E2 Visa Instructions- British
UK citizens, please follow these instructions to get your teaching visa for South Korea. This information is only for teachers going to private language schools (visa type E2-1). The process for public schools (E2-2) is different, so please follow the correct instructions per the visa type.
If you haven’t even applied for a job in Korea yet, you should fill out our two-minute online job application, and we will be happy to assist you. One of our team members will connect you to a good school that closely matches your preferences. We will help you during the document-gathering period, job search, visa process, arrival in Korea, and beyond. This saves you time and hassle not having to figure everything out independently.
STEP 1 – Document Collection, Public Notary Notarization, and Apostille Notarization.
You need to begin organizing the following documents before you get a job offer:
A) University BA Degree University Degree (notarized and legalized with Apostille). Note: Korean Immigration no longer accepts original degrees: only photocopies notarized with Apostille because they don’t return any documents.
· Must be a Bachelor’s degree (at minimum) in any discipline
· Must be from an accredited university in an English-speaking country
· to get a notarized copy with Apostille: * Make a photocopy. * Have the copy notarized by a notary public (solicitor) * send or take the notarized copy to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the United Kingdom for the Apostille
Get your DBS and a copy of your degree notarized by a solicitor and apostille notarized in 4-5 business days; click here and receive a discount.
B) University Transcripts
· University transcripts are not required to process the E2 visa. However, we suggest ordering a sealed (unopened) set of degree transcripts just in case, but this is not required.
C) Criminal Background Check (notarized and legalized with Apostille.)
· Your record check cannot be over six months old when applying for your teaching visa.
· A ‘Basic’ check is acceptable – advanced checks are unnecessary.
· You can request a basic DBS check here: https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record
· The record check takes 3 to 10 business days to process.
· A local notary public (solicitor) must notarize your DBS check; criminal record check (CRC). Once notarized, please send it to the Apostille of the Hague for an Apostille Certificate. * We suggest this expedited service for both the public notary and apostille notarization because they are reasonably priced and take around a week. For a discount apply using this link: https://www.hagueapostille.co.uk/order/teik-jobs-apostille-and-solicitor-certification
D) Health Statement
· This is a simple questionnaire form from the Korean government on which you answer the questions. Once you arrive in Korea, a complete blood test and physical exam will be administered.
· The test will include testing for narcotics, TB, HIV, and other infectious diseases.
· The government suggests that they are not testing for THC or marijuana (but they do). Please note that smoking marijuana in Korea or having THC in your blood is a criminal offense and is NOT handled lightly. Even if Marijuana is legal in your state or country, it is illegal to have it in your system, so do not smoke it for at least 5-6 weeks before taking the drug test, which happens in the first 1-2 weeks after arrival.
· DO NOT BRING ANY DRUGS TO KOREA OR USE ANY THERE.
· If you do not pass the health exam in Korea, you will likely have your visa revoked and not have a job or health insurance.
E) Passport Photocopy
· This is a copy of your passport signature and information page.
· Make sure you have at least six months on your passport before it expires.
· Make sure there is at least one empty page in your passport.
F) Resume
· Print and sign a copy of your resume.
G) Signed Copy of the School Contract
· The contract will be provided to you by e-mail once you agree to it and the school accepts you as their teacher.
H) Five Passport-Sized Photos
· These are standard passport photos – the same that you would need for a new passport.
· The photos must not be older than six months.
We move on to Step 2 once you have been offered and have accepted a teaching contract in Korea.
STEP 2 – Send your Documents to Korea
Required Documents:
1. copy of original degree with Apostille
2. one set of sealed university transcripts (not required)
3. notarized Criminal Record Check with Apostille
4. health check statement (signed and dated)
5. photocopy of the information page of your passport
6. copy of your resume (signed and dated)
7. a signed copy of the contract (signed by you)
8. four passport-sized photos
9. Please send your documents by FedEx, DHL, or UPS since these companies are more reliable than Royal Mail. Make sure that you send us the mail carrier and the tracking number.
Once you’ve sent your documents, please retain a copy of your invoice with the tracking number of your package and the address you sent it to, and please send us a copy of the tracking number and the website that will allow us to track the documents. Spending a few extra pounds to obtain the tracking number is VERY worth it, IMPORTANT, and the school will want it.
Once your documents are in Korea, your school will take these documents to the Ministry of Justice and Immigration in Korea to get you a Visa Issuance Number [VIN].
Within 7-10 working days, the immigration office will issue a Confirmation of the Visa Issuance Number [VIN], also called the Visa Reservation Number or Visa Confirmation Number.
We will forward the VIN (by e-mail) to you as soon as the school gives the VIN to us. You will need this code to put on your teaching visa application for the Korean consulate (KVAC).
STEP 3 – Mail or Bring your Visa Paperwork to the Korean Consulate
We move to this step assuming you have received your Visa Confirmation Number. If you don’t have it, please check with your Placement Coordinator, and they will contact the school to see where things currently stand. The Korean Consulate uses a service called KVAC now to process E2-1 teaching visas, and it usually takes 7 to 10 business days to process applications.
Once you have your Visa Issuance Number, mail or take your application form and visa documents to KVAC in London. Here is a detailed blog link to how to finish the E2-1 teaching visa for UK teachers after you receive the VIN.