Are you planning to go on a Seoul-searching trip soon? If so, the application for a Korean tourist visa can only be done via accredited travel agencies starting July 1, 2018.
Apparently, the new system is set in place due to the huge increase of visa application according to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines.
Unlike before when you can simply drop by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines in the McKinley Town Center in Taguig and apply for the visa yourself, the application should be made through any of the following travel agencies.
- Aboex Travel and Tours
- Adventure International
- Ark Travel Express Inc.
- Blue Horizons Travel and Tours Inc.
- Budget Travel and Tours Inc.
- Casto Travel Philippines Inc.
- City Travel & Tours Corporation
- Come On Phils. Golf & Travel Agency Inc.
- Constellation Travels, Inc.
- First United Travel Inc.
- Getaway Tours International Inc.
- Grand Hope Travel, Inc.
- H.I.S (Philippines) Travel Corp.
- Hanatour Manila Inc.
- HankookCeb Corp.
- Horizon Travel & Tours, Inc.
- International Journeys Inc.
- Island Resort Club Tour Services, Inc.
- JTB Asia Pacific Phil. Corp.
- KP Joeun Consultancy Inc.
- Las Palmas Tours and Travel Agency, Inc.
- Marsman Drysdale Travel Inc.
- MNK Travel & Tours Corp.
- North Star International Travel, Inc.
- Pan Pacific Travel Corporation
- Party-On Travel and Tour Community Inc.
- Rajah Travel Corporation
- Rakso Air Travel and Tours Inc.
- Reli Tours and Travel Company
- Sharp Travel Service (Phils.) Inc
- Swire Travel Phils., Inc.
- The Baron Travel Corporation
- Travel Pros
- Travelservices, Inc.
- Uni-Orient Travel, Inc.
Additionally, the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines said:
From July 1, 2018, visa application will be processed through designated travel agencies only due to an increased number of Korean visa applicants. The total number of visa applicants increased from 90,000 in the year 2015 to 120,000 by the end of 2016. In the year 2017, the total number of visa applicants recorded was around 160,000.
This increase in the number of visa applicants caused the applicants to stand in hot weather outside the embassy for hours to wait in line for their turn to apply for respective visas. To avoid such inconvenience, the embassy has designated 35 travel agencies to process temporary visitor’s visa application.
From July 1, 2018, walk-in applicants for temporary visitor’s visa will no longer be accepted. However, the embassy will allow walk-in applicants only for spouses and children of Koreans, holders of visa issuance number, government employees with an official business trip, and for those with humanitarian reason to travel to Korea urgently.
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