South Korea Tourist Visa Approved in 9 Business Days (Applied via VFS New Delhi, Self-Applied)
Applied for South Korea tourist visa for myself and my wife through VFS New Delhi on 4th May. Did the entire process ourselves without using any travel agency.
There was a pretty long wait at VFS because of the Labour Day long weekend just before 4th May. The guy at the counter told me it could take around 2–3 weeks for the visa to be processed.
Timeline:
* 4 May — Applied at VFS New Delhi
* 5 May — Status on Korea Visa Tracking portal changed to “Application Received”
* 14 May — Status changed to “Under Review” in the morning and then about an hour later changed to “Approved” for both of us
I was also able to download the Visa Grant Certificate directly from the same portal.
Both of us received a 30-day single entry visa. Our travel dates are towards the end of May.
Documents submitted:
* Visa application form
* Passport
* Return flight tickets
* Hotel reservations
* Bank statements
* Travel insurance
* 6 months salary slips (VERY important — I initially carried only 3 months and was asked to provide 6 months, so had to get them printed on the spot)
* Company NOC
* Previous visa + immigration stamps copies
* Cover letter with itinerary
* ITR for 3 years
* Employment letter
* Aadhaar copy
* Company ID copy
Travel history:
Me:
USA, Schengen (2x), Japan, UAE, Thailand, Australia
Wife:
Schengen (2x), UAE, Australia
Overall, the process was smoother than expected once the application was submitted.
Happy to answer any questions.