C-3-8 (Overseas Korean Visit) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What C-3-8 Is

C-3-8 is issued to foreign nationals of Korean descent falling within the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans. The stated policy purpose is to guarantee freedom of movement for overseas Koreans wishing to visit their homeland, and it is issued as a MULTIPLE-ENTRY visa valid for a period of years, with each stay capped at a set number of days.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Is a foreign national of Korean descent within the meaning of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans.
• Can produce official documents from the country of nationality evidencing that overseas-Korean status.
• Purpose is a homeland visit — this is not the code for general tourism (C-3-9), general business (C-3-4), or employment.
• No unresolved immigration compliance history affecting short-stay credibility.

3. Criteria Summary

• C-3-8 is not a points-based category.
• Do not confuse it with a business-visit visa. Short-term business activity is C-3-4 일반상용; C-3-8 is specifically the overseas Korean visit code.
• It is one of three overseas-Korean routes and the short-term one. The long-term route is 재외동포 (F-4), which since the consolidation of overseas-Korean statuses is granted on the same criteria to overseas Koreans of every country.
• The related working visit (H-2) route has stopped issuing new visas under that same consolidation.
• Because it is issued multiple-entry over a period of years, the practical limit is the per-stay day cap rather than the number of trips.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• C-3-8 is a visit status; no salary or contract framework applies.
• Employment is not authorised under a short-term visit status — overseas Koreans seeking to work use F-4, subject to its published employment-restriction notice.
• Being paid from abroad does not make work permissible on a short-stay visa.
• Where the purpose is work rather than a visit, applying under this code is a category mismatch.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• No employer sponsorship is involved in a C-3-8 application.
• Any economic activity requires an appropriate status; a homeland visit does not carry work authorisation.
• Overseas Koreans intending to live and work in Korea should look at F-4 rather than repeat short visits.
• Repeated short-stay patterns used as a substitute for a long-term status can attract scrutiny.

6. Required Documents

• Visa application form, passport and a copy of it, one standard photograph, and the fee.
• Official documents issued by the country of nationality evidencing overseas-Korean status.
• Any further documents the reviewing mission considers necessary.

7. Fees and Processing

• Issued as a multiple-entry overseas Korean visit visa, valid for a period of years with a per-stay day cap.
• The exact validity period and per-stay limit are set in the current guidance and should be confirmed there — they are not reproduced here.
• Applications are made at the Korean mission with jurisdiction.
• Evidence of Korean descent is the gating document; assemble it before applying.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Overseas-Korean status cannot be evidenced from the country of nationality's official records.
• The real purpose is employment or long-term residence rather than a visit.
• Identity or lineage records are inconsistent.
• Unresolved immigration compliance history.
• Applying under this code when the purpose is ordinary tourism or business, which belong to other C-3 codes.

9. FAQ