Wanderworld

Long before K-dramas, K-pop, and BTS (yes, they’re a category on their own) became famous, South Korea was just another Asian travel destination where you could experience other seasons such as spring, autumn, and winter.

Today though, with the country’s exceptional fame as the land of “oppas: (I’m using the term wrongly here, I know), heartwarming K-dramas, and delicious and interesting food like ramyeon and teokbokki, South Korea is on top of every traveler’s bucket list.

I definitely consider myself lucky for finally having been able to visit the home of the objects of my fantasies (lol), all thanks to a guaranteed (read: no denials!) e-group visa tour.

What is a Korean e-group visa?

If you didn’t know, you can easily visit South Korea from the Philippines through an e-group visa. The Korean E-Group Visa is designed for groups of 5 to 30 people heading to Korea for the same purpose, be it for business meetings, conferences, or an unforgettable K-pop adventure. Instead of each person in your crew going through the hassle of applying individually for a regular tourist visa, the E-Group Visa lets you do it as a group. Whether it’s a work-related escapade or a cultural exploration with your friends or family, this visa is all about making the process smoother than a K-drama plot.

The cherry on top? The application is online – no need to schedule an appointment with the Korean embassy or make a physical appearance. Just gather the gang, fill in the digital forms, submit the requirements, and wait for your results online!

Korean group tour with e-group visa processing

If you’re looking to breeze through the whole visa process and make it a lot easier, just tag along on a group tour with an e-group visa setup handled by a legitimate travel agency. Loads of agencies in the Philippines offer this service. But before you hit that “Book Now” button, do a bit of research. Make sure the travel agency is the real deal by checking if they’re on the Korean embassy’s list of accredited agencies. Only the embassy-accredited ones can process and dish out those e-group visas.

Note though that some travel agencies are not embassy-accredited but team up with accredited ones for e-visa processing. In our case, we booked our Korea autumn group tour package through Go Travel Company. They’re not embassy-listed, but they have a partnership/tie-up with Grand Hope Travel, one of the accredited travel agencies by the Korean embassy.

Korean e-group visa requirements

Of course, just like in regular tourist visa applications, you have to submit various documents for your e-group visa application. Typically, agencies would ask for scanned copies of your passports, certificate of employment (COE) (for employed), scanned copies of company ID, payslips, and bank or credit card statements.

In our case, Go Travel Company only asked for minimal requirements, which included our scanned passports with visa photo (you need to scan your passport alongside a visa-size photo/portrait, which you can have taken in any photo studio), COE, company ID, the latest 2 months payslip, and filled-out application form. If you have gold or platinum credit cards with major banks such as BDO and BPI, they accept credit card statements instead of payslips. For senior citizens, all they require is a scanned passport with a visa photo and a scanned senior citizen ID.

Based on my experience asking around various travel agencies, some require ITR or bank statements with an average daily balance (ADB). Some also require a minimum of P100,000 balance in your account or an ADB that can cover the group tour price.

Notably, approximately a month before our trip, Go Travel Company requested us to sign a letter addressed to our respective HR departments, allowing the agency to gather job-related information for visa processing. As an extra step, they required both us and a family member not joining the trip to sign a PDF document/letter. This document served as a guarantee of our return to the Philippines, with an agreement to pay Php1 million to the agency if we overstayed in South Korea or intentionally didn’t return with the group. According to their agent, this is to discourage those who are planning to “TNT” in South Korea. This is also to ensure that the agency does not encounter problems with the tourists, as the agency will be fined and held responsible by the Korean embassy if any traveler manages to stay in Korea illegally.

E-group visa processing timeline

After we submitted all the requirements to the agency, all we had to do was wait for our visas. Unlike regular tourist visas which can take one to two weeks or fewer to process, an e-group visa is usually sent by the embassy via email one to two weeks before your scheduled trip. The e-visa will include the names and details of the travelers in the group, the name of the registered travel agency, and the dates of arrival and departure in South Korea.

E-group visa restrictions

The most important thing you have to remember about the e-group visa is that it only entitles you to stay in South Korea on the specific dates/duration of your travel. Unlike the regular tourist visa which is valid for 3 months (single entry) or 2 years (multiple entry), the e-group visa is only valid for the entire duration of the group tour. That means if you book a 5d/4n tour, you can only stay in South Korea for those specific 5 days.

Another thing to note is you’re supposed to enter and leave Korea with your specified group in the same aircraft/vessel. This means you can’t choose to depart earlier or later than your group and create your own plans. It’s a package deal – you roll with your crew and stick to the travel agency’s schedule throughout. However, some travel agencies are a bit more flexible, throwing in a free day in their itinerary. This way, you get a chance to enjoy your own activities for a day.

Guaranteed visa

While the e-visa restrictions may be a bummer for those who wish to have some freedom in the itinerary, the e-group visa is the easiest way to enter South Korea without the fear of being denied a visa. Why? Korean e-group visa is guaranteed for travelers/visa applicants with no previous denials. If it’s your first time to apply for a Korean visa or if you have been granted a South Korean visa before, you can easily apply and be granted a Korean e-group visa. Unfortunately, if you’ve faced prior rejections or denials in your Korean visa applications, the Korean e-group visa is not an option for you. In this case, you’ll need to go for a regular tourist visa instead.

The Lowdown

If you’re rounding up your squad for a Korean adventure and want a hassle-free visa application process, consider the E-Group Visa, your golden ticket to travel bliss in South Korea. It’s your shortcut to hassle-free group travels – more memories, less paperwork! See you soon in the land of kimchi! (Will be posting about our e-group visa tour next!)