the immigration office (office, branch or sub-office) with jurisdiction over the inviter's address (Enforcement Rules, Article 17(2); Article 76(1)(iii) and Table 5). Unlike a direct visa application, the inviter, not the foreigner, files.

3. 3. Office check and review by the Minister of Justice

   The local office checks the issuance criteria, adds its opinion and forwards the file to the Minister of Justice, who decides whether issuing the visa is appropriate (Enforcement Rules, Article 17(4) and (5)). Review covers whether the passport is valid, whether the person is subject to an entry ban, whether the person fits the sojourn status and explains the purpose of entry, and whether the person is expected to return within the permitted period (Enforcement Rules, Article 17-3(1) and Article 9-2).

4. 4. Notice of the confirmation number and visa application

   When approved, the certificate is sent electronically to the diplomatic mission and the inviter is notified of the visa issuance confirmation number. If the certificate cannot be sent electronically for unavoidable reasons, it is handed to the inviter directly (Enforcement Rules, Article 17(5) and (6)). The foreigner enters the number on the visa application, or attaches the certificate, and applies at the mission, which issues the visa according to the confirmed content (Enforcement Rules, Article 17-2).

Required documents

• Application for visa issuance confirmation (statutory form)
• Copy of the invited foreigner's passport and a photo
• Inviter verification documents (proof of identity and qualification required for the status, per Table 5)
• Documents required for the sojourn status (confirm by status in Table 5 of the Immigration Control Act Enforcement Rules)
• Documents explaining the purpose of invitation (employment contract, statement of reasons, family relationship documents, etc., per the status)

Fees

Industry range of tens of thousands to several hundred thousand won · quoted after consultation depending on the status, number of invitees and volume of supporting documents. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Immigration Control Act, Article 7-2
• Immigration Control Act, Article 9
• Immigration Control Act, Article 94
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Control Act, Article 7
• Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Control Act, Article 9-2
• Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Control Act, Article 17
• Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Control Act, Article 17-2
• Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Control Act, Article 17-3
• Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Control Act, Article 76 and Table 5

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-17

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

• The application and supporting documents must be consistent. Inaccurate content can lead to refusal and to punishment for false invitation.
• A confirmation number does not end the review: the mission checks entry requirements such as passport validity again, so check the foreigner's passport before applying.

Frequently asked questions