How to Apply for a Korea Visa in San Diego

San Diego is America’s 17th-most populous city and is the third-most populous urban area in the state of California.  This metropolis of 3.3 million residents shares a 15-mile border with Mexico, where just to the other side sits Tijuana—Mexico’s sixth-most populous city (and an important city for Korean manufacturers that have invested in factories along the border).  About 200,000 people cross the border each day, making this one of the busiest land borders in the world.  San Diego is well known for its mild Mediterranean climate that attracts over 35 million visitors each year.  This is a beach city that has nearly year-round perfect weather, plenty of scenic vistas, and miles of spectacular coastline that includes La Jolla Shores, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Coronado Beach, and Imperial Beach.  The San Diego metropolitan area includes cities such as Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, San Marcos, Santee, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside, Vista, and Encinitas.  The Convoy District in Kearney Mesa is known as San Diego’s cultural district for all things Asian and has dozens of Korean restaurants and markets.  Korean immigrants and Korean Americans, however, are scattered all throughout San Diego and there are over 50 Korean churches in the metropolitan area.    

South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, is an East Asian country on the Korean Peninsula between the Yellow Sea and East Sea, wedged 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 industrious and hard-working nature of its citizens.  Korean products are an everyday part of our lives, from the Samsung television in our living room to the Hyundai cars driving along the streets of San Diego.  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 should be a focal point for Americans wanting to expand to the Asian Pacific region.  The Korean government even provides services to foreign entrepreneurs trying to do business in their country through the Seoul Global Center.  Koreans inject over 10 billion dollars per year into the U.S. economy as tourists, spending money at hotels, restaurants, fashion outlets, golf courses, and other entertainment venues in American cities like San Diego.  Korea also sends 65,000 students a year to study in America, further bolstering the U.S. economy.

Obtaining a Korean Visa from San Diego

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 San Diego, you will fill out the visa application and bring your original passport and supporting documents to the consulate in Los Angeles. 

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 San Diego

If you are a citizen of South Korea living in the San Diego 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 San Diego 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