South Korea: E2 to D10 Visa

Required Documents

• Passport photo 35x45mm
• Passport
• Current ARC
• Form #34 (check “change of sojourn”)
• Completed contract or Letter of Release
• Official bank statement (“잔액증명서 Certificate of Deposit”) that proves you have at least 750,000 won per month i.e. at least 4.5M for the six month application
• Proof of residency (lease OR utility bill with name OR fill out form “Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation” and provide appropriate additional documentation OR as I did, use the “Notification of Expiry” that you receive about two months before your E2 expires)
• 130,000 won application and processing fee

I made copies of both my passport and ARC to include in the packet.

Form #34 and Confirmation of Residence can be found on HiKorea. Be sure to use Internet Explorer.

The 잔액증명서 or Certificate of Deposit must be obtained from your bank in person. If you choose today’s date for the certificate, note that your account will be frozen for the rest of the day. It’s best to choose yesterday’s date. At Shinhan this document cost 2,000 won for one copy. Others have used their updated bank book as proof of funds but my officer did not accept that.

While immigration can provide the job seeking form, it’s best to prepare ahead of time. I couldn’t find it on the immigration website but did find it on the page for the Korean Consulate of Singapore.

I filled out the form as if I were to get a job in March so it looked something like:

1. Contact recruiters
2. Contact recruiters and fill out applications
3. Gather documents for application
4. Mail application and documents to recruiter/hiring organization
5. Receive new contract in mail; sign and return
6. Start new contract

Some people filled in “contact recruiters” on every line and also got approved.

The Proof of Residency form requires some type of additional document to prove your address since you don’t have your name on a lease or utility bill. You can use a copy of the house owner’s ID card but only if the address on the back matches your residence. If not, additional materials will be required and it’s best to call 1345 for details.

Since I was still in school housing at the time, I had none of those things but luckily kept my “Notice of Visa Expiry” from immigration that I had received a few months prior. Please note that when you apply you must use your current address. Then you can update to your new address online at HiKorea. You must also visit the immigration office zoned to your current residence. Even though I was moving to Busan, I was still living in Seoul at the time of application and thus used my Seoul address. And since mailing was not an option, I will also have to pick up my new card there, too.

When to Apply

Some people have the fortune or luck to apply before the end of their contract and start processing the D10 visa.

Not so for me.

Even though my contract ended August 24th and my ARC expired August 25th, during my appointment with immigration in mid August the officer told me I came too early and I needed to come back on the 25th.

“I can’t process this if you’re still working.” She told me.

Which makes sense.

So that appointment was a practice run and I at least got to ask her if my documents were in order for the 25th.

Going on the last day of my visa was of course stressful, especially coming from a country I would never describe as “nonchalant” in terms of immigration.

Generally you must apply for the D10 between your contract end and ARC expiry. Most people have at least a week or two grace period but because I processed my E2 visa in Japan, my timing is different than others.

At Immigration

Make your appointment online at HiKorea. Arrive at least fifteen minutes early. My appointment was for 9:20 but they called me over at 9:15.

Before your appointment you should make copies of everything if you haven’t already, and also pay the fee.

You will need 130,000 cash. If you go to Seoul Immigration, you will give 100,000 to the human cashier for the “change of status” fee and 30,000 to the ATM for the ARC fee which will ask you to scan your passport. Keep both receipts and bring them with you.

When your number is called, bring everything to the window and give to the officer. The officer will look at your paperwork and ask additional questions. In my case, she asked why I didn’t renew with my school. I told her I wanted to start a new contract with a different school in March. I could have also explained further but that satisfied her answer.

Once she checked everything she approved me, gave me a receipt, and told me to return in three weeks to pick up my ARC. It appears there is no shipping option at this time.

When you are finished with the immigration officer, go to the certificate room (at Seoul immigration, this is across from the processing room), and pay 2,000 won for an official certificate of application. This is not required but is excellent for peace of mind.

Tips

For photos, skip the subway station and use zzixx.com.

I made the mistake of paying 12,000 for horrendous subway photos which turned out not only grotesque but also unusable as the camera had a smudge and printed it across my face.

With zzixx, I uploaded my own selfie and received six prints in twenty four hours for 7,000 won.

Is your D10 wrapping up? Check out how to transfer back to the E2 visa from the D10 here.