Financial Blog

Annyeong Yeoreobun¹!

Have you been wanting to relive your K-drama dreams such as to experience wearing hanbok² around Gyeongbukgong Palace³ as well as stuffing yourself with tteokbokki⁴, kimbap⁵, ramyeon⁶ and other korean foods served by the ajummas⁷ along the well-lit street lane of parallel vendor stalls in Myeongdong street⁸? You’ve come to the right page as we got you covered the basics that you need to know in visiting South Korea this year of 2022. We’ve compiled a travel guide for you to know what to prepare and to do in order to have hassle-free travel in South Korea.

Determine what type of visa you need

Philippine passport holders who want to visit the land of the morning calm need to secure a visa at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines. South Korea has resumed processing service for all types of visa including tourist visa which started last June 1, 2022. Here are the visa requirements for Filipino employees and businessmen:

Tourist Visa Requirements for Filipino Employee

1. Application Form
2. 1 piece of Passport size colored picture
3. Original Passport
4. Photocopy of Passport Bio-page (page 2)
5. Original & Photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past 5 years (If applicable only)
6. Original Certificate of Employment (must include applicant’s position, date hired, compensation, office address, HR landline number(cell-phone number is not allowed), HR e-mail address)
7. Original Personal Bank Certificate (must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB)
8. Bank Statement (original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months)
9. Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
10. Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card (If applicable only)
11. Visa Fee: GRATIS (59 days below stay in Korea) / PHP2,000 (60 to 90 days stay in Korea)

Tourist Visa Requirements for Filipino Businessman

1. Application Form
2. 1 piece of Passport size colored picture
3. Original Passport
4. Photocopy of Passport Bio-page (page 2)
5. Original & Photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past 5 years (If applicable only)
6. Photocopy of Business Registration from SEC or DTI
7. Photocopy of Business Permit or Mayor’s Permit
8. Original Personal Bank Certificate (must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB)
9. Bank Statement (original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months)
10. Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316
11. Copy of PRC Card or IBP Card (If applicable only)
12. Visa Fee: GRATIS (59 days below stay in Korea) / PHP2,000 (60 to 90 days stay in Korea)

Additional requirements for employees/businessmen on top of these if either invited by a Korean or a company in Korea:

If personally invited by Korean:

• Invitation Letter
• Photocopy of inviter’s Passport or Identification Card

If invited by Company in Korea:

• Invitation Letter
• Photocopy of Korean Company Business Permit

There are different types of visas that can be availed in going to South Korea. If you don’t fall under these two categories, you may refer to this visa requirements for all types by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines. The validity of visas going to South Korea varies depending on the type of your travel purpose. For tourism purposes, a visa for up to 90 days or less may be provided and is usually for a single entry. While for other purposes especially longer-term ones, such as for work or study, you may receive a longer validity visa.

However, there are currently two ways for Filipino tourists to enter South Korea visa-free. Yes, you read that right, VISA-FREE! The first one is via Jeju and the other is via Yangyang. The following are the details regarding the visa-free entries to South Korea:

For Jeju

• Fully vaccinated Filipino tourists against COVID-19 can enter Jeju via direct flights
• Can stay up to 30 days as long as no travel to regions outside Jeju will be done

May refer to this announcement from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines regarding visa-free entry to Jeju.

For Yangyang

• Fully-vaccinated Filipino tourists against COVID-19
• Booked a group tour program, consisting of 5 or more people, arranged by designated travel agencies, and are to enter and exit via Yangyang International Airport only along with the booked tour group
• The travel is in Gangwon Province (where Yangyang Airport is located) and in the Metropolitan Area of Seoul only
• Can stay for upto 15 days

May refer to this announcement from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines regarding visa-free entry to Yangyang.

Check travel restrictions and regulations

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines announced that starting June 8, 2022, overseas entrants to the Republic of Korea, regardless of vaccination history, are exempted from undergoing mandatory quarantine. Yet, entrants must still present a negative COVID-19 test result (RT-PCR or supervised Rapid Antigen Test). Detailed information regarding this announcement can be found here.

However, make sure to still check before booking your ticket and check again weeks before your travel date the travel restrictions as well as the pre and post travel requirements that you need to know and follow in order to have hassle-free travel in South Korea as there might be updates on this from time to time. You may check the needed information here at these sites Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines or Airheart or Philippine Airlines PH Departure procedures.

Also, make sure that if you are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, bring hard copies of your proof of vaccinations as back-up of your digital ones.

Note: Especially for those Filipinos coming back from abroad, when entering the Philippines, travellers (whether Filipinos or foreign) must fill-up e-Travel Registration, a mandatory requirement for arrival in the Philippines, imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) that started last December 1, 2022. Make sure the form is filled-up and you have the QR code for this ready before checking in to your flight.

Plan according to season

If one of your goals in visiting South Korea is to get a glimpse of bursting colors of the falling leaves from the trees of Nami Island, you should visit South Korea during the autumn season. To know more about each seasons periods check out below curated summary:

Winter

(December to March)

The winter season is the longest season as it usually takes place upto four months from December to March. This season is when snowfalls are expected and are perfect for skiing, sledding, snowboarding and making snow angels especially in the Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do provinces that receive high average annual snowfall as compared to the other South Korea provinces.

Spring

(April to June)

This is the season when various flowers including the pink cherry blossoms are expected to bloom and exude lovely hues, and the temperature is relatively pleasant. Ideally, it is best the time to head to hills and mountains to go camping or hiking and feast your eyes with the picturesque landscapes filled with bloomed flowers while sipping a hot bowl of mugwort soup.

Summer

(July to August)

During this period, it is expected in South Korea to have the hottest and wettest time of the year. This could be the best time of the year if you would want to visit nearby coastal destinations like the one in Hometown Cha-cha-cha that was set in Pohang⁹ to get your vitamin sea dose while indulging on a bowl of bingsu¹⁰ but you may also have to make sure to bring an umbrella with you as rainfall showers are also expected around this season.

Autumn

(September to November)

The most favorite season of those who wanted to behold the yearly anticipated bright shades of red and orange tree leaves, as these embellish the surroundings and landscapes of South Korea, is the season of autumn. This is optimally witnessed in the National Parks all over the country. Immerse yourself with the romantic vibes that exude from the various tourist spots like Nami Island and indulge in sweet persimmons that are in season during this time. Also, if you plan to spend the Halloween in South Korea, check out Itaewon for their festive Halloween celebrations being held there annually.

Manage your budget

Traveling to South Korea doesn’t have to cost you a fortune, as a matter of fact a p13,000 budget can already be enough for four days and three nights stay in South Korea, check this sample itinerary from Klook. It is also via Klook that you can avail affordable transportation, tours and hotels (there are even options for staying in traditional hanok¹¹ houses!).

When booking flights, as long as you make sure to find time and be patient in checking Google flights or Skyscanner  you’ll pretty much find which dates when affordable flights are offered. And be sure to be one of the first ones to know about airline promos by following their social media accounts, constantly checking their websites and applying for their free memberships. Know hacks about how to score cheap airline fares by checking this blog.

For airlines offering direct flights from Philippines to South Korea, check this list:

• Philippine Airlines
• Cebu Pacific Air
• Jeju Air
• Asiana Airlines
• Fly Gangwon (via Clark only)
• Jin Air (via Clark only)
• Air Busan (via Clark only)

Furthermore, you can minimize your travel cost by using your credit card rewards points in purchasing flight tickets, booking hotels and even in shopping. If you don’t have credit card yet, check out this Security Bank Mastercard Credit Card that can be used worldwide and even offer installments and ready cash services whenever and wherever you needed.

And don’t forget to bring ample cash you needed especially if you plan to shop your favorite K-pop bias merchandises and dine on street shops, and at the same time make sure to bring backup source like debit cards that you can use to withdraw funds from ATMs worldwide just like the Security Bank Mastercard Debit Card.

So what are you waiting for? Book that flight to South Korea now and fill your social media accounts with pictures of South Korea foods you ate and iconic spots you visited. Don’t forget to share this blog to your family and friends who are also planning to visit South Korea. Hope this curated 2022 South Korea travel guide for Filipinos will make your travel-planning easier.

And if you are also aiming to go to Japan this year, check out this curated 2022 Japan Travel Guide for Filipinos.

Translations/Descriptions:

(1) Annyeong Yeoreobun – Hello, everyone
(2)  hanbok – traditional Korean house
(3) Gyeongbukgong Palace – historical place in South Korea, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty
(4)  tteokbokki – Korean rice cake streetfood
(5) kimbap – Korean seaweed rice rolls
(6) ramyeon – Korean noodle soup
(7) ajummas – middle-aged women
(8) Myeongdong street – Korea’s best-known shopping street in Seoul
(9) Pohang – city in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea
(10) bingsu – Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings
(11) hanok – traditional Korean house