Study in Korea from China

Since January 2016, ordinary visa applications — including the D-2 study visa — go through a Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC) rather than a direct consulate visit. KVACs operate in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xi'an; if you're in another consular district, confirm the current application process with your local Korean consulate first.

China is on Korea's tuberculosis high-risk country list, and the Korean Embassy in China designates specific clinics for the required tuberculosis medical certificate (with designated clinics in cities including Beijing, Tianjin, and Dalian). Requirements and the designated-clinic list change over time, so confirm the current list directly at HiKorea before you apply.

Even though China joined the Apostille Convention in 2023, Korea's Ministry of Justice accepts only a verification report from China's Ministry of Education centres for qualifications earned in mainland China: CHSI (学信网) for high-school and university records, or CDGDC (学位网) for degrees. Nothing else is accepted for the visa. Graduates of secondary vocational schools that CHSI does not cover follow a separate route with Korean consular confirmation.

Hong Kong's apostille arrangement dates back to 1965 and Macau's to 1969 — both independent of mainland China's 2023 accession. A Hong Kong-issued diploma needs a Hong Kong apostille, not a mainland Chinese one, and vice versa for Macau.

The Ministry of Justice sets no fixed amount: you must show one year of tuition plus living costs (six months for a D-4 language course), and your university states the figure in its admission guide. Chinese banks commonly issue this as a 存款证明 (deposit certificate) frozen for a set period past your application date — a specific product, not just a regular bank statement, so ask your bank for it by name.

There's no single, Korea-wide Chinese Students and Scholars Association — CSSA chapters are organized per university, not nationally. Search for your specific school's own chapter (for example, Korea University's) rather than looking for one national organization.

If you are going to a university language institute (D-4) at a university that is not certified by the Ministry of Justice, you cannot apply at the embassy directly: the institute first obtains a visa issuance certificate (사증발급인정서) from immigration in Korea, and you then collect your visa with its number. The same applies to exchange and visiting students at some lower-rated universities. Degree students apply at the embassy as usual — ask your institute which route applies to you.