Questions by situation
Each answer starts with the short answer, then when it applies and when it does not, the documents, and the timeline.
How to lift an entry ban to Korea — how do I apply?
The Immigration Act does not set a deadline or form for an 'application to lift' an entry ban; the Minister of Justice decides on and lifts entry bans. If the ban was imposed at another government agency's request, that agency must ask the Minister of Justice to lift it once the grounds no longer exist, so the starting point is to submit evidence to that agency that the grounds are gone; if the Ministry of Justice decided the grounds itself, confirm where to submit with the competent immigration office or the Korean mission abroad where you will apply for a visa. Prepare a statement of reasons requesting the lifting, documents showing the grounds no longer exist, and evidence of changed circumstances such as family relationships. The law sets no processing period, so if your timing is urgent, say so in your statement.
Where can I find out how many years my entry ban to Korea lasts?
The only entry ban ground with a period written directly in the law is 'a person for whom 5 years have not passed since leaving after a deportation order'; other grounds have no uniform period in the law. So rather than trusting the 'X years per violation' tables circulating online, you need to confirm the decision made about you. If you are abroad, ask the Korean mission where you will apply for a visa; if you are in Korea, ask the competent immigration office, bringing your passport details and past disposition documents. If your visa was denied, you can visit the mission and request a notice stating the reasons for denial.
Can I automatically enter Korea again once 5 years have passed since I was deported?
After 5 years you no longer fall under the ground 'within 5 years of leaving after a deportation order', but that alone does not assure entry. The Minister of Justice can also ban entry on other grounds, such as a risk of harming public safety or social order, and visa screening separately looks at the purpose of entry and the standards for each status. When applying for a visa, prepare entry and exit records showing your departure date at the time of deportation and documents about your life and work since then. The 5 years are counted from the date of departure, so confirm that date first.
I was refused entry at a Korean airport when trying to enter without a visa. Is it because of an entry ban?
Entry inspection checks the validity of your passport and visa, whether your purpose of entry matches your status, and whether you are subject to an entry ban or refusal, so it may be due to an entry ban or because you could not prove your purpose of entry. When entry is not permitted you are given a notice of refusal of entry, so start by checking what it says. Before your next trip, prepare the notice and documents showing your purpose of entry such as your itinerary, accommodation and return ticket, and if you suspect an entry ban, consider confirming it by applying for a visa at a Korean mission abroad. The law does not set when you may try again.
What documents show that the grounds for my entry ban to Korea no longer exist?
What you need depends on the ground for the ban. For public health grounds such as an infectious disease, medical documents confirming treatment has been completed; if the issue was the ability to cover living costs in Korea, proof of financial capacity; and for a ban requested by another agency, that agency's confirmation that the grounds have been resolved are the key documents. Submit these together with a statement of reasons requesting the lifting, a copy of your passport and past disposition documents. The law sets no processing period, so it is best to prepare everything completely in one go.
My entry to Korea was banned at the request of a government agency other than the Ministry of Justice. Where do I start to get it lifted?
When entry is banned at the request of a central government agency or similar body, the requesting agency must ask the Minister of Justice to lift it without delay once the grounds no longer exist. So first confirm which agency made the request, then submit evidence to that agency that the grounds have been resolved. Prepare that agency's disposition documents, documents proving the grounds have been resolved, and a statement of reasons for your request. The law sets no processing period for the Ministry of Justice after the lifting request.
I am under an entry ban, but my parent in Korea is critically ill. Is there any way I can enter?
The law has no separate entry exception for funerals or hospital visits, so the basic route is to explain your changed circumstances and have a decision made on lifting the entry ban or issuing a visa. An entry ban is a disposition the Minister of Justice 'may' impose, so an urgent family situation can be taken into account, but the outcome cannot be promised. Prepare documents proving the family relationship, a medical certificate or documents relating to the death, and a statement of reasons with your planned length of stay and return plan, and contact the Korean mission where you will apply for a visa in advance. It is best to state clearly at the very start of your statement that the matter is urgent.
Where and how do I apply for a Korean visa after my entry ban is lifted?
As a rule, you apply for a visa at the Korean mission in your country of residence, and if you have an inviter, they can apply in Korea for a Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) on your behalf. If you are designated as a person subject to visa issuance restriction, requiring special approval by the Minister of Justice, the mission needs the Minister's approval before issuing the visa, which adds a screening step. In addition to the visa application form, passport and documents for the status, prepare your past disposition documents and confirmation of the lifting. Screening time varies with the status and the mission.
Can a Korean citizen invite a foreign spouse who is banned from entering Korea on a marriage visa?
You can apply to invite them, but visa screening checks that the invitee is not subject to an entry ban or refusal, so a visa is hard to obtain while the ban remains. That is why the request to lift the entry restriction should come first or be prepared in parallel. The marriage migrant (F-6) visa is also separately screened for the genuineness of the marriage, the inviter's income requirement and housing, so prepare marriage documents, evidence of how your relationship developed, and income and housing documents. If a visa for marital cohabitation is not granted, you may reapply after 6 months from that date, or earlier if there are urgent circumstances such as childbirth.
What does a person under entry restriction who is currently staying in Korea need in order to leave briefly and come back?
Guidance for many statuses of stay requires people under entry restriction and people subject to visa issuance restriction to visit the immigration office (office or branch) with jurisdiction over their place of stay in person to obtain a re-entry permit. Even when other residents are exempt from re-entry permits, people under entry restriction may be excluded from the exemption, so be sure to check before leaving. In addition, when the head of an office grants stay-related permits to people under an entry ban or visa issuance restriction, approval from the Minister of Justice is required, so processing may take longer. Prepare your passport, residence card, re-entry permit application and documents on the reason for leaving, and apply well ahead of your departure date.
I received a criminal fine in Korea and then left. I am worried I may now be banned from entering Korea
A criminal fine itself is not written into the law as an entry ban ground, but the Minister of Justice can ban entry for reasons such as a risk of harming public safety or social order, so you need to confirm the decision made about you. For example, the working holiday (H-1) visa has a standard of issuing visas even to people who violated Korean law during a past stay as long as no entry restriction applies, so whether an entry restriction exists is the key point to check. Prepare the court judgment or summary order, the fine payment receipt and your departure record, and check with the Korean mission where you will apply for a visa. If a restriction is confirmed, prepare request documents to lift it.
I overstayed in Korea and then left on my own. Can I enter Korea again?
The entry ban ground with a period written in the law is leaving after a deportation order, so your situation depends on which disposition you left under. If you left after a departure order or departure recommendation, that document and records showing you left by the deadline are important, and the visa standards for many statuses treat a history of departure orders or deportation as a screening factor. Prepare a copy of the disposition document, the immigration fine payment receipt (if any) and your entry and exit records, and check with the Korean mission where you will apply for a visa whether an entry restriction applies. If one does, you will need request documents for lifting it that show the grounds have ended and circumstances have changed.
Key terms
- Entry ban (입국금지)
- The Minister of Justice prohibiting the entry of foreign nationals who fall under grounds set by law, such as patients with infectious diseases, people at risk of harming public safety, and people for whom 5 years have not passed since leaving after a deportation order.
- Entry refusal (입국거부)
- Refusing entry to nationals of a country, on the same grounds, when that country refuses entry to Korean nationals on grounds other than the entry ban grounds set by law.
- Entry restriction (입국규제)
- The practical term for a state in which a foreign national's entry is restricted, for example by an entry ban; it is an item checked in the common screening for visa issuance.
- Person subject to visa issuance restriction (사증발급규제자)
- A person designated by the Minister of Justice as able to receive a visa only with special approval; a Korean mission abroad must obtain the Minister's approval before issuing a visa to such a person.
- Notice of refusal of entry (입국 불허가 통지서)
- The document an immigration officer gives to a foreign national when entry is not permitted at entry inspection.
- Re-entry permit (재입국허가)
- A permit obtained in advance by a registered foreign national or similar person who leaves during their period of stay and intends to return; people under entry restriction must obtain it by visiting the competent office.
- Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서)
- A document the Minister of Justice issues, on the application of a foreign national seeking entry, when deemed necessary before a visa is issued; the person extending the invitation may apply on their behalf.
