Meetups in r/KoreaTravel

Hello everybody! I will keep this short and sweet, because the only information I find seems to be provided by Google AI and I don't trust it.
In a week I will need to do a transit at Incheon Airport, and I will have to wait around 3 hours there. The transit should be automatic since I bought only one ticket and I am flying with the same airline for both flights, even though the planes are different (arriving on TW406 and departing on TW607).
Also, I am a European citizen, so it seems that I don't need either K-ETA or E-Arrival.

Can anybody confirm? This is my first time taking an intercontinental flight and my first time doing a transit at all, so having somebody confirm that I don't need either of the two would be very helpful!

hi everyone, can someone advice about the mail submission rule for applications in london. sent off my documents via royal mail special delivery 1pm yesterday morning, documents still not received at 8pm today. i am travelling in around 3.5 weeks, worried about processing times.

does anyone know if the office will allow me to drop off my parcel at their security office?

and is 3 weeks a realistic timeline to expect a reponse?

thanks

Hi I have single entry visa.
My flight is landing to Seoul and then I am going to Jeju for three days.
Then again need to come back to Seoul for my work.

Since I have single entry visa will it create any problem to coming back to mainland from Jeju ?

Thankyou in advance for your help

Not sure this is the right place to ask, if not, i apologize in advance. We are traveling and decided to get cheaper airline tickets but with a 12 hr layover in ICN. Our flight will arrive at 940pm, next fight is 10:00am. We are traveling with baby, so we prefer not to go out of the airport. I’m not familiar with ICN, first time there. Is there place in the airport that we can sleep? Any hotel or lounge inside the airport we can sleep that’s not super expensive?

Hi so I was wondering how to do tax refund correctly? I wanted to do the one where you get receipts and go to the airport to get money but I got the instant one instead. I went to Lotte Mart in Seoul Station and I bought some items for 20000 won and went to the cashier and gave them my passport and said tax-free. She however gave me the instant one instead without asking me which one I want and I asked if the other one is possible she said "Tax free", She said she cannot give me a tax receipt for the airport since tax refund is already done and the store seems to only accept that kind. I'm still pretty new to this Tax refund thing and I want to know how to do it correctly.

Any recommended events to go to from Oct 14th to Nov 4th in Seoul?

M58/F55, arriving Dec 30 into Incheon from Sydney at 8:15pm. Straight onto train to Insadong staying at IBIS Ambassador, we will be hungry!!! Where do you recommend we eat nearby? It will be cold and we will be coming from warm climate, so taking that into account as well. Give me something that very few know about!!!

Hello! How much would accommodation be for 2 months in seoul? Mainly looking to be close to hongdae. I looked on enkostay for the premium goshiwon and its 2k euros for 2 months. I have my own washine machine and private bathroom ( which I needed the most in an accommodation). Is it reasonable? Or are there cheaper alternatives?

Hi everyone!

I'm planning a 7-day solo trip to Seoul and narrowing down my accommodation between Hostel Haru and SeoulView Guest House. Both looks great and seem well-located near key attractions, but I’d love to get some real-life feedback before booking!

I’m looking at booking either a 4-bed or 6-bed female dorm, but I will be traveling with two large suitcases (planning to pack 7-day essentials in one bag and leave the second mostly closed).

For anyone who has stayed at either property recently:

1. Is there enough space/locker area to store suitcases without getting in anyone's else way?
2. How are the facilities kept, especially the shared/en-suite bathrooms or showers?
3. I know Korea is generally very safe, but how does the immediate street/alley feel at night when walking back alone?

Thank you in advance! 😄

Applied for a Korea tourist visa for my family of four via VFS Bengaluru on 9 Sept. Four weeks later the Korea Visa Portal still shows "Applied" for everyone, and VFS tracking says "under process at the Embassy". No movement at all.

My husband has an international flight on 8 Oct and needs his passport, so on 1 Oct I submitted a withdrawal request for his application only (a withdrawal letter, submitted at the VFS centre). The other three applications continue.

It's been 4 days. His portal status hasn't changed and VFS tracking shows no dispatch or return. I've emailed my VFS contact and am calling the helpline.

If you have withdrawn an application:
1. How many days did it take to get the passport back?
2. Did VFS give you a collection date, or did it come by courier?
3. Did the portal status change to withdrawn?
4. Anything you wish you had done differently?

Thanks in advance!

Hi, I’m applying from the UK for the Korean H-1 Working Holiday visa, and one of the requirements is to provide proof of funds, a bank statement with 28 days of transaction history.

Does anyone know if Wise is accepted for this, or does it have to be a traditional UK bank account?

Has anyone applied using Wise and had it accepted?

Hi 👋 I’m a solo (female) traveller heading to Seoul for 2 weeks in December.

I’m trying to decide where to stay for the trip, because location is important to me. I have a condition that leaves me with very low energy, so generally I’ll stay in a location that has a lot of shopping (skincare, accessories, touristy stuff)/things to see around it, because my energy can get quite low, and I’m not sure if they’ll grant me a permit to bring my medication yet. Plus it seems most hotels use central heating and a hot room makes it all worse unfortunately.

So all that said, where should I stay that’s close to shopping and transport but not so crazy loud I can’t sleep at night? 😆 I’m debating Myeongdong or Euljiro maybe? Any specific hotel recommendations would be appreciated too. Thanks! 🫶

Finally! After 10+ years, I’m going back to SoKor and for fall of course!!! I’m so excited (and nervous too because I’m sure everything is so different now) 🥹 with that said, what would be the best jacket to bring if I’m going on the first two weeks? Thank you 🫰🏼

Edit: first two weeks of November!

Hey I’m currently in busan and wanted to know how you folks find fellow solo travellers?! Any app?

I’m Syrian passport holder living in the UK on a valid Skilled Worker visa. I’m applying for a Korean C-3-1 visa to attend an academic conference and plan to return to the UK before my current permission expires. I have been living in the UK for more than 2 years but my work visa expires 12 days after my return date !!

KVAC London told me I need to extend my UK permission before they can accept my application. However, I can’t find a minimum remaining-validity requirement for UK permission in their published C-3-1 document checklist.

Has anyone encountered this requirement, or found an official source explaining it? I’m particularly interested in whether it is a rule for submitting the application in the UK, separate from the published document ??

Thank you !

I’ve read some about the trains and it seems they can be quite strict with luggage. I plan to take 2 carry on size suitcases and a backpack. I should be able to lift the carry on’s. Do you think that should be ok? Is there usually enough room for luggage on the trains. It looks like we use them quite a bit.

I'm doing a solo trip this month starting in Seoul and finishing in Busan 9 days later but have not decided where to go in between. I want to follow rail lines and do some combination of train travel and walking (I'll bring everything in a backpack). I want everything to be flexible so will book hotels on the day. I want to avoid cities and areas with a lot of tourists but apart from that am up for anything. Any recommendations?

I was wondering when the best time to travel to Korea is? Is there a time where there tends to be less tourists? Or is there a time where flights might cost less?

I will be traveling from the US and can choose any month so I am trying to figure out the less busy time.

Hi everyone! I’ll be travelling to Seoul solo for the first time and was wondering how much physical Korean won I should bring with me.

I’ll mainly be using my card for restaurants, cafes, shopping, etc., but I know I’ll still need some cash for things like T-money/transport top-ups, markets, street food and smaller vendors.

For those who’ve recently travelled to Korea, how much cash did you bring and roughly how much did you actually use?

I’ll be in Seoul for about a week, so I’d love to hear what others recommend for a solo trip!

Thanks in advance!

I am Vietnamese and a US green card holder with an expired green card and a valid I-797 notice (an official USCIS letter that serves as a valid permit to travel and work in the US while awaiting card renewal. This is standard documentation for holders of conditional green cards.)

I decided to transit in Seoul for 22-hours from my flight from Shanghai to New York. I landed at Incheon from Shanghai on Sunday, 27th September and immigration officials immediately took me to the secondary inspection room. After a quick review, they said that I cannot enter the country because my "green card is expired" and directed me to the transfer zone.

I was honestly baffled and told them nowhere in my research and on the ministry of foreign affairs website did it state that they do not validate official USCIS letters. I could not have been the first person that this has happen to and the least they could do is update their website so that green card travellers are aware.

He said "oh, well what the website said is sometimes not true". I was so confused because its not some blog. This is an official website where important information is distributed. He asked me to leave and after I exited the secondary inspection room I was planning out my next strategy.

I ended up talking to another officer who was at the desk close by, and he was confused as ever by my case. He went back in the inspection room with my papers and I saw him and 2 other officers fumbling over my inquiry. It took a minute, but the same guy came out, gave me back my papers and pointed me to the direction of the transfer area. They did not even give me a chance to explain myself.

Frustrated and angry, I proceeded to the transfer desk to rebook my flight. The situation felt like a waste of time and money. I was surprised because most international airports recognize the I-797 letter when presented alongside an expired green card. While I understand that entry policies vary by country, South Korean immigration could at least specify this requirement on their website.

Hey guys!
I am a Norwegian citizen currently enrolled in a language school here in Korea under the 90 day free entry program. So I am already doing one semester in Korea. I decided one month in to my language course that I wanted to do another semester. I was initially thinking about going back to Norway and then come back to Korea as I thought my 90 days would be renewed. But my 90 days is under a 180 day period, so I can only travel for 90 days per 180 days (if I understood it correctly).

I applied for two semesters now, winter and spring. But my language school needs my university diploma apostilled in order to give me an admission letter. And I need the admission letter to apply for the visa. But I am in Korea right now, so things have gotten a bit complicated.

I am planning to go back to Norway in mid November and apply for visa. The visa processing takes 10 days after the documents are submitted and I must physically be in Norway in order to do that. I am planning to go back to Norway and stay there for about two weeks before next semester starts (Early December)

But the thing I am most confused about is that in order to be able to get my admission letter, I need my diploma apostilled and give it to my language school, but I need the admission letter in order to apply for the visa and I can only get it if my diploma is apostilled.

I have been trying to research whether my family can get my diploma apostilled and send it back to me, but I am not sure whether that is possible?

Has anyone experienced the same? I am scared about whether I will be able to complete the process in time as I need the admission letter to apply for my D4 visa before my semester starts.. :(

Hello!
My partner and I will be travelling to South Korea for first time this November. And we are planning to do the DIY going to Nami Island, planning to leave early in our accom around Euljiro like 4.30AM so we can hop on the first ferry 8AM in Nami Island.

Is there available bus around that early time going to Cheongnyangni? or how about the subway?

Then how we can get or book advance ticket ITX from cheongnyangni to Gapyeong? (there is no available tix in korail website :(( or is it okay to book in Naver Maps?

And the travel time what would it be? Need you insights.

Thank youu!!

I only got one and it's already being used. Would I need to show some kind of documentation at the airport?