Guide
The D-4 Korean language visa
The D-4-1 is the visa for studying Korean at a university language institute. The documents are manageable, the bank balance is the question everyone asks, and the attendance rule is the trap nobody warns you about. Here is all of it.
This guide covers the visa for a Korean language year. If you are entering a degree program, you need the D-2 student visa instead. Visa rules change and embassies differ, so treat this as the map, and confirm the current requirements with HiKorea and the Korean embassy that serves you.
- D-4-1 is for university-affiliated language institutes only. Korean embassies state that private academies (hagwons) do not qualify.
- You need it for programs longer than 90 days. A single 10-week term can sometimes be done visa-free, depending on your nationality.
- The benchmark bank balance is 10,000,000 KRW (about USD 7,400) for Seoul-area institutes, 8,000,000 KRW elsewhere, under the Ministry of Justice standard. Your embassy's stated figure may differ.
- A parent's account is fine, with a document proving the family relationship.
- The visa comes in 6-month chunks, up to 2 years total for language study, extended from inside Korea via HiKorea.
- Attendance is the kill switch: at or below 70 percent, extensions get hard; below 50 percent, your language stay is effectively over.
D-2 vs D-4: which one do you need?
| D-2 | D-4-1 | |
|---|---|---|
| For | Degree programs (bachelor's, master's, PhD, research) | Korean language study at a university institute |
| Sponsor | The university admitting you | The university's language institute |
| Stay granted | Up to 2 years at a time | Up to 6 months at a time |
| Maximum stay | Length of your program | 2 years of language study in total |
| Part-time work | Permit available, more generous hours | Permit available, stricter limits |
If you finish the language program and get admitted to a degree, you can switch from D-4 to D-2 from inside Korea. That change is covered in the language year to degree guide.
Who qualifies, and the two-term rule
The baseline eligibility is a high school diploma or equivalent, plus admission to a Korean language program operated by a university or other higher-education institution. The visa exists for study that runs longer than 90 days, which in practice means two or more 10-week terms: institutes issue the Standard Certificate of Admission, the document the visa is built on, for students who register for two or more terms. Yonsei's institute, for example, states it issues the certificate only for two semesters or more, and Ewha states the same two-term minimum for D-4 sponsorship.
If you only want one term, check whether your nationality can enter Korea visa-free or with K-ETA for up to 90 days, and ask your embassy; the how to apply guide covers that decision.
The document checklist
The core set, drawn from Korean embassy checklists current in 2026:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Visa application form | The e-form from visa.go.kr, printed and signed |
| Passport + copy | Valid at least 6 months |
| Photo | Passport style, taken within 6 months |
| Certificate of Admission | The Standard Admission Certificate from the institute, valid 3 months from issue |
| Institute's business registration certificate | Copy, issued by the institute with your admission papers |
| Financial proof | Bank statements or balance certificate; scholarship certificate if funded |
| Family relation document | Only if the money is in a parent's account (e.g. your birth certificate) |
| Proof of education | Final education certificate; required by many embassies |
| TB test certificate | Only for nationals of designated high TB-burden countries |
| Visa fee | Varies by nationality and embassy (roughly USD 45 to 60) |
The bank balance, exactly
The figure used inside Korea is set by the Ministry of Justice: since July 2023 the review standard for language trainees is a balance of 10,000,000 KRW for institutes in the Seoul capital region and 8,000,000 KRW for institutes elsewhere (for degree students the figures are 20 and 16 million). The change to KRW-denominated standards was announced in the government's official policy briefing.
Three practical points:
- Recency: embassies commonly ask for the last three months of statements, and for in-Korea procedures a balance certificate should be issued within 30 days. The balance is expected to be maintained, not borrowed for a screenshot; immigration can re-check.
- Whose account: your own or a parent's. With a parent's account, include a document proving the relationship, such as a birth certificate.
- Embassy variation: individual missions publish their own figures, and some are lower than the MOJ standard (one US consulate's 2026 checklist asks for a USD 5,000 minimum). The number that governs you is the one your embassy states.
Applying: where and how long
The D-4 is applied for at a Korean embassy or consulate; it is not one of the categories you can get as an e-visa on the Korea Visa Portal. The sequence:
- Get admitted and receive the Standard Certificate of Admission (after paying tuition, at most institutes).
- Fill in the visa e-form at visa.go.kr, print it, and book or visit your embassy per its procedure.
- Submit the documents and fee. Processing time varies widely by mission: some embassies publish 4 to 10 working days, others 3 to 4 weeks. There is typically no express option.
- Receive a single-entry visa, valid 3 months for entry.
That processing spread is why the application timeline tells you to apply to the institute about three months before term.
Extensions, the two-year cap, and attendance
The D-4-1 is granted in periods of up to 6 months, so a full language year means extending from inside Korea. Extensions are filed at your regional immigration office or online through HiKorea, from two months before your status expires, with a 60,000 KRW fee. You will show enrollment for the next term, your attendance record, and financial proof (waived for students at accredited universities with attendance above 70 percent).
Two hard rules from the Ministry of Justice's international-student guidelines:
- Language study is capped at 2 years in total. The language year can become two, but not three.
- Attendance decides everything. At or below 70 percent attendance, an extension is granted once only, with a written explanation. Repeat low attendance means no further extension, and below 50 percent the extension is refused outright barring genuine force majeure. Separately, institutes themselves typically require about 80 percent attendance just to pass to the next level.
After you land: the first 90 days
- Residence card (ARC): stays over 90 days require registering at your regional immigration office within 90 days of entry. Book the visit through HiKorea; the fee is 35,000 KRW.
- Health insurance: foreigners staying past six months are enrolled in the national health insurance system (NHIS). Language trainees are enrolled from six months after entry, and the international student rate is around 79,000 KRW per month in 2026 after the student reduction. Unpaid premiums can block your next extension.
- TB test, again: nationals of the designated high TB-burden countries need the certificate not just for the visa but also at registration, extension, or status change.
- Money for all this is itemized in the cost guide.
What to do next
- Get the admission sorted first: the how to apply guide covers deadlines and documents.
- Budget the year, including the balance you must show, with the cost guide.
- If you plan to work a few hours a week, read the part-time work rules before you accept any job.
- Confirm current requirements on HiKorea and your embassy's site.