D-2-3 (Master's Degree Student) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What D-2-3 Is

D-2-3 is a long-stay student status for enrolment on a master's degree course at an eligible Korean institution. Within the manual's D-2 code table it sits between D-2-2, the bachelor's course, and D-2-4, the doctoral course.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Admitted to a master's degree course. Doctoral study is D-2-4; a research course that is not a degree programme is D-2-5.
• New admission: can produce a BACHELOR'S graduation certificate — the manual requires proof of the level below the one you are entering.
• Holds a standard admission letter (표준입학허가서) issued by the university's president or dean.
• Can evidence funding for tuition and living costs; where a parent's bank balance is used, family relationship documents are required too.
• The institution is not one of the excluded types — distance universities, lifelong-education institutions, polytechnic vocational courses, or unapproved night programmes. Night graduate schools are recognised only where no daytime equivalent exists and the course has passed prior review.

3. Criteria Summary

• D-2-3 is not points-based.
• Review focuses on admission validity and continuity evidence.
• Funding and enrollment coherence are major decision factors.
• Weak research-course purpose documentation can trigger supplements.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• D-2-3 is not salary-floor based.
• Financial review emphasizes stable tuition/living support evidence.
• Sponsor/scholarship records should be clear and consistent.
• Part-time work conditions are separate and permission-based.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• D-2-3 is institution-linked study status.
• Course/institution changes may require report or approval.
• Unauthorized work can negatively impact status continuity.
• Keep research-course participation records current for extensions.

6. Required Documents

• Application form, passport, ARC (if applicable), photo, and fee proof.
• Research-course admission/enrollment evidence.
• Funding proof for tuition and living expenses.
• Academic/research plan documents as requested.
• Additional office-requested case documents.

7. Fees and Processing

• Fees follow current issuance/change/extension schedules.
• Processing varies by office and institution verification workload.
• Supplements are common when funding/course records are weak.
• Apply early with complete continuity evidence.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Course/admission records do not satisfy D-2-3 criteria.
• Funding evidence is insufficient or inconsistent.
• Study/research plan is unclear or weakly supported.
• Compliance issues remain unresolved.
• Core records conflict materially across documents.

9. FAQ