Study for a degree at an accredited Korean university or college.
Written by James Chae — Co-Founder, Expert Sapiens
Platform expertise: Immigration consulting & visa services · Reviewed July 2026
Reviewed against
James Chae, 행정사 (Korean Licensed Administrative Attorney). License No. 220-06-06463 · 대한행정사회 (Korean Administrative Agents Association). Reviewed against the HiKorea 사증·체류업무 자격별 안내 매뉴얼 and cross-checked with Ministry of Justice issuances.
Last reviewed
July 14, 2026
Source references
Issuance-manual sections covering D-2 student visa issuance, consular review, and TB-related entry screening.
Stay-manual sections covering D-2 extension, leave of absence, school transfer, reporting duties, and part-time work permission.
Filing caution
Requirements can change by nationality, local immigration office, and filing channel. Confirm exact requirements with HiKorea, the responsible Korean consulate, or a licensed immigration specialist before filing.
These points are drawn from Korea immigration manuals and recurring review patterns for higher-risk visa categories.
HiKorea — Korean visa & residency manual: Issuance-manual sections on D-2 issuance and TB-related entry screening.
Ministry of Justice Immigration Policy Bureau: Stay-manual sections on D-2 extension, leave, transfer, reporting, and part-time work.
Stay Duration
Duration of program (typically 2–4 years; 1 year per issuance, renewed annually)
Processing
1–4 weeks
Visa Fee
$74.63 (status change) / $44.78 (extension)
Fees and processing times sourced from HiKorea & Ministry of Justice. Figures are updated periodically but may change — verify before submitting.
Readiness check
Use this quick self-check before you spend time on forms or book a consultation for Student Visa.
Next focus
Eligibility fit
I meet the core D-2 requirements and understand any sponsor, degree, income, family, or experience conditions that apply.
The D-2 visa is Korea's main long-stay student status for foreign nationals enrolled in accredited higher-education programs. It covers formal degree study, research, exchange programs, and several specialized academic tracks at universities recognized by the Ministry of Education. The D-2 family is broader than many students realize: D-2-1 (associate degree), D-2-2 (bachelor's), D-2-3 (master's), D-2-4 (doctoral), D-2-5 (research program), D-2-6 (exchange student), D-2-7 (work-study linked study / 일학습연계유학), and D-2-8 (visiting student). For most international students planning a full academic program in Korea, D-2 is the core status that later connects to D-10 job seeking, E-7 employment, and eventually long-term residency.
Foreign nationals who have been accepted into a Korean university or graduate program accredited by NIIED or the Korean Ministry of Education. Also covers Korean government scholarship (GKS/KGSP) recipients.
Accepted into a Korean government-accredited university or graduate school
Completed required level of education (high school diploma for undergraduate, bachelor's for graduate)
Proof of sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses
No criminal record
Meets the institution's admission requirements
Program must be a genuine daytime higher-education course — not an excluded distance-learning or night-only track
Applicants for exchange, research, or visiting categories must have a formal invitation or institutional sponsorship document matching the relevant D-2 subtype
Online/correspondence universities (방송통신대학 etc.), vocational training institutes (한국폴리텍대학 직업훈련과정), and night-only programs without day courses are excluded from D-2 eligibility
Delay and refusal risks
Student-visa delays usually come from school eligibility, FIMS/admission records, finances, or student-status compliance.
The school, program, or standard admission certificate must support the exact D-2 subtype. Non-eligible programs, missing FIMS records, or inconsistent admission details can slow review.
Manual basis: The D-2 manual sections distinguish eligible education institutions, D-2 subtypes, standard admission certificates, and FIMS registration.
Bank statements, scholarship proof, tuition/payment records, or parent-sponsor documents need to match the applicant's country, school, and program requirements.
Manual basis: The manual lists financial ability documents and notes additional country- or route-specific financial-document handling.
Leave of absence, transfer, dropout, poor attendance, or a program change can affect extension or status-change review even after the original D-2 approval.
Manual basis: The stay manual treats school status, transfers, leave, and student compliance as part of D-2 stay management.
D-2 work permission is separate from the visa itself. Unauthorized or excessive work can create extension and future-status risk.
Manual basis: Recent manual updates clarify part-time work scope and restricted activities for foreign students.
Source note
These are practical risk factors for Student Visa, not a complete list of legal refusal grounds. Final review can vary by nationality, filing channel, consulate, immigration office, and case facts.
Real-world scenarios
Use these examples to map the D-2 student-visa rules to common student situations.
You are applying from abroad for a Korean bachelor's program and the school has issued admission documents.
Main risk
Financial proof, school/FIMS records, and document authentication must match the consular route for your country.
Documents to prioritize
You are entering a master's, doctoral, exchange, or research program with school funding or a professor/lab arrangement.
Main risk
Scholarship evidence must clearly cover the study period and line up with the admission route, research status, and D-2 subtype.
Documents to prioritize
You are already in Korea on student status and plan to move to a different school or program.
Main risk
Transfers, leave of absence, dropout, and school-status changes can affect extension or reporting obligations.
Documents to prioritize
Valid passport
Visa application form + passport photo
Certificate of admission from Korean institution
Original academic transcripts and diplomas (apostilled or verified)
Proof of financial ability (bank statement of approx. ₩20,000,000 or scholarship letter)
TOPIK score certificate (if required by institution or for certain scholarships)
Subtype-specific institutional documents: exchange agreement, research invitation, or visiting student confirmation where applicable
Tuition payment receipt or scholarship funding confirmation when requested by the consulate or school
Passport copy of parents (for under-18 applicants)
Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate required for nationals of 35 high-risk countries (issued by certified hospital, sealed envelope)
Apply to a Korean university
Apply directly to Korean universities or through government scholarship programs like GKS (Global Korea Scholarship). Confirm which D-2 subtype matches your program: D-2-1 associate degree, D-2-2 bachelor's, D-2-3 master's, D-2-4 doctoral, D-2-5 research, D-2-6 exchange, D-2-7 work-study linked study, or D-2-8 visiting student. Receive the official admission or invitation documents from the Korean institution.
Apply for the D-2 visa
Submit your visa application to the Korean embassy or consulate with your admission or invitation documents, financial proof, education records, and any subtype-specific documents. TOPIK requirements vary by institution type: graduate degree programs often do not require TOPIK for visa issuance if the program is taught in English or the university admits you directly, while some undergraduate or Korean-medium tracks require institution-set Korean proficiency, and language-focused preparatory tracks are more commonly associated with D-4 rather than D-2.
Enter Korea and register
Register at immigration within 90 days of arrival. Bring your ARC registration receipt to your university's international office.
Report enrollment and academic status changes
Maintain real enrollment and attendance. Universities report student status to immigration, and you must also report major changes such as transfer, leave of absence, withdrawal, or extended research interruption. Failure to align your immigration record with your actual academic status can lead to renewal problems or status cancellation.
Apply for part-time work permission if needed
D-2 students cannot simply start working. To work legally, apply for 시간제취업허가 (part-time work permission) through immigration after meeting the eligibility conditions. The standard ceiling is often up to 20 hours per week during the semester for undergraduate-level students, with broader allowance during vacations, but the exact limit depends on degree level, Korean ability, and current policy.
Maintain status and renew annually
Your D-2 visa is typically issued in 1-year increments. Renew at the immigration office or via the permitted HiKorea route with proof of continued enrollment, financial means, and compliance. Annual renewals are also when immigration checks whether your school record, address, and income/activity disclosures still match your actual situation.
Browse verified rentals and housing guides for moving to Korea.
Need help with your D-2 visa?
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Unfamiliar with a term? Browse the full Korea Visa Glossary
Visa Process
Alien Registration Card (ARC)
The Alien Registration Card (ARC) is the official ID card issued to foreigners staying in South Korea for 91 days or longer. It is required to open a bank account, sign a phone contract, and access most public services.
Visa Process
HiKorea
How to use HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) — Korea's official immigration portal for visa extensions, status changes, and ARC renewal. Processing time: 3-10 business days.
Visa Process
Visa Extension (Stay Period Extension)
A visa extension — officially called a 'stay period extension' (체류기간 연장) in Korean immigration law — allows a foreigner to legally remain in Korea beyond the expiry date on their current visa or ARC without leaving the country.
Visa Process
Status of Sojourn Change (체류자격 변경)
A status of sojourn change allows a foreigner already in South Korea to switch from one visa category to another without leaving the country — for example, from a D-2 student visa to an E-7 skilled worker visa upon graduation and employment.
Get instant answers to these visa questions with our Korea-focused AI assistant.
Specific tracks under the D-2 category. Pick the one that matches your situation for track-level documents, criteria, and filing notes.
The same visa can involve different authentication, translation, sponsor-document, and review risks depending on nationality and document origin.
Vietnam
The D-2 route is the main page for Vietnamese citizens entering Korea for degree study at a university, graduate school, exchange program, or other approved higher-education track.
Focus areas
Nigeria
The D-2 route is the main Korea student-visa page for Nigerian citizens entering a degree, exchange, graduate, or approved higher-education program.
Focus areas
Still have questions about the D-2 visa?
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