Korea E-10 Vessel Crew Visa — Coastal, Fishing and Cruise Crew

Overview

E-10 (Vessel Crew Employment) applies to foreign nationals employed in Korea as ratings under Article 2(6) of the Seafarers Act aboard coastal vessels, fishing vessels or cruise ships.

Previously grouped with E-9 under the simple-labour guideline, E-10 — which is not covered by the Employment Permit System — now has its own separate guideline.

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Employment in Korea as coastal vessel crew
• Employment as crew on fishing vessels of 20 tons or more
• Employment as crew on cruise ships of 2,000 tons or more

Who Qualifies

• Coastal crew (E-10-1): ratings contracted for six months or more with operators of scheduled/unscheduled coastal passenger or coastal cargo services under the Marine Transportation Act (coastal merchant ships of 5 gross tons or more, excluding fishing vessels)
• Fishing crew (E-10-2): ratings contracted for six months or more with operators of set-net fisheries, offshore fisheries using powered vessels, or catch-transport businesses under the Fisheries Act (vessels of 20 tons or more)
• Cruise crew (E-10-3): ratings contracted for six months or more with a Korean-flag cruise operator, serving on cruise ships of 2,000 gross tons or more

Required Documents

• Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34), passport and ARC, fee
• Seafarer employment contract and copy of the business registration certificate
• Foreign seafarer employment recommendation (E-10-1 and E-10-3: Korea Shipping Association; E-10-2: National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives)
• Letter of identity guarantee
• Proof of residence (lease contract, accommodation confirmation, etc.)
• For alien registration, also: coastal passenger/cargo business licence or registration, health check and drug test results (sealed), and proof of industrial accident or accident insurance

Application Process

1. Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
2. Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
3. Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
4. File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
5. Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
6. Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.

Key Points

• E-10 is outside the Employment Permit System and follows a separate guideline.
• E-9 and E-10 holders may study without a separate permit, but cannot change status to D-2 after their stay ends — they must obtain a visa abroad and re-enter.
• Status change from E-10 to certain other statuses is restricted.
• 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

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