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Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul

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South Korea

South Korea visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

VisitVisaInfo Editorial Team

Guides built from official government and embassy sources.

Last updated

On this page
  1. Document requirements
  2. Fees and timeline
  3. Fees
  4. Timeline
  5. How to apply
  6. Visa ratio
  7. FAQ
  8. Official sources
  9. Related guides

South Korea · Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul · kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0

Summary

Embassy visa required
Visa type
Short-term visit visa (C-3): general tourist (C-3-9), short-term visit (C-3-1) or business (C-3-4), applied for in person at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Islamabad and granted as a label-free Visa Grant Notice
Stay limit
Up to 90 days on a short-term C-3 visa
Entries
Single entry

Pakistani nationals with an ordinary passport must obtain a visa to enter South Korea, the Korean embassy in Islamabad states; only diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt for stays under 90 days. Applicants must appear in person at the embassy to submit their own application. Tourists apply for the general tourist visa (C-3-9), which allows up to 90 days, while family visits, meetings and conferences fall under C-3-1 and business trips under C-3-4, both needing notarised invitation and guarantee papers from Korea. The fee is Rs.12,000, and processing takes at least 8 weeks. No visa label is stuck in the passport: approved applicants print a Visa Grant Notice from visa.go.kr.

South Korea is a long-haul trip from Pakistan, and it is one of the destinations where the visa needs the most planning. Pakistani citizens holding an ordinary passport must get a visa before travelling, and the application has to be handed in personally at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Islamabad. There is no visa on arrival or online application route for Pakistani passports.

The embassy’s notice on visas for Pakistani nationals sets out the rule plainly: ordinary passport holders need a visa, while diplomatic and official passport holders can stay under 90 days without one. Holiday travellers use the general tourist visa, C-3-9, which allows up to 90 days. Family visits, meetings and conferences fall under the short-term visit visa, C-3-1, and business trips under C-3-4.

The embassy takes applications Monday to Friday between 9:30 and 11:30 and says processing takes at least 8 weeks. The fee is Rs.12,000 for a single-entry visa of under 90 days. Korea no longer puts visa labels in passports; if you are approved, you look up and print a Visa Grant Notice on visa.go.kr and show it with your passport at immigration.

A tourist file is detailed. Bring your passport with a copy, a hand-signed application form, one colour photo, a statement of purpose, return flight and hotel reservations, an itinerary and six months of bank statements. Add proof of your job or studies, identity papers such as a family registration certificate, and any visas or stamps from earlier trips abroad. For C-3-1 and C-3-4 visas, the host in Korea must post notarised invitation and guarantee letters.

Korea publishes no approval rate for Pakistani applicants. The embassy is not required to explain a refusal, and you must wait 3 months before reapplying, so a complete first application matters. Keep an eye on the embassy’s visa announcement board, where it posts fee notices and changes such as the move to label-free visas.

Checklist

Document requirements

  • Passport valid for at least six months, original and a photocopy
  • Visa application form filled in and signed by hand by the applicant (correct version from the embassy website or the Korea Visa Portal)
  • One recent passport-size colour photograph
  • Statement of purpose for the visit
  • Round-trip flight reservation and hotel reservation
  • Travel itinerary
  • Bank statement showing at least six months of transactions (personal and company)
  • Proof of employment or occupation, such as an employment certificate, payslips, student enrolment certificate or business registration
  • Identity-related documents such as a family relationship certificate, marriage certificate or police clearance report
  • Proof of travel to third countries, such as visas or immigration stamps in your passport

This list is for the general tourist visa (C-3-9), from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Islamabad. For C-3-1 and C-3-4 visits, the inviter in Korea must send an original notarised invitation and an original notarised guarantee letter, and business applicants add NTN or tax-payer proof, six months of company and personal bank statements and proof of the business relationship. Applications must be handed in personally.

Checklist source: overseas.mofa.go.kr

Money and time

Fees and timeline

Fees

  • Official fee

    PKR 12,000

    Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Pakistan: Rs.12,000 for a single-entry visa of less than 90 days and Rs.18,000 for a single-entry visa of more than 91 days (fee notice effective from 16 March 2023, posted 2 March 2026).

    Fee source

Timeline

  • Processing and appointments

    The embassy accepts applications Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 11:30, and states a processing time of at least 8 weeks after receiving the application. Progress can be checked on visa.go.kr. A refused applicant can reapply after 3 months.

Official links

How to apply

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Passport country first, then destination. Pages only show fees, timelines, and refusal rates that official sources have published.

Official statistics

Visa ratio

Not officially published

South Korea does not publish an official approval or refusal rate for Pakistani applicants. The embassy has no obligation to explain a refusal, and a rejected applicant may reapply only after 3 months.

A percentage is shown only when an official source published one for this route. Blog tables and estimates are left out.

Quick answers

FAQ

Do Pakistanis need a visa for South Korea?

Yes. The Korean embassy in Islamabad states that Pakistani nationals with an ordinary passport must obtain a visa to enter the Republic of Korea. Diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt for stays under 90 days.

Can I apply for a Korean visa online from Pakistan?

No. The embassy says applicants must appear in person to submit their own application. You can track progress afterwards on the Korea Visa Portal, visa.go.kr.

Which visa do I need for a holiday in Korea?

The general tourist visa, C-3-9, for people visiting for vacation or leisure. It allows a stay of up to 90 days.

How much is the Korean visa fee in Pakistan?

Rs.12,000 for a single-entry visa of less than 90 days, and Rs.18,000 for a single-entry visa of more than 91 days, according to the embassy’s fee notice.

How long does the Korean visa take?

At least 8 weeks after the embassy receives your application, so plan well ahead of your travel dates.

What bank statement does the embassy want?

For the tourist visa, a statement showing your transaction history for at least the past six months from the date you apply, covering personal and, where relevant, company accounts.

I am visiting family or a conference. What changes?

You apply for the short-term visit visa, C-3-1. Your inviter in Korea must send an original notarised invitation and guarantee letter, and you add proof of job and income, a recommendation letter and six months of bank statements.

What about business trips?

Use the business visa, C-3-4. The Korean company sends notarised invitation and guarantee papers plus its business registration and proof of trade with you, and you add your NTN or tax-payer certificate, six months of bank statements and documents such as an L/C, B/L or contract.

Will I get a visa sticker in my passport?

No. Korean embassies stopped issuing visa labels on 1 July 2020. If approved, you print the Visa Grant Notice from visa.go.kr using your passport number, name and date of birth, and show it with your passport at immigration.

What happens if my visa is refused?

The embassy is not obliged to explain a refusal. You can submit a new application 3 months after the date of rejection.

Checked against

Official sources

Last checked 15 October 2026. Rules change without notice, so confirm on the official pages before you apply or travel.