Financial proof means hitting three targets at once: amount, duration, and account holder
Proving financial capacity means showing on paper that you can cover tuition and living costs. Simply having money in an account is not enough. You have to show that a set amount sat in an account in the right name for a set period of time. Miss any one of the three and you will get a request for more documents, or a refusal.
The Ministry of Justice guideline on visa issuance and residence management for international students sets the default proof period at one year (six months for language training), and defines financial capacity as covering tuition plus all living costs. If your permitted stay is shorter than a year, you only prove for that period.
Since 3 July 2023 the thresholds are in Korean won
The old thresholds were in US dollars: USD 20,000 for degree programs in the Seoul metropolitan area, USD 18,000 outside it, and USD 9,000 for language training. On 3 July 2023 the Ministry of Justice switched to won and lowered the bar. That is why older guides still quote dollar figures.
- Degree programs (D-2) — KRW 20 million for universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, KRW 16 million for regional universities
- Language training (D-4) — KRW 10 million in the metropolitan area, KRW 8 million regionally
- Exchange students and any stay shorter than one year — tuition plus living costs prorated by month. The Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, in guidance dated 5 January 2026, applies KRW 1,148,166 per month. That is the single-person figure from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport notice on housing benefit thresholds (2025 edition), and it is updated annually.
The lower regional threshold is deliberate: it helps universities outside the capital area recruit. Note that the guideline says amounts "equivalent to" these figures, which leaves room for officers to weigh a specific university's tuition and scholarship levels.
Money deposited just before you apply does not count
This is where most applications stumble. The balance does not only need to exist on the day you apply; it has to have been sitting there. The standards published by the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and the Korean Embassy in Vietnam are:
- Degree programs — the required balance held for at least three months
- Language training — the required balance held for at least six months
- Students in categories D-2-4 through D-2-8 (master's, doctoral, research, exchange, and visiting students) are exempt from the minimum holding period
- Students heading to a university flagged for consulting under the education internationalization accreditation scheme need six months even on a degree track
How this is checked varies by mission. The Korean Embassy in Cambodia asks instead for 12 months of bank account transaction history. The form differs; the question is the same — was this money borrowed for the interview? The Ministry of Justice guideline states that if more than 50% of the balance is withdrawn before screening closes, financial proof is demanded again, and that a change of more than 70% is treated as a change in the underlying facts and grounds to withhold permission.
Documents that are accepted
- Bank balance certificate plus the original passbook — in your own name as a rule. A passbook transferred from someone else is not accepted, and being caught means refusal.
- Parental sponsorship — in practice, parents are the default sponsors. You submit proof of the family relationship, the parents' employment and income records, a written financial guarantee, and other asset documentation.
- Sponsorship by a relative other than a parent — allowed only where the parents are deceased, absent, or already residing in Korea, and a written explanation is added. The guideline limits sponsors to parents first and strictly restricts third parties when parents exist.
- Scholarship holders — a scholarship covering 100% of tuition and living costs replaces the financial documents; the original certificate is enough. If coverage is below 100%, you submit the certificate plus proof of funds for the remainder.
- GKS government scholars — the scholarship certificate issued by NIIED stands in for both the academic and the financial requirement.
Balance certificates in foreign currency are converted at the exchange rate on the date of application. Documents in a local language need notarized translation, and many missions accept notarizations no older than three months.
At an accredited university you may not have to submit anything
Universities accredited under the International Education Quality Assurance System (IEQAS), run jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice, get simplified visa screening. The Ministry of Education's survey results published on 12 February 2026 describe the benefit as "screening on the standard admission letter alone." However, nationals of countries designated by the Minister of Justice and of countries under intensive management must still submit financial documents, even for an accredited university. That same release reported 181 accredited degree programs and 123 accredited language programs for 2025.
Two things to keep in mind. Language training (D-4) requires academic and financial documents regardless of whether the institution is accredited. And accreditation is re-assessed every year, so check the status for the year you are applying on Study in Korea.
It does not end when you land
Financial screening applies not just to the visa itself but to certificates of visa eligibility, changes of status, and extensions of stay. The Ministry of Justice guideline provides that for an extension of stay, or a change from language training to a study visa, only a balance certificate in your own name from a Korean bank is accepted. A balance back home will not extend your stay, so open and maintain a Korean account after you arrive.
On the other side of the ledger: if you are enrolled in a degree program at an accredited university with an overall average of C (GPA 2.0) or above, financial documents can be waived at extension. Keeping your grades up is the cheapest way to reduce paperwork.
Thresholds, holding periods, and required documents differ by nationality, by diplomatic mission, and by university, and they change from year to year. The figures here were verified in September 2026. Always confirm the requirements that actually apply to you with your university's international office, the website of the Korean mission in your country, and HiKorea.
Sources
- 주호치민총영사관 「한국어 어학연수(D-4) / 유학(D-2) 사증 구비서류」
- 주베트남대사관 「유학비자(D-2, D-4) 사증 안내」
- 주캄보디아대사관 「인증대학 유학 비자 구비서류 안내」 (2026. 3. 23. 수정)
- 대한민국 정책브리핑 「유학생 비자 발급시 재정능력 심사 완화…시간제 취업도 허용」 (법무부, 2023. 6. 23. / 시행 2023. 7. 3.)
- 법무부 「외국인유학생 사증발급 및 체류관리 지침」
- 교육부·법무부 「교육국제화역량 인증대학 및 유학생 유치·관리 실태조사」
- 주이란대사관 「D-2 유학 및 D-4 어학연수 사증 관련 재정능력 서류 안내」
Information on this page is current as of September 2026.