How to Apply for a Korea Visa in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is America’s second most populous city after New York.  Greater Los Angeles—which includes Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Orange County—has a population of nearly 19 million people.  If Greater Los Angeles were its own country, it would be the 15th largest economy in the world (its GDP is slightly less than the GDP of Indonesia).  Known for its endless sprawl, Greater Los Angeles is the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area and includes over 200 cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank, Long Beach, Carson, Irvine, Anaheim, and Inglewood.  Los Angeles is one of the most multicultural cities on the planet and attracts people from all over the world.  There are an estimated 350,000 Korean people in Greater Los Angeles and the city is home to the largest and most famous Koreatown in the world.  There are also large Korean communities located in northern Orange County (in the cities of Buena Park and Fullerton) and the San Fernando Valley.  Koreatown in Los Angeles is well known for having the best Korean restaurants in the country and is a lively part of the city with many Korean owned businesses and nightlife venues.   

South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, is an East Asian located between China and Japan.  Although Korea is a small country of only 51 million people, their economy is the 10th largest in the world, a reflection of the hard-working nature of its citizens.  Korean products are an everyday part of our lives, from the Samsung phones in our pocket to the Kia cars driving along the streets of Los Angeles.  Korea is also an exporter of industrial products such as semiconductor machinery, cargo ships, and even defense industry equipment.  Although Korea is well known as a prodigious exporter, it is also a country that loves American products and the port of Long Beach has container ships loaded with food products, machinery, and medical equipment bound for Busan, Korea’s largest port.  Koreans are also consumers of American entertainment made in Los Angeles, such as Hollywood movies.  And of course, many Korean parents send their children to study in America at the dozens of colleges and universities throughout Los Angeles.  In recent years Korea has become a popular destination for American college students interested in studying the Korean language and culture.  The University of California, Los Angeles has one of the biggest Korean Studies programs in the U.S.       

Obtaining a Korean Visa from Los Angeles

Visas for South Korea are issued by the Korean government in the United States.  The government of South Korea is represented by their embassy located in Washington, D.C. along with twelve consulates located throughout the United States.  To apply for a visa from Los Angeles, you will fill out the visa application and bring your original passport and supporting documents to the consulate on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown. 

You can also send your application by US Mail or courier service using FedEx or UPS.  Here is the address:

Korean Consulate General
3243 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010  

It is important to review the requirements for visas on the Korean consulate website and ensure your application and all supporting documents are accurate.  Here is the link to the consulate website with detailed information: General InformationConsulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles (mofa.go.kr)

When applying for your visa by mail, you will send a notarized copy of the data page of your passport—it is unnecessary to send a return shipping envelope because you will print out your visa form this website: KOREA VISA PORTAL.  The consulate no longer issues traditional sticker-type visas that are attached to one of the visa pages of your passport. 

The government’s visa fee is $45 for U.S. citizens and the processing time usually takes about 2 weeks.  If you need the visa faster, please contact our company to inquire about expedited services.

Other things to consider:

  • U.S. citizens do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days if they are traveling for tourism, pleasure, short-term business meetings, or visiting family, however, they must apply for the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) on this website: Welcome - K-ETA
  • U.S. citizens must have a valid passport that does not expire within six months of your date of entry into South Korea.
  • All visitors to Korea are currently subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine at a hotel assigned by the government and a negative COVID-19 test (PCR) result is required for all foreigners entering the country. For more information, please visit the Korean embassy website: Notice 목록Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA (mofa.go.kr)
  • It is recommended to purchase travel insurance before any international trip in case of medical emergencies.  We advise getting the Geo Blue Voyager Single Trip Plan.

Emergency Assistance for Korean Citizens in Los Angeles 

If you are a citizen of South Korea living in the Los Angeles area with an emergency or require urgent assistance, you can reach the Korean consulate in Los Angeles by calling 213-385-9300, or by calling 213-700-1147 for emergency after hours service.  You can also contact the consulate by email at this address: consul-la@mofa.go.kr.   

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

If you live in Los Angeles or anywhere in Southern California and have difficulty applying for a Korean visa or require assistance with any part of the visa process, please give our office a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment with our company.  We are a private agency in Atlanta providing Korean visa services for Americans and other U.S.-based residents.  Our number one goal is to ensure your application documents for a visa are submitted accurately to the Korean government.  Our services eliminate delays and give you the peace of mind to focus on your travel plans. 

We provide the following Korea visa services for our customers:

  • Korean Tourist Visa
  • Korean Business Visa
  • Korean Official Duty Visa
  • Korean Student Visa
  • Korean Work Visa (English Instructor / University Professor / Specialty Occupation / Religious Worker / Military)
  • Korean Working Holiday Visa
  • Korean Journalist Visa (Temporary News Coverage / Residence Reporter)
  • South Korea Hotel Accommodations