Long waiting times for getting your Korean visa might became shorter starting next month, as the Korean Embassy in the Philippines has announced that starting next month, the waiting time for the processing of visas will be reduced to 10 to 15 days from its current 25 to 27 days, due to rising number of applicants.
“The Embassy has allotted additional visa staffs for faster processing of Korean visa applications. Therefore, by the end of February, current visa processing period of 25-27 days will be reduced to 10-15 days,” according to a statement released by the Korean Embassy. The reduced processing period will even continue on peak season (March-April).
The South Korean government announced last December that it was planning to expand the visa-free policy that will allow Jeju-bound group tourists from the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia to stay at regional airports for up to 72 hours without a visa. Currently, Filipinos can visit Jeju Island without a visa by taking direct flights or ships.
The Korean Embassy in the Philippines explained that the visa-free policy, which is scheduled to be tested on the first half of 2020, is for group tourists who have scheduled flights to enter Korea with the final destination of Jeju Island via domestic flights, therefore, individual tourists are not eligible, and only group tourists with certain requirements will be given these benefits.
According to the embassy, there are no final decision yet with regards to the matter and it is still in discussion with the relevant ministries. -HallyuLife.com
