Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles

※ The following information was written/updated as of March 21, 2025.

○ Mailed-in visa application is an option for those who have difficulty with making an appointment or for those living distantly.

○ ONLY In-Person Appointment is available for F6(Spouse of Korean Nationals) Applicants. 

○ All In-person visa applications are being processed as a priority over the mailed-in ones. The mailed-in option takes 1 to 5 days more. 
 *PLEASE DO NOT ASK US WHICH OPTION IS BETTER .

○ Every visa application goes through more than 10-15 business days review procedure unless it is an official visit or urgent family matters such as wedding, funeral, etc.
  *PLEASE BE NOTED THAT THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

1) PREPARE your application - Required Documents below.
   a) Photo. (in color, passport-sized, taken within the last 6 months )
   b) Application Form.
       - Applicants who have received visa issuance certificates in Korea must fill out the form "Application For Visa for those in possession of visa eligibility certificate(Visa Application with the Visa Issuance Number)"(2pages). Others use the regular application form.    

       -  Please write clearly the contact information section such as phone numbers and email.

   * The visa officer will contact the applicant if necessary the additional documents or an interview. If the officer fails to reach the applicant, the visa will be denied.
   c) Visa Fees.
       - $45 for U.S. Citizens. For others, please refer to another notice for fees on the consulate website.
       - Payment method: Money Order ONLY (Pay to the order: K.C.G)

           *USPS Postal Money Order is recommended
   d) Notarized Passport Copy of Your Biographic Page. (NOT the whole pages)
       - Should be printed in color, actual passport-sized (Do not modify the size.)
        *The print should be in good enough quality  to recognize, and the top and bottom of the passport copy must not be cropped.

      - Passport should be valid for more than 6 months.
      - We ONLY accept the copies notarized within our consular jurisdiction (Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico).

          *Southern California (10 County - San Luis Obispo, Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial)
   e) (Non-U.S.citizens only) A notarized copy of a valid U.S. long-term visa or U.S. permanent resident Card (Green card).

        **We do NOT accept B1/ B2 (Visitor) visa.

   f) A proof document that the applicant is living within our consular jurisdiction

      - Bank Statement, Utility bills, etc. (issued within last 3 months)
   g)  Other Supporting Documents For Each Visa Purpose.
      - Please refer to other Visa Notices.

2) SEND your package containing all required documents, to the below address by certified mail service.
  - Attn: Visa Department

    3243 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010. 

3) CHECK your visa status on the Visa Portal. (www.visa.go.kr)
  - Check your visa status on the Korean Visa Portal with your passport information within 5 days of your visa package delivered date (Except the weekends and holidays).

  - Almost all of the mail-in visa applications are submitted to our system within 5 days of arrival at our consulate.

     *Except for the group visas like the concert tour. These kinds of visas take more than 14 days at least from the package delivery date.

  - If you can not find any information after 7 days at all, contact our consulate by phone (213-385-9300) or Email. ( service-la@mofa.go.kr )

4) Application REVIEW procedure takes at least 10~15 business days from the submission date.
  - A delivered date of the package is NOT the visa submission date.

  - We thoroughly review all submitted documents by mail, and if necessary, an in-person interview with the consul may required. (The visa officer will contact the applicant individually.) Once the interview date is set, the applicant must visit the consulate on the assigned date with the original documents and any additional materials requested.

     *False documents submitted by mail will result in visa denial, and it may also lead to entry ban for the Korean Immigration.

5) (After 10~15 business days) DOWNLOAD AND PRINT your Visa Grant Notice on the Korean Visa Portal website(www.visa.go.kr).

Additional Information

  1) If your visa purpose is either for official visit or urgent family matter, you should provide an official letter or medical certificate with other required documents.

  2) Your flight, meeting schedule, or quarantine period ARE NOT urgent reasons for expedited visa service. 
    - DO NOT REQUEST AN EXPEDITED VISA BECAUSE OF YOUR PERSONAL SCHEDULE.

  3) We DO NOT accept the visa application by e-mail.

  4) If there are any missing required documents, we will not proceed until you send us that is/are missing.

    - The visa officer will contact the applicant.

  5) Please fill out your emergency contact info of the visa application form (section. 3) as clearly as possible. 
  6) DO NOT SEND YOUR ORIGINAL PASSPORT FOR THIS OPTION.

  - The Consulate is not liable for the loss of your original passport in transit.

    PLEASE MAKE SURE TO MAIL YOUR NOTARIZED PASSPORT COPY.

  7) Once you mail your application with visa fees, visa application documents and/or visa fees are NON-REFUNDABLE/NON-RETURNABLE according to our policy. Please do make sure you have filled out your application form correctly, and be sure to send your application package to the correct consulates.

  - That is the reason why we accept the money order ONLY. If your visa fee is miscalculated, you can easily cancel your money order at the bank where you made It with the receipt. (We are not responsible for any loss of cash during the mailing process.)