Korean visa application will cost P900 starting Aug. 29

The Korean Embassy recently launched the Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC) for “hassle-free and limitless” visa applications for Filipino travelers, with the hopes of providing world-class visa application service.

Starting August 29, the KVAC, located at the Britanny Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, will charge P900 for each visa application, regardless of the visa type. 

“There were many kinds of inconvenience in visa (applications) in the past, but now, since the KVAC will open, there will be no inconvenience,” said KVAC General Director Kyusuk Ahn in an interview.

Ahn noted that as Korea is one of the hottest destinations for Filipinos, the KVAC aims to provide an efficient vehicle service for travelers.

"Anyone who wants to apply for a Korean visa can visit the Korea Visa Application Center anytime. There will be no limitations as long as we can handle it," he added.

Currently, Korean visa applications are free for those who intend to stay in Korea for up to 59 days.

With KVAC, visa applications will now be hassle-free and limitless.

During its pilot operation that began last August 14, KVAC will only accept applications under online reservation. It will however accept and release applications for all visa types and will not charge an application fee.  

The pilot operation will last until August 25.

“We are happy to inform everyone that the official operation will start on August 29,” the Director said.

Beginning August 29, walk-ins or applications without online reservations will be accepted, and the application fee will be required.

Regular visa processing will take five working days, with the processing period possibly extending when a high volume of applications is received.

The KVAC will notify the applicant once the result is available.

General Director Ahn expressed his enthusiasm and said he looks forward to having more Filipinos visit Korea, noting that a lot has changed in the country after the pandemic.

“There's so many fans of Korean music, K-Pop, Korean food, and Korean culture, so we would love to invite many Filipinos to come to Korea to see what is going on there. After the pandemic, there are so many changes in Korea too, so if there's anyone who has been to Korea before the pandemic, they should see what has changed," Ahn added.

For more information, visa applicants can visit  https://www.visaforkorea-mn.com. KVAC website also provides one-on-one online consultations, question and answer columns, and announcements. — LA, GMA Integrated News