Inviting family & friends to Korea
What the host in Korea and the visitor each need to prepare, on one page. Build your document list and print an invitation letter draft.
Documents for your case
Host · prepare in Korea and send
- Use the official form below, then sign
- Official form No. 129 · if the embassy asks
- Better if your stay permit outlasts the visit
- Issued within the last month
- From Hometax
- Home-country papers + translation & notary
Visitor · submit at the embassy
- Embassy form
- Shows you will return home — varies by embassy
- Birth certificate or similar
Japan nationals can visit without a visa
No invitation letter or guarantee is needed. Just prepare these before the trip.
- ✔ Passport (6+ months valid)
- ✔ e-Arrival Card — from 3 days before arrival, free (not needed with a K-ETA)
- ✔ Return or onward ticket
- ✔ Address where they will stay and the host's phone — immigration may ask
Staying over 90 days, working or studying needs a visa.
Taiwan nationals can visit without a visa
No invitation letter or guarantee is needed. Just prepare these before the trip.
- ✔ Passport (6+ months valid)
- ✔ e-Arrival Card — from 3 days before arrival, free (not needed with a K-ETA)
- ✔ Return or onward ticket
- ✔ Address where they will stay and the host's phone — immigration may ask
Staying over 90 days, working or studying needs a visa.
United States nationals can visit without a visa
No invitation letter or guarantee is needed. Just prepare these before the trip.
- ✔ Passport (6+ months valid)
- ✔ e-Arrival Card — from 3 days before arrival, free (not needed with a K-ETA)
- ✔ Return or onward ticket
- ✔ Address where they will stay and the host's phone — immigration may ask
Staying over 90 days, working or studying needs a visa.
Requirements can differ by embassy and status. Check the embassy notice and HiKorea before applying.
How it works Usually 3–5 weeks
- PrepareHost: invitation, guarantee, job and income papers (about 1 week)
- SendOriginals by post, or scans if the embassy allows
- ApplyThe visitor applies at the embassy or visa center
- ReviewUsually 1–2 weeks · an interview may be requested
- ArriveSubmit the e-Arrival Card, then fly
Official forms
Invitation letters and guarantees use set forms. Download them and fill them in with the box-by-box guide below. The forms are filled in Korean.
📄 Letter of guarantee
Immigration Act form No. 129 · filled and signed by the host · Korean front, English back
✉️ Invitation letter
Korean Embassy in Vietnam form (business & short-term, 2024) · filled and signed by the host
There is no set form. Write it freely with the four items below (optional for visa-free countries).
There is no set form. Write it freely with the four items below (optional for visa-free countries).
There is no set form. Write it freely with the four items below (optional for visa-free countries).
🛂 Visa application form
Filled by the visitor · form No. 17 (revised Feb 7, 2022) · check with the embassy that it is still current
👪 F-1-5 invitation form
Invitation of a marriage immigrant's parents and family · for childcare support or caring for a sick family member · filled and signed by the host
Letter of guarantee: what to write in each box
- Applicant: the visitor's name, date of birth and passport no., exactly as in the passport (capital letters)
- Address in Korea / phone: where the visitor will stay (usually the host's home)
- Purpose of sojourn: e.g. 가족 방문 (family visit, C-3)
- Guarantor: the host. Foreign residents write the passport no. in "Passport Number or Date of Birth" — adding the residence card no. under "Note" helps
- Workplace, position, work address: same as the employment certificate
- Period of guarantee: cover the whole visit with some margin (max. 4 years). e.g. 2026. 12. 1. ~ 2027. 3. 31.
- Date and sign at the bottom. The Korean front side is usually enough; fill the English back side too if the embassy asks
Invitation letter: what to write
- Host (Korea side): name, job, phone, address. Foreign residents write the residence card no. in the "resident registration no." box
- Visitor: exactly as in the passport. "Relationship" from the host's side, e.g. 어머니 (mother)
- Reason: your relationship, why and when they come, who pays during the stay, and that they will leave on time — be specific
- Period: same as in the visa application (90 days or less for a short-term visit)
Sample reason (write it in Korean as shown)
초청인은 피초청인의 아들로, 현재 ○○ 회사에 재직하며 경기도 안산시에 거주하고 있습니다. 2026년 12월 손자 출산에 맞춰 어머니가 산후조리를 돕고 가족과 함께 지내도록 초청합니다. 체류 중 숙식과 모든 비용은 초청인이 부담하며, 초청 기간 안에 반드시 출국하도록 하겠습니다.
Staying longer together
A C-3 visa allows up to 90 days. Spouses and minor children may qualify for F-3 (dependent), and parents for F-1 (visiting & joining) with some statuses. E-9 and similar statuses cannot bring family long-term.
Visa information ›Can the stay be extended?
C-3 stays are generally hard to extend. In cases such as illness, consult the immigration office.
HiKorea ↗As of 2026-10 · The final decision is made by the immigration officer. Please check the official sites before you travel.