D-2-6 (Exchange Student) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What D-2-6 Is

D-2-6 is the exchange-student code within the 유학(D-2) study status. The manual's own subtype table lists D-2-1 associate, D-2-2 bachelor's, D-2-3 master's, D-2-4 doctoral, D-2-5 research, D-2-6 exchange student, D-2-7 work-study, and D-2-8 visiting student, with language training sitting separately under D-4-1 and D-4-7. The practical difference for D-2-6 is what you prove: an exchange student evidences CURRENT ENROLMENT abroad, not a completed degree.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Enrolled at an overseas institution and coming to Korea under an inter-university exchange arrangement.
• The Korean host is a junior college or above — or an affiliated research institution — meeting the Ministry of Justice's requirements and registered in the foreign-student information system.
• Can produce an enrolment certificate (재학증명서) from the overseas institution at the matching level: associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral.
• Holds a standard admission letter (표준입학허가서) issued by the host university's president or dean.
• Can evidence funding for the exchange period; where a parent's bank balance is used, family relationship documents are required too.
• Tuberculosis certificate, where the applicant falls in scope.

3. Criteria Summary

• D-2-6 is not a points-based category.
• The document that defines this subtype is an enrolment certificate, not a graduation certificate — that is what separates it from a new D-2-1~4 admission, which needs proof of the PREVIOUS degree completed.
• It also separates D-2-6 from D-2-8 visiting students: at associate and bachelor's level a visiting student must add a high-school graduation certificate, an exchange student need not.
• Certain institutions are excluded outright regardless of registration status — distance universities (broadcast, correspondence and cyber universities), lifelong-education institutions, and polytechnic vocational training courses. Degree-track multi-skilled technician courses are the exception and do count.
• Night-time programmes are excluded except for approved night degree courses that have passed prior review by the immigration office with jurisdiction — night graduate schools are recognised only where no daytime equivalent exists.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• D-2-6 is a study status; no E-series salary threshold applies.
• Part-time work, where permitted, is separately regulated and requires proper authorization.
• Core evidentiary focus is study purpose and funding, not Korean employment income.
• Using D-2-6 primarily for non-study objectives can lead to refusal or later compliance issues.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• D-2-6 is not employer-sponsored for core eligibility.
• Any approved outside activity must stay within permission scope and reporting rules.
• Changes in exchange enrollment, leave, or institution should be reported per immigration requirements.
• Unreported student-status changes can affect extension and future status-change filings.

6. Required Documents

• Certificate of Visa Eligibility application form, a copy of the passport, and a photograph taken within the last six months.
• Copy of the host institution's business registration certificate or unique number certificate.
• Standard admission letter (표준입학허가서) issued by the host university's president or dean. Government scholarship students invited by the National Institute for International Education or the Ministry of National Defense submit that body's invitation letter instead.
• Enrolment certificate from the overseas institution at the matching level — overseas associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral enrolment.
• Tuberculosis certificate, for applicants in scope.
• Family relationship documents, required only where a parent's bank balance certificate is used as the funding evidence.
• Chinese applicants: the academic credential verification report from the Chinese Ministry of Education's academic credentials centre, showing enrolment at the corresponding level.

7. Fees and Processing

• Issuance/extension fees follow official visa and stay schedules in manuals.
• Processing times vary by mission/office load and document completeness.
• Exchange-document inconsistency commonly triggers supplement requests.
• Apply with timeline buffer before semester/program start and stay-expiry dates.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Exchange status documents are incomplete, unclear, or inconsistent between institutions.
• Financial evidence is insufficient or not credible for planned exchange period.
• Study-purpose credibility does not align with applicant profile or records.
• Prior immigration non-compliance or unreported status changes.
• Application built on outdated student-document assumptions after policy updates.

9. FAQ