Plan your study in Korea anytime up to 3 months before – Research your options
If you are determined to study in Korea, you should contact our staff to learn more about your available options as soon as possible.
Korean language school terms start every March, June, September, and December. We can help you decide what term, city, and schools are best for you! Normally you need to book your spot for school 6 months before. In order to plan your study in Korea and enroll in school in March, you should start the process at the latest in the winter of the previous year.
Once you have decided on a school and when you want to start studying, we’ll send you all the application requirements, what documents you need to prepare, and how to complete each step!
You can start to get a feel for which school is best for you by visiting our website, reading our blog, and checking out our YouTube Channel.
3 – 2 months before – Send your documents and pay tuition
In order to study in Korea for 6 months or more, you will need to apply for a student visa. The application procedure includes several steps which means the process can take a long time.
When you plan your study in Korea, you need to provide a series of documents and evidence to support your application. Our staff will let you know what you need to send based on your individual circumstances. It can take a few weeks to complete this step, depending on your background and on the school requirements and our staff will help you every step of the way.
More importantly, schools have limited spots for language students and they can fill up very quickly, so the sooner you start the process to secure your spot, the better.
Once your application documents are approved, our staff will email you the tuition invoice issued from the school. Once you receive this you need to pay your tuition straight away in order to complete the enrollment procedure. Until you do this step it is impossible to move on with the visa process.
At Go! Go! Hanguk, we recommend to open a Wise account. Wise is an International account for sending, spending and converting money in different currencies. Once you create a Wise account you can order an International debit card that will be shipped to your home and that you can use in 160 countries around the world, with your local currency. Find out more on the official Wise website.
2 months before – Start reviewing Korean
Once your application is confirmed it’s time for you to focus on your Korean skills. There’s not much else you have to do until it’s time to pay the school tuition. If you are a beginner, it’s helpful to at least know Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and how to pronounce Korean words before starting your language course. You will review them in class as well, but it is really helpful if you are already familiar with how Korean looks and sounds!
We recommend our Korean learning app “Hangul Quest” to master Korean with a fun and interactive tool!
If you are not a beginner, make sure to keep reviewing your Korean because you will take a placement test before the term begins. Based on the result of your placement test, you will be assigned to the correct class for your level.
2 – 1 months before – Certificate of Admission and flight ticket
After you have paid the tuition, approximately 1 to 2 months before lessons start the school will send you your CoA (Certificate of Admission). The CoA is the document that you need to submit to the Korean embassy in your country to officially apply for the student visa. We recommend you to go to your local embassy as soon as you get your CoA because depending on how busy your embassy is, it can take time to get your student visa processed. After the embassy has finished issuing your visa, don’t forget to pick it up from the Korean embassy!
Additionally, once your payment is confirmed you should then purchase your flight ticket to Korea. You should aim to arrive no more than 1-2 weeks before school starts, because the student visa will be valid upon your arrival in Korea. The visa length is linked to the school terms you applied for. Meaning that if you arrive 3 weeks before the school starts, and your visa is valid for 6 months, you most likely won’t be able to stay in Korea until the end of the course. So, be careful with this step and ask us for advice if you need it.
1 month before – Accommodation and Korean SIM card
Another important step when you plan your study in Korea is definitely the accommodation. Most of the accommodations give availability around 1 month prior to your arrival date, since in Korea there’s usually only a month’s notice before moving out. Go! Go! Hanguk partners with a wide selection of partners with different accommodation options from goshiwons, to share houses, and homestays, so you can choose the best option for you. Just check out our accommodation page for all of our options and get in touch if you want to know more and are ready to book.
We also offer a mobile SIM card and airport pick-up for when you arrive! Start your life in Korea free of the stress of navigating to your accommodation and having mobile phone service right from the start!
Reach out to our staff to know the details.
3 – 2 weeks before – Pack for Korea!
At this point you should have paid your tuition, acquired your student visa, and booked your accommodation. It’s time to pack your things and get ready for Korea! Here you find a recommended packing list so you don’t forget anything back at home.
Studying in Korea
Don’t forget to double-check with your student coordinator when the first day of school is and to also confirm the school address. Don’t be late on your first day!
Grades and attendance rate will affect your final result at the end of the term and you can only move into the next level if you pass your final exam. When you come to Korea with a student visa, your main purpose according to your immigration status is learning Korean, so you must go to class every day, complete your homework and keep up with your studies.
With a D-4 student visa, it’s possible to work part-time up to 20 hours per week depending on your language ability and attendance at school. However, remember your main priority is studying Korean when on the student visa!
Want to stay longer in Korea?
It’s normally possible to extend your student visa with the same language school if you are maintaining good grades and attendance. You should check with your school, or with your Go! Go! Hanguk student coordinator, whether you can extend your course and for how long.
For any questions about the student visa application procedure or how to plan your study in Korea in advance, contact our Go! Go! Hanguk staff today. We will assist you during the whole process.
If you like to read more about Korean culture, make sure to follow our blog where we cover everything you need to know about Korea or our TikTok for videos!
