D-4-5 (Korean Culinary Training / 한식조리연수) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What D-4-5 Is

D-4-5 lets foreign nationals accepted into a government-designated Korean-cuisine training school (수라학교) train in Korean cooking under Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (농림축산식품부) oversight, with visa recommendation authority delegated to the Korea Food Promotion Institute (한식진흥원).

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Confirmed acceptance into a 수라학교 (designated Korean-cuisine training school) program with a 한식진흥원 recommendation.
• Age 18+ with at least a high-school-level education — no prior professional cooking experience, chef certification, or culinary degree required (a July 2026 change from the old rules, which required 3+ years of professional cooking experience, a foreign chef certification, or a culinary-related degree).
• Basic Korean ability — TOPIK Level 1 or equivalent, unless your program qualifies for a language exemption (same-language-cohort programs, or programs with built-in Korean instruction).
• Documented financial capacity for the training period — a bank balance of USD $10,000 or more, held for at least 1 month.
• Good health with no active infectious disease, given the hands-on food-preparation nature of the program.

3. Criteria Summary

• Not points-based.
• Program legitimacy and trainee continuity drive review.
• Institution evidence quality is central.
• Weak program specificity raises refusal risk.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• No ordinary employment salary-floor logic applies.
• Any stipend/support records should match program documents.
• Records should not imply unauthorized employment.
• Conflicting financial narratives can delay adjudication.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• Institution-linked training status.
• Program/site changes may require reporting or approval.
• Out-of-scope activity is non-compliant.
• Keep participation and attendance records updated.

6. Required Documents

• Application form, passport photo, and CVI application fee.
• 수라학교 acceptance letter and 한식진흥원 training-institution recommendation.
• Proof of Korean-ability requirement (TOPIK Level 1 or equivalent) or a language-exemption request.
• Financial-capacity proof — bank balance certificate showing USD $10,000+ held for 1+ month.
• Health documentation confirming no active infectious disease relevant to food-handling work.

7. Fees and Processing

• Fees follow current D-4 schedules.
• Processing depends on 수라학교/한식진흥원 verification and CVI issuance timing.
• Supplements common when acceptance, financial, or language documentation is incomplete.
• Issued as a single-entry Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) for up to 6 months.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Training institution is not a designated 수라학교 or lacks a valid 한식진흥원 recommendation.
• Financial-capacity proof (USD $10,000+, 1+ month) is missing or insufficient.
• Korean-ability requirement not met and no valid language exemption applies.
• Health documentation raises infectious-disease concerns.
• Core acceptance or program facts cannot be verified.

9. FAQ