MANILA — The Korean visa processing period starting February 2020 will be reduced to 10-15 days, the South Korean Embassy in Manila announced.

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“The Embassy has allotted additional visa staffs for faster processing of Korean visa applications. Therefore, by the end of February, the current visa processing period of 25-27 days will be reduced to 10-15 days,” its statement dated January 20 reads.

The Embassy said the reduced processing period will also be retained during the peak season from March to April.

Applying for a Korean visa prior to purchasing airline tickets is a must since the issuance is subject to the approval of the consul in charge.

The Embassy, since July 2018, has only accepted walk-in applicants only for spouses and children of Koreans, holders of visa issuance number, government employees with an official business trip, and for those with humanitarian reasons to travel to Korea urgently.

Due to the increase in applicants, the Embassy in 2018 decided to process all temporary visitors’ visa applications through designated travel agencies. (PNA)