Overview
C-3 (Short-term Visit) covers stays of no more than 90 days for business activities such as market research, business liaison, consultation and contracting, as well as tourism, transit, recuperation, visiting relatives, friendly matches, attending events or conferences, culture and art, general training, lectures, religious ceremonies and academic data collection.
Short-term business (C-2) was merged into C-3 on 15 December 2011, and the status cannot be issued to persons pursuing profit.
Requirements, documents and periods in this article follow the Korea Immigration Service (Ministry of Justice) Foreign Residence Guide Manual (March 2026) and the Immigration Act and its Enforcement Decree/Rules (law.go.kr). The manual is supplementary guidance; approval is decided by the reviewing officer. Always confirm your own case with the competent Immigration Office.
At a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status | Short-term Visit (C-3) |
| Max period per grant | 90 days |
| Restriction | Cannot be issued to persons pursuing profit |
| Extension | Possible within 90 days from entry where the activity is within scope, there is no suspicion of illegal employment and the need is recognised |
Scope of Activity
- Business activity such as market research, business liaison, consultation and contracting
- Tourism, transit, recuperation, visiting relatives, friendly matches
- Participating in or observing events and conferences
- Culture and art, general training, lectures, attending religious ceremonies, academic data collection and similar purposes
Who Qualifies
- C-3-1 General: anyone within the scope except the sub-codes below
- C-3-2 Group tourism: guaranteed individual or group tourism where the travel agency is liable for overstays, small-scale port trading, etc.
- C-3-3 Medical tourism: short-term visitors covered by the guidelines on visas for foreign patients
- C-3-4 Short-term business: market research, liaison, consultation, contracting, small-scale trade, and APEC card holders entering without a visa
- C-3-5 Treaty-based short-term business: entry for short-term business under agreements (CEPA, FTA — India, Chile)
- C-3-6 Preferred-company invitation: persons invited by companies or bodies designated as preferred enterprises
- C-3-7 Tourism on arrival: persons entering with an arrival visa at the airport
- C-3-8 Overseas Korean visit: those eligible for an overseas Korean visit visa
- C-3-9 General tourism: general tourists not covered by C-3-2
- C-3-10 Pure transit: persons transiting Korea to a third country (not usable for immigration inspection purposes)
Required Documents
- Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34), passport, fee
- Invitation letter or evidence of the purpose of visit
- Evidence of planned departure such as a return ticket
- Evidence of ability to cover costs of stay
- For extensions: evidence of the unavoidable reason (accident, illness, shipment or sailing delay, etc.)
Application Process
- Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
- Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
- Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
- File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
- Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
- Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.
Key Points
- Examples of extension grounds: (1) no vessel available for departure, or unforeseen accident or illness evidenced; (2) entry for visiting relatives or language training with no suspicion of illegal employment (ethnic Koreans, families of marriage migrants, etc.); (3) business visitors affected by shipment or sailing delays; (4) multiple-entry visa holders with circumstances requiring more than the granted period.
- C-3 cannot be issued to persons pursuing profit.
- Documents issued in Korea must normally be dated within 3 months unless another validity period applies.
- Documents already on file in your alien registration record need not be resubmitted.
- Health certificates, drug test results and pre-employment medical reports must be submitted sealed by the issuing hospital (do not open).
- You must be in Korea when applying; leaving the country after filing may result in refusal.
- Screening fees are non-refundable once the application is accepted.
- The head of the Immigration Office may add or waive documents where necessary for review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I stay beyond 90 days on C-3?
A. An extension is possible within 90 days from entry where the activity is within scope, there is no suspicion of illegal employment and the need is recognised.
Q. Which sub-code covers a business trip?
A. Market research, business liaison, consultation, contracting and small-scale trade fall under C-3-4 short-term business.
Q. Can I work on C-3?
A. No. C-3 cannot be issued to persons pursuing profit; employment requires the corresponding work status.
Q. What is this article based on?
A. Requirements, documents and periods in this article follow the Korea Immigration Service (Ministry of Justice) Foreign Residence Guide Manual (March 2026) and the Immigration Act and its Enforcement Decree/Rules (law.go.kr). The manual is supplementary guidance; approval is decided by the reviewing officer. Always confirm your own case with the competent Immigration Office.