As of January 3, 2023, individuals applying for a South Korean visa in the Philippines *must* schedule an appointment with the South Korean Embassy first. While the Embassy, in the same announcement, abolishes the exclusive authorization of accredited travel agencies to submit visa applications, applications can still be coursed through them provided that the applicant or the agency secures an appointment slot in advance.
Securing that appointment slot is crucial because without one, you will not be allowed to enter the Embassy and submit your visa application.
What to do? Eotteokhae?
1. As of February 13, 2023, the Embassy now allows individuals to register for a Consular Services 24 English website account. Although not required, registering is recommended to avoid delays during the reservation process due to delayed authentication emails.
2. Next, determine the type of visa you need. You will be asked to specify this later when you've reached the website's booking page.
3. Know when appointment slots for the visa become available. The Embassy opens new slots on the last Thursday of each month at 9:00 AM.
4. On the day of booking appointment slots, head on over to https://consul.mofa.go.kr/en/main.do and click the "Reservation" to visit a diplomatic mission."
If you go to the website about an hour or less before 9:00 AM, chances are you will be directed to a virtual "waiting room."
5. After passing through the virtual waiting room, you will reach the "Log in" page. If the page appears in Korean, use the screenshots here for reference.
If you haven't registered:
Under the Non-Membership Log In, click "Consent to All Terms and Conditions of Use." After reading and agreeing to the terms and conditions in the pop-up, click "Confirm."
Next, fill in the required information in the fields. The authentication number may take time to receive due to the high volume. Do not refresh the page or you will need to start over. Sometimes, even after receiving the code, the website may show a "System Failure" message. When that happens, there is no choice but to start again.
If you've already registered:
Under User Log in, key in your email address, password, and captcha before clicking on the "Log In" button.
6. Once inside the booking page. You need to:
a. Select "Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines" from the first dropdown. For registered users, this is already pre-selected for you.
b. Select a consular service. Here you will need to choose the correct visa type you are applying for, as mentioned earlier. Don't forget to tick the box that appears underneath this dropdown;
c. Use the calendar to select the date and time you want to book your appointment.
At the bottom of the page, you will need to confirm the details you've provided. In the "Note" section, don't forget to indicate your passport number.
If you are applying on behalf of your immediate family, you will also need to type in their names and passport number. If you are applying through an agency, you will also need to provide the name of the agency staff designated to submit the papers on your behalf.
7. Once you have verified all the information, all that's left is to click the "Reserve" button. Your booking confirmation will appear in a pop-up. You can also see it under the "Check Reservation" tab. You will also receive the confirmation via email.
Then, the next thing to do is gather your documents and submit them to the Embassy on your appointment date.
Patience is a virtue!
The entire experience is like buying a concert ticket to your favorite K-pop group—only it's about 5x more intense. In my experience, I was only able to secure an appointment about five hours after my first attempt. Hopefully, the announcement about the registration makes it easier from now on.
Do remember that you are only allowed to include up to 5 immediate family members in your booking. If you're going on a trip with your friends, they will have to secure a booking with the Embassy on their own.
As much as possible, you are not allowed to cancel your appointment. But if it's really inevitable, you will need to go to the "Check Reservation" tab.
Click on your reservation number, and then type “Reservation Cancellation” in the Notes field.
If you miss your appointment without requesting this cancellation, you will be blacklisted from the website.
May the odds ever be in your favor, fellow travelers!
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