Having to go through additional visa processing times due to COVID-19 is not fun, but it’s something we as consumers should be accustomed to these days. With all of the traveling that people do today, there are more instances of visas being delayed or denied than ever before.
Luckily, most major airlines offer customers flight refund benefits if they are within 90 days of their trip. What many don’t know is that some of those refunds include VISA REFUND!
If you are looking into spending time in South Korea during one of our Great Escape Tours, check out our list below of what day visa processing means and how to apply for your visa refund.
This article will help you determine if you are eligible for a visa refund and if so, how much money you will receive! If you have any questions at all, feel free to leave a comment down below or contact us directly via our website or social media.
The length of time it takes for your visa to come through is dependent mostly on two things; how much money you have to spend, and what country they are in. Some countries process visas faster than others.
Some places don’t even require an appointment before processing your visa, whereas other nations like South Africa do! This also varies from embassy to embassy within a nation.
Mostly, this depends on budget and staff size. Larger embassies that pay their employees more may have faster turnaround times. More experienced workers can also make sure everything is done correctly the first time around.
Business people who know the exact day of their next meeting probably have tighter deadlines than someone with less schedule certainty.
By being aware of these factors, you will know when to expect your passport to arrive at its destination.
Even though most people use their Korean visas to travel to South Korea, your visa can actually be used anywhere in the world! This is very important to know as there are several countries that require you to have a valid visa before entering. Some of these locations include China, Japan, Russia, and North Korea!
If this happens, then unfortunately your trip may need to be cut short or even cancelled completely. Unfortunately, Korea does not offer any kind of tourist visa that allows entry into these other countries without a full-fledged business trip or vacation.
This article will go over some helpful tips about how to stay ahead of the game when it comes to visa processing in foreign lands. These tips will cover both pre-trip research as well as what to do while waiting in Korea for your visa to come through.
This week we will talk about how long it takes to process your visa in South Korea. So, what is the deal with this question? Consulates around the world have publically stated that there are set time frames for visa processing, but they never tell you exactly when!
There can be significant delays due to many different factors outside of their control, so they list an approximate time frame as if people would know what that means. It’s kind of like asking someone where they live and then telling them it could take longer than expected because traffic was bad today.
Many times, the consulate staff has to wait for resources or things come up and get left out of the equation when calculating waiting times. These things include technology equipment, documents from other countries, etc.
On top of that, some nationalities require additional documentation or verification which also adds to the delay. But, none of these reasons are factually related to the country itself, just personal situations for those individuals working at the consulate.
As mentioned before, it can be difficult to source quality information regarding how long it takes Korean immigration companies to process visas. This is especially true if you are looking at online forums or chat groups where people give their own estimates as to when they were last contacted or what time of day they left messages for others.
As such, we recommend being cautious about these times. They may not be completely accurate!
Furthermore, some companies make false promises about how fast their services will complete which leaves you with no option but to wait for hours only to find out that your documents have been lost forever or that your money has been wasted on a fake promise.
This article will talk more in depth about some of the reasons why it is important to use a professional visa processing company in Korea and some potential risks you could face by doing so yourself.
Now that you have received word from us about how many days it will take to process your visa, your next step should be checking your passport. This is an easy task as most countries require at least six months of validity for travel with a visa.
If this is not the case then there are still ways to stay in Asia! You can either buy or make use of another passport which has less than six month validity. More information on this can be found here.
We recommend holding off on applying for a new visa until later so that you do not need to start the application process twice. Once again, we will update this article when more info is available!
Since staying longer than three months requires you to apply for a long term visa, we suggest doing so once you have gathered enough money to spend in the country. Having proof of adequate funds can help avoid having to pay overage fees due to extra time needed to process the visa.
It is very important to know where your visa expires before you leave for Korea. You do not want to find out once in-country that you are unable to enter because of expiration!
Some countries will allow you to overstay their visa by just one day, but some require at least two weeks to process exit visas so that you can depart safely. Some even ask for an extra passport photo which can be tricky if you don’t have one already!
Luckily, there's something easy you can do to avoid this. Most embassies and consulates offer daily visa processing services. This means that they'll hold your documents and paperwork until time for departure, at which point you can pick them up from the window or desk with you.
This way, you don't need to wait for your return trip home to gather all your things and go get the new photos taken.
If you run into major visa complications in South Korea, then you should know that it is very important to stay calm and level-headed.
Running through all of these steps can take hours, not minutes!
That’s why it is so crucial to talk to other travelers about what was successful for them when dealing with Korean visas.
By asking around, you will get some great tips and tricks from people who have done business in the country before.
Most countries will require you to have proof of your return trip before issuing you with a visa. This is called pre-visa inspection. You can usually do this at the airport, but it is better to visit them in their home country as well.
Some Consulates and Embassies may even ask you to bring more documents than what is listed above so they are able to inspect everything fully. This could mean having to buy additional items like plane tickets or car rentals!
The length of time required for processing varies from nation to nation and sometimes within the same country depending on how busy their schedule is.
We recommend being prepared by bringing your passport, visa application form, photo identification (like a driver’s license or passport), and if possible, an appointment at the Embassy or Consulate.
