---
title: "D-2 Student Visa Korea 2025: How to Study at a Korean University"
url: "https://expertsapiens.com/en/blog/korea-d2-student-visa-complete-guide-2025/"
published: "2026-04-21T00:00:00+00:00"
updated: "2026-03-14T17:05:08.530301+00:00"
author: "Mr. Visa Korea"
category: "immigration"
tags: ["mrvisakorea", "immigration", "d2", "student-visa"]
description: "The D-2 is the primary visa for degree-seeking students at Korean universities — bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and exchange programs. This guide covers who qualifies, how to apply, scholarship options, and what comes after graduation."
license: "all-rights-reserved"
---

# D-2 Student Visa Korea 2025: How to Study at a Korean University

## What Is the D-2 Visa?

The **D-2 (Student)** visa is issued to foreign nationals who have been admitted to a degree program at an accredited Korean university or graduate school. It covers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, master's programs, doctoral programs, and exchange/visiting student programs. It is **not** for language school enrollment — that's the D-4.

Korea's universities have become increasingly popular for international students, offering world-class programs in engineering, medicine, business, and the arts — and often at significantly lower tuition than equivalent programs in North America, Europe, or Australia.

## D-2 Subtypes

<table><thead><tr><th>Code</th><th>Program Type</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>D-2-1</td><td>Associate degree (2-year college)</td></tr><tr><td>D-2-2</td><td>Bachelor's degree (4-year university)</td></tr><tr><td>D-2-3</td><td>Master's degree</td></tr><tr><td>D-2-4</td><td>Doctoral degree</td></tr><tr><td>D-2-5</td><td>Research scholar / post-doc</td></tr><tr><td>D-2-6</td><td>Exchange / visiting student</td></tr><tr><td>D-2-8</td><td>Degree program at an overseas university's Korean campus</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Eligibility Requirements

-   **Admission letter** from an accredited Korean university — this is the core requirement
-   **Sufficient funds**: bank balance of at least ₩20 million (~$15,000) in your name or a financial guarantee letter from a parent/sponsor with equivalent funds. This covers the first year of tuition and living expenses.
-   **Previous academic qualification**: high school graduation for bachelor's; bachelor's degree for master's; master's for doctoral
-   **Korean or English proficiency**: most universities require either TOPIK Level 3+ for Korean-taught programs or TOEFL/IELTS for English-taught programs. Requirements vary by institution.

## How to Apply: Step by Step

1.  **Get admitted to a Korean university** — apply directly through the university's international office. Most have English-language application portals. Application deadlines are typically September–November for spring semester (March) and March–May for fall semester (September).
2.  **Receive your official admission letter** — this is issued by the university after acceptance
3.  **Apply for D-2 visa** at the Korean consulate in your home country. Bring your admission letter, financial proof, and supporting documents.
4.  **Processing time: 3–7 business days** at most consulates
5.  **Arrive in Korea and register your ARC** within 90 days — bring your enrollment certificate (재학증명서) to the immigration office
6.  **Renew each year** — D-2 is renewed to match your enrollment period. Bring a current enrollment certificate at each renewal.

## Required Documents

-   Passport (valid 6+ months)
-   Visa application form
-   1 passport-size photo
-   Official admission letter from Korean university (sealed or stamped)
-   Bank statement showing ₩20 million+ or financial guarantee letter
-   Academic transcript and diploma from previous institution (translated + apostilled if required by consulate)
-   Language test certificate (if required by your consulate)
-   Visa fee (~$40–80)

## Scholarship Options

Korea has some of the world's most generous scholarship programs for international students:

-   **GKS (Global Korea Scholarship / 국비유학생)**: Full scholarship covering tuition, living allowance (₩900,000–₩1,000,000/month), airfare, Korean language training, and health insurance. Highly competitive. Apply through the Korean embassy in your country.
-   **KAIST, POSTECH, GIST, DGIST, UNIST**: These science and technology universities offer full scholarships to most admitted international graduate students, including tuition waiver and monthly stipend.
-   **University scholarships**: SNU, Yonsei, Korea, SKKU, Hanyang, and others offer merit-based partial scholarships ranging from 20–100% tuition waiver for high-achieving international students.
-   **Korean Government STEM Track**: Additional scholarships for students in semiconductor, AI, biotech, and advanced manufacturing — Korea's strategic industries.

## Part-Time Work on D-2

D-2 holders can work part-time in Korea with a **work permit (체류자격외 활동허가)** issued by the immigration office. Conditions:

-   Maximum **20 hours/week** during semesters
-   Unlimited hours during official university vacation periods
-   No work in entertainment, massage, or certain other restricted categories

Apply for the work permit at the immigration office with your enrollment certificate and ARC. The permit is typically valid for 1 year and renewable.

## After Graduation: D-10 Job Seeker Visa

When you graduate from a Korean university on D-2, you can apply for a **D-10 (Job Seeker)** visa to stay in Korea and search for employment for up to 6 months. If you find a qualifying job, you can then change status to E-7 without leaving Korea.

This D-2 → D-10 → E-7 pathway is the most common route for international graduates who want to build their career in Korea.

_Source: Korea Immigration Service, National Institute for International Education (NIIED) | Last verified: March 2026_

_This article is for informational purposes only. University admission requirements vary. Consult your university's international office and a visa specialist for guidance._