Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle

**Must read before applying for your visa***

▷ How to submit your visa application

- You may either submit your visa application in person or by mail

※ You must submit your application in-person and appointments are required to visit our office (☞ CLICK)

* If you were unable to make an appointment, please submit your visa application by mail.

▷ Processing Time: 4 weeks

* Due to an unexpected increase of applications, please apply for the visa with plenty of time in advance

* There is NO EXPEDITED process for applications

 ※ Do not submit an application if your planned arrival in Korea is more than 3 months away.  

▷ We don't provide service to check your visa application status. However, you can check your status through our Korea Visa website.(☞ View instructions) 

▷ Consular Jurisdiction of Seattle

Our jurisdiction is Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho. Applicants who do not live in these areas, please contact the appropriate Korean Consular Office in your respective area. (☞ Click for more information)

▷ Multiple Entry Visa

▷ The Sojourn Period for 2 years

▷ Valid for 5 years

□ Eligible Applicants for an Overseas Korean (F-4) Visa

- A person who was Korean and has acquired a foreign nationality

- A person whose parent(s) or grandparent(s) had a Korean Nationality and has acquired a foreign nationality

□ General Required Documents

1. Visa application form 

    * Please see attached 'VISA APPLICATION SAMPLE'   

    * Please make sure you SIGN or it will be rejected 

    * Please all areas on all pages are fully and accurately completed or it will be rejected 

2. Valid US passport  (must be valid for more than 6 months) - in person

    Notarized copy of passport (Biographic data and signature page) - by mail

3. One Photo

   * A physical/printed 2x2 photo taken within the last 6 months, DO NOT PRINT AT HOME

4. Fee $45 (for US citizens, Non-US citizens fees vary ☞ View Fees by Country) 

   * Money Orders Only if you submit by mail (Payable to the Korean Consulate in Seattle)  

5. Non US citizens must also submit a notarized copy of valid US permanent resident card or valid long-term US visa 

6. Criminal history record check issued by FBI and apostille confirmation by US Department State office of Authentications (Washington D.C) It must be issued within 6 months before application submission (No Exceptions).  

  ※ If you have lived in another country for more than 1 year within the last 5 years, you must also submit that country's criminal record check with notarization or an Apostille. (e.g., If you are a Canadian citizen and have lived in the U.S. for more than 6 months, you need to submit the FBI background check with an Apostille confirmation from the U.S. federal government(Washington D.C) AND the criminal record check(RCMP Criminal Check) with an Apostille confirmation from the Canadian government.)

※ FBI criminal background check is only valid for 6 months from its date of issuance by the FBI (Not from the date of Apostille)

* FBI IdHSC ☞ (Click)

* Apostille confirmation ☞ (Click)

※ Exemption object:

①60 years of age or more ②Children under 13 years of age ③Independence patriots and family of the deceased ④Special contributor 

7. Copy of valid Driver License or ID as proof of residency

※ Please note that we may request for additional documents if it's deemed necessary to review the purpose of entry.

□ Additional Required Documents

1. A person who was Korean and has acquired a foreign nationality

** You must renounce your Korean nationality before applying for this visa** (☞ Click for details)

   1) Basic Certificate or Certificate of Family Registry

2) Document of renunciation of Korean nationality

3) US Naturalization Certificate (Original one)

4) Name change statement (if applicable)

2. A person whose parent(s) or grandparent(s) had a Korean Nationality and has acquired a foreign nationality

1) Basic Certificate or Certificate of Family Registry of your parent(s) or grandparent(s)

2) Birth Certificate

3) Copy of parent(s) or grandparent(s) passport

4) Parents' Certificate of Naturalization if they acquired US citizenship 

5) Certificate of proficiency in Korean (one of the following documents)

          - TOPIK first grade or more

          - Sejong Hakdang elementary level 1B or more

※ Exemption object:

①60 years of age or more ②Children under 13 years of age③You have lived in Korea with the F-4 visa for more than 3 years

- A multiple entry visa valid for 5 years and the sojourn period for 2 years will be issued. (In case of not submitting certificate proficiency in Korea who should submit that certificate, the sojourn period will be only 1 year)    

□ Mailing Address: Korean Consulate in Seattle

      Attn: Visa Department

      115 W Mercer St. Seattle WA 98119

 * The Consulate is not responsible for any lost or stolen mail

□ Ineligibility

Following applicants will not be able to obtain Overseas Korean visa.

• - If Korean male(included dual citizen) gave up Korean nationality without performing Korean military duty, he will not be able to obtain Overseas Korean(F-4) visa until the year when he becomes 41 old.
  

•    *If Korean male loses Korean nationality before 2018.5.1, he may be able to obtain F-4 visa

• - If you have violated the Korean Immigration Law in the past 3 years and have been charged with    fines ￦7,000,000 altogether.

• - If you have been sentenced to jail in the past 5 years.

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