Loading page
About this tool
Match the short reason line on a Korean visa result to the rule behind it, and fix the file before the six-month restriction bites.
Korean missions publish a short reason line on the visa portal rather than a reasoned refusal, so this explainer matches that line to the requirement behind it under the Immigration Act and its Enforcement Rules. It covers the causes that account for most refusals - an incomplete or unverifiable document set, financial capacity, an unclear purpose that does not fit the status applied for, doubts about return, and the entry prohibitions in Article 11 - plus K-ETA denials for visa-free travellers. It matters more than usual to get the next application right, because Korean missions commonly refuse to accept a fresh application within six months of a refusal unless circumstances have materially changed.
Open South Korea Visa Rejection Reason Explainer on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Add your input to the workspace.
Adjust the options until the result looks right.
Copy or download the output and put it to work.
Because a rushed resubmission is usually refused on arrival, the checklists are designed to fix the file once and properly.
Each ground names the Immigration Act provision or published requirement it comes from.
A missing certificate is a document problem; a false-document finding or an entry prohibition is a legal one.
Korean missions commonly apply a six-month reapplication restriction from the date of refusal, waived only where circumstances have materially changed - a new job, a new sponsor, a completed course or a resolved record. The exact wording is set by each mission, so read the notice from the one that refused you. Treat the next application as the only one you get for that period and build it completely.
It means the document set required for that status was incomplete, or a document could not be verified with the institution that issued it. Korean missions apply their published checklist literally and rarely come back for a second round, so file issuer-stamped originals, certified translations for anything not in Korean or English, and live contact details for every employer or institution named so that verification calls actually succeed.
It is treated as a serious offence rather than a mistake: it attracts a restriction on visa issuance and an entry prohibition under the Immigration Act, and the finding is recorded against your identity so it appears on later applications. Agents promising a guaranteed outcome are the usual source. If a genuine document was doubted, get written confirmation from the issuer; otherwise take advice from a Korean immigration lawyer before applying again.
No. K-ETA is the electronic travel authorisation for nationals who may enter Korea without a visa, in operation since 1 September 2021, and it is checked by the airline at boarding. A denial blocks visa-free travel but is not a visa refusal and does not carry the six-month restriction. The usual response is to apply for a short-term visit visa at a Korean mission rather than retrying the K-ETA repeatedly.