Short-term general visit (Family/Relatives) — C-3-1 sticker visa Verified 2026-06-09South Korea Family / Friends Visit Visa
General-visit (C-3-1) short-stay visa for Indians visiting family or relatives in South Korea for up to 90 days, on an invitation from a relative or friend resident in Korea.
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the South Korea visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Processing
New Delhi
Stay Duration
Up to 90 days per visit
Starting Fee
₹3,400
Apply At
3 VFS centres
Your whole South Korea Family Visit Visa,
handled for one honest price.
A strong South Korea file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.
All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges
File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents
5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min
Everything below — included, nothing extra
- Document checklist
- Application form guidance
- Document review
- Cover letter
- Purpose of travel structure
- Financial proof review
- Sponsor document guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Post-submission guidance
Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee.
Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.
Your fee, in one glance
What the ₹13,999 fee covers for a South Korea file
- We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
- We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
- We read your documents against each other, not against a list
- Financial proof review
- Purpose of travel structuring
- Cover letter / explanation support
- Return ties review
- Sponsor / invitation guidance
- Application form guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Biometrics guidance
- Post-submission support
Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every South Korea visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1Passport must be the original and valid for at least 6 months, with blank pages for the visa. Carry photocopies of the data page.
- 2Two-step process: first complete the application on the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr), then print, sign and submit it in person (or via a representative/agent) at the VFS Global Korea Visa Application Centre — New Delhi or Kolkata.
- 3One recent colour photograph, 35–40 mm wide, taken within the last 6 months against a bright/white background, close-up of the head and top of shoulders so the face fills 70–80% of the frame, sharp and clear with no ink marks or creases.
- 4Jurisdiction matters: applicants in northern/most of India apply through New Delhi; eastern-India applicants apply through Kolkata. Processing times differ (New Delhi faster).
- 5Submission timings at VFS: individual applicants/representatives 09:00–13:00; travel agents 09:00–12:00. For more than 5 applications, give pre-intimation to VFS before submission.
- 6Health Condition Report Form and Declaration Form are mandatory for short-stay (C-3) applications — download, fill and sign both before submission.
- 7Bank statements should cover the last 6 months; if you have no Income Tax Return, attach a written explanatory note in its place.
- 8Express service is available (New Delhi 5 working days, Kolkata 7). Yellow-passport / Identity Certificate holders cannot use express service (minimum 15 working days).
Who Can Apply
- Indians visiting relatives or family members resident in South Korea
- Applicants visiting friends in Korea on a verifiable invitation
- Visitors for sports, art & culture, seminars or conferences (C-3-1 A category)
- Applicants able to show occupation, ITR and a 6-month bank statement
Not eligible under this visa:
- Anyone intending to work or earn income in Korea
- Applicants without a verifiable invitation and relationship proof
- Stays longer than 90 days
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to South Korea / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Visa fee — short-term single entry (under 90 days) | ₹3,400 |
| Visa fee — double entry | ₹5,950 |
| Visa fee — multiple entry | ₹7,650 |
| VFS service charge | ₹1,380 |
| Optional courier (return of passport) | ₹550 |
Visa fees shown are for Indian nationals applying from India and are non-refundable regardless of the outcome. Entry type (single / double / multiple) is granted at the discretion of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, New Delhi — applying for multiple entry does not guarantee it. The VFS service charge (₹1,380) and optional courier (₹550) are additional and payable in cash/credit/debit card at submission. Fees are subject to change without notice — confirm on the VFS Global Korea India page (visaforkorea-id.com) before applying.
Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary
What South Korea actually requires — and what it does not.
Japan requires a day-by-day schedule on its own official form — the most structured itinerary requirement anywhere.
3 of 4 are compulsory for South Korea
Flight reservation
A confirmed round-trip reservation, with dates matching the Schedule of Stay form exactly.
Where people slip: A reservation whose dates drift by even one day from the schedule form. The two are read side by side.
How to hold a flight without payingHotel booking
Accommodation with address and telephone number for every night, entered on the Schedule of Stay.
Where people slip: Leaving a night blank because of an overnight train. Write the train in — a blank line is what gets the file returned.
Refundable hotel booking, explainedTravel insurance
Not a visa requirement, but strongly advised: Japan has no reciprocal health arrangement with India and treatment is charged in full.
Where people slip: Assuming a short trip is low risk. Ambulance and hospital costs in Japan are among the world's highest.
What the cover must actually sayTravel itinerary
The official Schedule of Stay, completed day by day, naming each city and each night's accommodation.
Where people slip: Treating it as a formality. It is the document the officer reads most closely, and inconsistencies are the usual reason for a return.
The letter your itinerary attaches toWe arrange all four for your South Korea file.
We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Passport & Application
3 items- Original passport (valid 6 months or more)Required
- Application form filled online on the Korea Visa Portal, printed and signedRequired
- One recent colour photograph per spec (35–40 mm)Required
Invitation & Relationship Proof
3 items- Invitation letter from the relative/friend in KoreaRequired
- Inviter's government-approved IDRequired
- Proof of family relationship (for family visit)Required
C-3-1 B. For sports/art/culture invitations, a Business/Organisation Registration Certificate is provided instead.
Occupation Proof (as applicable)
4 items- Salaried: Employment Certificate + 6 months' salary slips
- Business: Company Registration Certificate + MSME / business profile form
- Student: Bonafide certificate
- Sport/Art: Awards / certificates
Financial Proof
2 items- Income Tax Return — individuals: 2 years; business: personal ITR 3 years (company ITR optional)Required
If no ITR, attach a written explanatory letter.
- Personal bank statement for the last 6 monthsRequired
Mandatory Forms
2 items- Health Condition Report Form (signed)Required
- Declaration Form (signed)Required
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
5 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Get the invitation & relationship proof
Obtain an invitation letter from your relative/friend in Korea, their government-approved ID, and proof of your family relationship.
- 02
Fill the application online
Complete the application on the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr), then print and sign it.
- 03
Assemble the documents
Add occupation proof, ITR (or explanatory note), 6-month bank statement, and the signed Health Condition and Declaration forms.
- 04
Submit at VFS Global
Submit at the VFS Korea Visa Application Centre and pay the visa fee plus the ₹1,380 VFS service charge.
- 05
Collect your passport
Collect from VFS or by optional courier and check the visa details.
What works
3 levers that flip a borderline case.
- Include clear relationship proof (e.g. birth/marriage records) that links you to the inviter — this is the crux of a family-visit case.
- If the inviter is bearing your costs, have them say so in the invitation; otherwise show your own strong bank statement.
- Keep your own ties to India (job/business/family) well documented to show you will return.
What kills cases
Top 3 refusal triggers we see.
- 1Insufficient or unexplained funds — 6-month bank statement does not credibly cover the trip
- 2Weak ties to India — no convincing job, business, ITR or family proof of return intent
- 3Incomplete or inconsistent documentation, or unsigned Health Condition / Declaration forms
Download official forms
Each link opens the official South Korea page on VFS Global (we never host third-party forms): pick your visa category there and use its "Download Form" section for the current version.
Korea Visa Application Form — Korea Visa Portal (online)
Complete the application online on the Korea Visa Portal, then print and sign it. The printed, signed form is submitted at the VFS centre. (Many applicants reach the portal via www.visaforkorea-id.com.)
Health Condition Report Form
Mandatory self-declaration of health condition. Available at the visa centre and online.
Declaration Form
Mandatory applicant declaration. Available at the visa centre and online.
VFS application centres
Quiz not yet available for this visa type
We're actively building per-visa quizzes. For now, the best way to assess your eligibility for South Korea Family / Friends Visit Visa is a 1-on-1 consultation with our team.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight
The C-3-1 general-visit short-stay visa (Family Visit, category B). It allows a stay of up to 90 days and requires an invitation from your relative/friend in Korea plus relationship proof.
An invitation letter, their government-approved ID, and documents proving your family relationship. For sports/art/culture invitations the inviting organisation provides a Business/Organisation Registration Certificate instead.
Yes. You should still submit your occupation proof, Income Tax Returns and a 6-month bank statement. Even if the host bears costs, your own ties to India help prove you will return.
₹3,400 single entry plus a ₹1,380 VFS service charge. Processing is indicatively 10 working days in New Delhi (5 express) and 12 in Kolkata (7 express).
Reviewed by Paramjit Singh, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.
How we get it done
Your South Korea South Korea Family / Friends Visit Visa, from your first message to your passport back.
5 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.
Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.
+My relative in South Korea is inviting and sponsoring me. What do they need to send?
An invitation naming you and the relationship, proof of their own status in South Korea (residence permit, passport or citizenship), proof of address, and — if they are paying — their income evidence and a formal undertaking. Several countries have a specific sponsorship form; using a plain letter where a prescribed form exists gets the file bounced. Send us their documents together with yours: the two sides have to agree with each other, and mismatched addresses or dates between sponsor and applicant are one of the quietest refusal causes.
+Does having close family settled abroad make my visa harder?
It is the question officers probe hardest on a family visit, because a visitor visa turns on whether you will come back. It is not a bar — thousands of these are approved every month — but it has to be answered rather than ignored. The answer is your own life here: your job or business, your dependants, your property, your bookings. A file that names the relative and then says nothing about your ties invites the officer to assume the obvious.
+How long does a South Korea South Korea Family / Friends Visit Visa take, start to finish?
Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. South Korea currently states New Delhi: 10 working days (5 express). Kolkata: 12 working days (7 express). Indicative only. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
+How much of what I pay for the South Korea visa is actually your fee?
Most of it is not ours. The South Korea government fee (currently ₹3,400) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.
+How does SureshotVisa handle my South Korea South Korea Family / Friends Visit Visa, from first message to passport back?
You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (South Korea currently states New Delhi: 10 working days (5 express). Kolkata: 12 working days (7 express). Indicative only.). Government and visa-centre fees (₹3,400 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.
Before you file
A South Korea South Korea Family / Friends Visit Visa goes one of two ways.
Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same South Korea rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.
Other South Korea Visa Types
South Korea Tourist Visa
Short-stay (C-3-9) tourist visa for Indians visiting South Korea for up to 90 days — sightseeing, sightseeing tours, K-culture trips and short visits. Applied online on the Korea Visa Portal and submitted through VFS Global.
View guideSouth Korea Business Visa
Short-term business (C-3-4) visa for Indians travelling to South Korea for meetings, consultations, contracts, market research or inspection — for stays under 90 days, on an invitation from a Korean company.
View guideSouth Korea Student Visa
Long-term student visa (D-2 degree study / D-4 general training & language) for Indians studying in South Korea for more than 90 days, on a Standard Admission Certificate from a Korean institution.
View guideSouth Korea Work / Employment Visa (Information Only)
Overview of South Korea's employment visa categories (short-term C-4, long-term E-series, job-seeker D-10). SureshotVisa guides you through this route and, once you hold your own job offer or employer sponsorship, prepares and files the visa application — we are not a recruiting agent, so the offer must be yours.
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global South Korea website and Embassy of South Korea. Last verified 2026-06-09. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.
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