How to Apply for a Korea Visa in San Francisco

San Francisco, known as the “City by the Bay”, is one of America’s most famous and beautiful cities.  Located in Northern California, San Francisco is just one of the many cities that together make up the San Francisco Bay Area, or Bay Area for short.  The 14-county combined statistical area (that comprises the Bay Area) has nearly 10 million people, making it the fifth-most populous region in the United States.  The Bay Area includes cities such as Oakland, Hayward, Berkeley, Vallejo, Concord, Pleasanton, Fremont, San Jose, San Mateo, Palo Alto, Sausalito, and San Rafael.  The economy of the Bay Area is one of the most vigorous and entrepreneurial on the planet.  Silicon Valley (in the southern part of the Bay Area) has attracted engineers from all over the world, including those from Korea.  Some of the first Koreans to arrive to San Francisco came through Angel Island Immigration Station starting in 1910.  Today there are nearly 100,000 Koreans in the Bay Area.  Koreatowns are located in Santa Clara and Oakland, and there are several schools where Bay Area residents can study the Korean language.  San Francisco has a sister city relationship with Seoul—South’s Korea capital and largest city—and the two cities are connected through nonstop flights on Korean Air and United Airlines.

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 hard-working nature of its citizens.  Korean products are an everyday part of our lives, from the Samsung phones in our pocket to the Hyundai cars driving along the streets of San Francisco.  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 is the United States’ 7th largest export market.  There are many Bay Area companies operating in Korea such as Intel, L3Harris, Facebook, Gilead Sciences, Advanced Micro Devices, Apple, Applied Materials, Cisco, and dozens of others.  In recent years Korea has become a popular destination for American college students interested in studying Korean language and culture.  UC Berkeley offers extensive Korea language courses and study abroad programs.  There are several other colleges in the Bay Area that offer Korean language classes. 

Obtaining a Korean Visa from San Francisco

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 Francisco, you will fill out the visa application and bring your original passport and supporting documents to their office on Clay Street in the Presidio Heights neighborhood.  You can also send your application by US Mail or courier service using FedEx or UPS.  Here is the address:

Korean Consulate
3500 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA 94118  

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: Visa IssuanceConsulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco (mofa.go.kr)

You should include a self-addressed USPS (US Postal Service Express Mail or Priority Mail), FedEx, or UPS prepaid envelope (please make note of the tracking number) so the consulate can return your passport and visa to your home or office.  The consulate does not accept FedEx or UPS shipping labels where the account or credit card information has been written in -- all return airbills must be prepaid.

The government’s visa fee is $45 for U.S. citizens and the processing time can take up to 3 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 Francisco   

If you are a citizen of South Korea living in the San Francisco Bay Area with an emergency or require urgent assistance, you can reach the Korean consulate in San Francisco by calling 415-921-2251 (after normal business hours you can call 415-265-4859 or 415-265-4746).  You can also contact the consulate by email at this address: consularsf@mofa.go.kr.   

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

If you live in San Francisco or anywhere in Northern 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