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The skeleton of a student visa (D-2/D-4) application

There is no single complete list: requirements differ by nationality, consulate, and school. What we can give you is the skeleton that appears everywhere, and the points where screening gets stricter. Always confirm the final list with your school and your local Korean consulate.

The common skeleton

  1. Certificate of Admission (표준입학허가서)

    Issued by the school. It has a validity window, and if the school cancels it your visa collapses with it. Verify it was really issued by the school: forged admission certificates are a real scam pattern.

  2. Proof of funds

    Bank balance certificates, sponsor income documents, etc. The thresholds and formats change by nationality, program, and time: so we do not print numbers here. Note: signs of a "staged" balance (a fresh account with one big deposit) have themselves been reported as grounds for refusal (Embassy in Vietnam screening tightened, Mar 2026).

  3. Academic records

    Diplomas and transcripts, often needing apostille or consular legalization depending on your country. This takes weeks: start here first.

  4. Language proficiency (where required)

    Your TOPIK score matters not just for admission but later for work-permit conditions. Test dates drive your document timeline: we can send you registration alerts.

  5. Health documents

    TB tests and similar apply to a defined list of countries. Check your consulate’s notice to see if yours is on it.

Never do thisAny offer to "arrange" documents for you (staged balances, fake diplomas, proxy tests) means joining a crime. False visa applications and brokering them violate Immigration Act Art. 7-2, punishable by up to 3 years or KRW 30M (Art. 94): and beyond refusal, you can be barred from entering Korea. Even if a broker told you to, the liability lands on you.

Where screening gets stricter

  • Top sending countries (Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, etc.) are on the MOJ’s "high overstay" list, so financial screening is heavier. Unfair, but beatable with preparation: gather documents that explain the origin of your funds, early.
  • Whether your school holds IEQAS certification can simplify: or entirely block: your visa. Check before applying. → How to check your school
  • Some consulates (e.g., Vietnam) formally accept applications via agencies. Even then, read and understand every document before signing: answers at interview that contradict your papers are themselves grounds for refusal.
Where to confirm: your school’s international office → your Korean consulate’s notices → ☎1345 (Immigration Contact Center, multilingual). That order is fastest.
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