Korea C-3 Short-Stay Visa Subtypes — C-3-1 to C-3-9 Explained

C-3-1 is the residual/catch-all code of the C-3 framework: it covers everyone whose purpose falls within the C-3 activity scope other than those covered by the more specific codes below (C-3-2, C-3-3, C-3-4, C-3-5, C-3-6, C-3-8, C-3-9).

Covered activities: Business activity such as market research, business liaison, consultation, and contract signing (where a more specific business code doesn't apply); tourism, transit, convalescence, visiting relatives, friendly sports matches, and attending or observing events and conferences; culture and arts, general training, short courses, attending religious ceremonies, and collecting academic materials — for a stay not exceeding 90 days.

Note: if your purpose matches one of the specific codes below, use that code instead — C-3-1 is what's left over. Visiting family/relatives plausibly falls under C-3-1 if no more specific code applies, but C-3-1 is not narrowly a 'family visit' code — it's much broader than that.

C-3-2 covers agency-organised tourism where the handling travel agency guarantees responsibility if the traveller overstays — whether as a group or a guaranteed individual booking — and also covers entry for small-scale trading activity at airports and ports. What sets it apart from ordinary tourism isn't the itinerary, it's the agency's overstay liability.

Key documents: • Travel agency's guarantee/itinerary documentation • Proof of the agency-organised booking • Proof of return travel

Important: ordinary individual tourists not travelling under such an agency arrangement fall under C-3-9 (general tourism) instead, not C-3-2. Academic conferences, seminars, and one-time event attendance generally fall under C-3-1's catch-all scope, not C-3-2.

C-3-4 IS Korea's general short-term business visit code — market research, business liaison, consultation, contract signing, and small-scale trading activity. APEC Business Travel Card holders entering without a visa are also handled under it.

Common uses: Meetings, negotiations, market research, or signing a contract.

Key documents: • Invitation letter from the Korean host business • Host company's business registration certificate • Proof of return travel

Distinction: if you're coming for short-term training or an internship rather than business activity, that generally falls under C-3-1's general-training scope, not a dedicated 'C-3-4 training' code — C-3-4 itself is business, not training.

C-3-5 is a narrower business code than C-3-4, reserved for short-term business travelers whose entry is grounded in a specific bilateral trade/investment agreement — not a general-purpose business or journalism code. The manual names two populations: (1) Korea–India agreement — Indian-corporation-affiliated applicants negotiating the sale of goods/services or preparing to establish an investment company, and (2) Korea–Chile FTA — applicants engaged in research/design, manufacturing, marketing/sales, distribution, after-sales service, or general services under that FTA.

Key documents: • Host invitation and activity evidence specific to the qualifying agreement • Corporate affiliation documentation • Proof of return travel

Foreign journalists, reporters, and film crews entering for news-gathering purposes don't use C-3-5 — that activity generally falls under C-3-1's catch-all scope for short visits, or D-5 (journalism) for long-term resident correspondents stationed in Korea.

C-3-6 is an active code (not terminated) for short-term business visits made on the invitation of a company or organisation Korea has designated as a preferred enterprise via the Korea Visa Portal. It sits alongside C-3-4 (ordinary business) and C-3-5 (agreement-based business) in the short-term business family — its distinguishing feature is the standing of the inviting company. It is not a medical visa; medical tourism is C-3-3.

Stay/validity: 90-day stay, 5-year visa validity (per current guidance — always confirm the current figures with the Korea Visa Portal before applying).

Key documents: • Invitation letter from the designated preferred company • Employment/affiliation certificate

If you were previously told C-3-6 had been discontinued, that information is out of date — it's a currently active code.

C-3-8 is a dedicated short-term visit code for overseas ethnic Koreans visiting Korea, distinct from the general tourism code (C-3-9) and from the longer-term F-4 (overseas Korean residence) status.

Key documents: • Proof of Korean ancestry/overseas-Korean status • Proof of return travel

For overseas Koreans planning to reside in Korea long-term rather than visit, F-4 is the relevant long-term status — see the F-4 guide.

C-3-9 is the general tourism subtype — for nationals of countries not eligible for visa-exempt entry who wish to visit Korea for tourism, and are not travelling under an agency-guaranteed arrangement (which would instead be C-3-2).

Key documents: • Bank statement (guideline: ₩100,000–₩150,000 per day of stay) • Hotel booking or accommodation proof • Return flight booking • Employment certificate or proof of ties to home country

Multiple entry: After 2–3 approved single-entry visas with clean history, multiple-entry C-3-9 becomes available.