Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto

VISA OFFICE HOURS

Visa application submission hours: Monday to Friday except holidays during available times on our online reservation system.

For EMERGENCY VISAS (DEATH OF A FAMILY MEMBER or VISITING CRITICALLY ILL FAMILY MEMBER) ONLY:

If you are applying to an emergency visa to attend a family member's funeral or if you are visiting a critically ill family member, we will make an exception to accept your visa application in person as a last minute appointment. Please prepare all required documents AND THEN call and leave a voicemail at Visa Department (416-920-3809 ext. 221) to request an emergency appointment. You will need to have ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS  in order for us to be able to offer you an appointment. We will do our best to try to find a time to accept and process your application but please note that we are generally fully booked so we have to try to find an appointment time that someone else cancelled. 

ALL OTHER visa applications are ONLY by online appointment. Appointment slots are released automatically approx. 2-3 weeks in advance. Please visit this link to make an appointment. 

If the appointment system does not show availability, it means all available slots are booked.

VISA PROCESSING TIME

Generally 12-15+ business days from submission of ALL required documents submitted in person (includes interviews if necessary but does not include shipping time). 

Mailed-in applications generally take 5+ additional business days to process on top of the approx. 12-15 business days (=17-20+ business days) from the date it is received. These are generally processed during the day if or when there are no-shows to appointments (which is not frequent). Please note that we are not responsible for postal accidents or delays. Please also note that we are currently experiencing significant delays to receive mail due to the delays that Canada Post experiences during COVID-19. If you would like to send your application by mail still, please follow the detailed mail-in instructions on this page.

If mailed-in applications are missing any requirements, it will NOT be processed and be put in the PENDING pile. Worst case, it will be returned to you but we will first try our best to wait for you to completely supplement your application. 

You will only receive a call or email to give you confirmation of acceptance if you have sent in a complete application. You will not be contacted if your mailed-in application are missing documents. Please make sure you adhere to the guidelines.

VISA STATUS CHECK & HOW TO PRINT “VISA GRANT NOTICE” (this is your visa)

You can check your visa processing status online at your convenience. You will not receive emails or phone calls on the status of your visa processing nor to confirm your visa has been issued. 

You will be advised at the time of your application the date your visa is estimated to be issued. It is approximately 12-15 business days from submission of ALL documents or another length of time, if you were advised in person by the Visa Department at the time of submission. On or after this estimated date, please check your visa status.

If your visa application was urgent (i.e. death in the family or family critically ill, etc.) you would have been given instructions at the time of application the approximate (expedited) processing time to check the status.

To check the status of your visa, visit: https://www.visa.go.kr/openPage.do?MENU_ID=10301 

STEP 1: Click "Diplomatic office" as Type of Application

STEP 2: Enter your passport number i.e. XX000000

STEP 3: Enter name in English last name first followed by first name(s) and middle name(s) AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR PASSPORT with no commas or dashes in between. If there is a space or dash in your first and/or last names, please replace them with space(s). 

CORRECT: HONG GILDONG

INCORRECT: HONG, GILDONG / GILDONG HONG / HONG GIL-DONG (these examples will not pull up your file)

STEP 4: Enter your date of birth.

Once the status shows a "Visa Grant Notice", please print the Visa Grant Notice. The print button will only appear on the screen if your visa has been issued. When you print the visa, please select “fit to page” or “fit to printable area” so that the visa page is not cut off. VISA GRANT NOTICE is your visa and is required to board the flight and to enter Korea. From July 1, Republic of Korea no longer issues sticker-type visas and the Visa Grant Notice will be your visa. 

Please do not call or leave voicemail to ask how to check your status online or to ask us to expedite your visa. (As per government guidelines, we are not able to expedite your visa to accommodate your job start date.) You will not receive a response to those messages. 

Warning: You must enter Korea within the Validity Period of Visa. (Visa is valid for 3 months from Date of Issue.) From the date you enter Korea, you can stay for the Period of Stay granted to you on your Visa Grant Notice. 

NOTICE RE: CATEGORY C VISA

Please note that category C visa holders are not able to change their status of stay (visa type) after their entry into the Republic of Korea in accordance with Article 9(1) of the Enforcement Regulations of the Immigration Act. If you enter Korea with a C visa, you cannot change it to other visas such as F-4 and F-6. 

LONG TERM VISA HOLDERS

Please visit Korean Immigration Service within 90 days of your arrival in Korea to register. 

If you have an F-4 visa, you will receive an Overseas Korean Resident Card (외국국적동포 국내거소신고증). 

If you have a valid Overseas Korean Resident Card, you are eligible to exit and re-enter Korea with your Card without needing to apply for a re-entry permission or applying for a visa every time. 

Details: https://www.gov.kr/portal/service/serviceInfo/PTR000050539 

For all other long term visa types, you will receive an Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증). 

If you have any questions about registration in Korea, please contact Korean Immigration Service and if necessary, please prepare all requirements prior to your departure from Canada : www.immigration.go.kr | 011-82-1345

PASSPORT PICK UP INSTRUCTIONS

Passport pickup hours (walk-in, no appointments): M-F 10-11 am or 3-4 pm

* There are no appointments for pickup. It is by walk-in only during the hours mentioned above. 

 As our hours of operation may change further in response to changing nature of COVID-19, please check our News/Notice (including popup windows on our website) on the day of your visit prior to visiting.

Please bring the following 3 items to your pickup:

1. print and bring your VISA GRANT NOTICE(s)

2. this confirmation & instructions document (written VISA ACCEPT on the other side)

3. a photo ID (i.e. driver’s license, Ontario ID card) * Ontario photo health card is temporarily accepted as a photo ID

IF THE VISA WINDOW IS OPEN:

Please let the staff at the appointment desk know you're here for Canadian (or other foreign) passport pickup. We are fully booked and our appointments are back-to-back. We will ask “anyone here for foreign passport pickup?” once one of the appointments ends early and we have a few minutes. Please maintain 2 metre distance with other visitors and approach the VISA desk ONLY when you are asked to come forward. We are processing applications throughout the day and there is other people’s personal information on our desk. 

IF THE VISA WINDOW IS CLOSED:

Please inform staff at the appointmet desk that you’re there for foreign passport pickup. They will assist you whenever they are able

PICKING UP ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE?

If someone else (i.e. spouse, partner, other family member, 1 representative for a group visa application) is picking up your passport on your behalf, please indicate and provide permission & detail of who will be picking up your passport at the time of application. 

If permission is not provided in advance at the time of application, we cannot release your passport to someone else other than yourself. If prior notice was given, please bring your ID (i.e. driver's license) and everyone's VISA GRANT NOTICE that you're picking up. If you are picking up on behalf of colleagues, please bring a permission letter on company letterhead in addition.