KVAC Now Accepts Mailed-In Korean Visa Forms Nationwide

(SPOT.ph) Whether you’re a fan of everything Hallyu or you’ve been inspired by the latest K-dramas, there’s no denying a trip to South Korea is on every Filipino’s travel bucket list. But before you start planning your vacation and making all the arrangements, you first have to apply for a Korean Visa. Applications for a tourist visa used to be a complicated process but it has already gotten easier since the opening of the Korean Visa Application Center (KVAC). Just this year, they launched their visa application process by mail, and as of this month, it’s now available nationwide.

Here’s what we know about this new option for South Korean Visa processing:

Gone are the days when applying for a South Korean visa meant physically submitting your forms at the Korean Visa Application Center. In a post on its social media pages, the Korean Visa Application Center announced the expansion of its Visa Application Courier Services. This means that tourist visa applicants, i.e., those applying for the C-3-9 Tourist Visa (for stays not exceeding 59 days) from all over the Philippines, can utilize their nearest W-Express to submit their requirements.

PHOTO BY Facebook/ Korean Visa Application Center

While not entirely new, mail-in applications were previously only allowed for applicants based in Palawan and Mindanao.

Korean Tourist Visa Application Process via W-Express

To avail of Visa Application Courier Services, all you have to do is complete all the requirements and forms for tourist visa applications as specified on the KVAC website, visit your nearest W-Express branch with a valid government ID, and pay P1,900 pesos for processing (P1,000 for courier services and P900 for the visa fee).

W-Express employees will check your completeness requirements before requesting payment. Once you’ve paid and submitted your requirements, you will receive an email from W-Express and an SMS from the KVAC  confirming your submission.

How long does it take to process Korean Tourist Visas via W-Express

As part of the service, applications are guaranteed to reach the Korean Visa Application Center within three working days from submission at the W-Express branch. Once received by the KVAC, it may take up to 10 working days for all your documents and forms to be processed. Note that if any documents are lacking, visa processing will be paused. Applicants must comply and submit all missing requirements to a W-Express branch within seven working days from the day a KVAC staff reaches out to the applicant via call regarding the missing documents. No additional fee will be collected for this.

You will receive an SMS from KVAC once your visa and passport are ready to be delivered. W-Express will deliver your processed visa and passport within three working days.

Note that the Visa Application Courier Service is only applicable for  C-3-9 Tourist Visa applications for Filipinos. Visa applications for non-Filipino nationals and other visa types must be submitted personally to the Korean Visa Application Center (KVAC) or designated travel agencies.

See a list of W-Express branches online. For more information, visit the Korean Visa Application Center’s Facebook page.

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