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Checklist
Documents to prepare
Most rejections and delays come from paperwork, not grades. Here's what institutes and embassies ask for, and what changes depending on your country.
What everyone needs
- Passport copy, valid well beyond your planned stay
- Photo, usually 3.5 × 4.5 cm, white background
- Final diploma (high school or higher), certified, original
- Transcript, certified (required by many institutes)
- Bank certificate, original, usually issued within 30 days
- Family relationship or birth certificate if the money is a parent's
- Application form and fee
- Translations, notarized, for anything not in Korean or English
Apostille or consular confirmation?
| Your country | How to certify school documents |
|---|---|
| Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia | Apostille |
| Vietnam | Apostille from Sep 11, 2026 (Vietnam joined the Convention); before that, consular legalisation |
| Nepal, Nigeria | Not in the Apostille Convention: Korean consular confirmation at the Korean embassy |
| China | Some institutes (e.g. SNU, Kyung Hee) ask for CHSI/CDGDC verification reports |
Status from the Hague Conference (HCCH) table, updated June 30, 2026. Some institutes may still ask Vietnamese applicants for consular legalisation while they adjust; check.
The bank certificate
KRW 8,000,000 (Chungnam), KRW 10,000,000 (Korea University, SNU, SKKU, Ewha, Kyung Hee) or USD 10,000 (Yonsei, Sogang, Kyungpook).
Yours or a parent's (with a family certificate). Sogang accepts only the applicant's own account.
Usually issued within 30 days of the deadline or visa application, so you may need a fresh one for the embassy.
Some countries must show the money was held for 3 months or more, at some institutes from a Korean bank's branch in your country (Uzbekistan, Vietnam).
At Yonsei, for example: transaction histories, copies, combined accounts, a sibling's or spouse's account. Kyung Hee also refuses bank statements.
Extra documents for 21 designated countries
Korea's Ministry of Justice designates 21 countries for closer visa screening, including Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Ukraine, Iran, Egypt, Ghana and Peru. Applicants from these countries usually add:
- Parents' employment certificates
- Parents' income proof (salary, tax or business documents)
- Family relationship certificate
- Parents' ID copies
- At some institutes, a guarantee from a Korean citizen (Sogang; Ewha for non-visa-waiver countries)
- At some institutes, 4 terms paid up front (Yonsei, Korea University for some countries)
TB test
Nationals of 35 high-TB countries need a tuberculosis certificate from a designated hospital to apply for a visa of more than 90 days, and again when extending. The list includes Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Mongolia and Nigeria. Many dorms also ask for a recent chest X-ray at check-in.
Keep reading
How it works
Ten steps from choosing a program to your first class, and how long each takes.
Documents
What to prepare, how to certify it, and the extra papers for some countries.
Costs
Tuition, housing, the bank balance you need and what a first year really costs.
D-4 visa
Who qualifies, how to apply, part-time work, attendance and extensions.
Before you apply
The mistakes that cost students their visa or their money.
From language school to university
How a year of Korean leads into a degree, and which universities reward it.
Compare institutes
Nine university language institutes side by side, with 2027 dates and fees.
From Nepal
Consular confirmation, the NOC, and which institutes add extra rules.
From Uzbekistan
Apostille, the 3-month bank balance rule, and when you need a CCVI.
Sources and verification
Institute document lists from their official guides (see institute pages). Apostille status from the HCCH status table (updated June 30, 2026). Designated-country and TB lists as published by the institutes (e.g. Kyung Hee, SKKU, Chungnam) based on Ministry of Justice notices. Last verified Oct 14, 2026.
K-Admission is independent and not affiliated with any university or language institute. Rules change every term; always confirm in the institute's official guide before you apply.