Formalities and rules of entry into South Korea: Personal experience

From the US to Russia through South Korea: visa-free transit

Returned to Vladivostok from the USA through Seoul. The docking turned out not very comfortable: wait for the flight to Vladivostok it was necessary almost 23 hours. Therefore, decided to go to the city.

Even before departure, the Korean Consulate was called: there was told, transit without problems, the main thing is to route the USA.Korea was not landing in a third country. In this case, we will be considered traveling in Korea from this third country, and not from the US and the right to visa-free transit.

On passport control, I filed an immigration officer (young girl) passport, boarding pass on the flight from the USA and a printout of an electronic ticket to Vlad. For some reason, it was not suitable for it, and she demanded me to assure it in Korean Air. I explained that I can’t do it, t.To. I am flying another airline (Vladivostocavia). She said that she was not enough to give it enough, she needs a more serious document type of boarding coupon. Again I had to explain that I will receive a boarding pass only when registering for a flight two hours before departure. And before that time I only have a printout of an electronic ticket. Seeing her doubt, took the same printout on the Korean Air flight, which we flew from the USA. Showed explained that now all the tickets are.

She called her boss, talked to him a minute and a half. He obviously explained to her that I was right, t.To. Immediately after talking with him, she put me a stamp on the entrance to the passport of 30 days. And under the stamp made an inscription that this is a transit from the United States to Russia. But the presence of an American visa did not even check! In general, the girl was very polite and correct, only, apparently, she has little experience.

Conclusions from all this:

But my general impression remains favorable. Small obstacles – not a hindrance.

Visa to South Korea

Went to the Korean Consulate and stacked from how cool everything is organized! No queues, the room is very cozy, you want tea, coffee? Please! May water? Also there, and maybe the Internet is needed, while you expect your turn? Please, Already three companies stand! )) In general, I really liked everything!

Visa to get in South Korea, to be honest, quite a big hemorrh, you need to buy a tour! : – This is very uncomfortable, considering that we are driving around the country and do not know when and where we will! Slightly did not spend a bunch of money to issue a tour, but I learned quite by chance that the visa to South Korea is not needed to 30 days and with the availability of return tickets if you have an open visa to Japan or USA! We just have an American visa, well, and the Japanese will soon appear! So I like the beginning, apparently I will like this country too!

Transit with a Japanese visa – no problem

Transit through South Korea

I have long wanted to go to South Korea. When I learned that, in the presence of a Japanese visa, Korean is not needed, he was very happy and decided to connect two countries in one journey. My path was: Russia-Japan-South Korea-Russia. Made a Japanese visa (which was very difficult) for the term of the trip.

Thank God that before leaving I decided to call the Embassy to make sure that I really don’t need a visa. Talked with three (!) Different people, reached the consul, none of them could answer me! The fact is that I am a lot of travel and passports quickly end, so I always try not to do once again a visa, if without it you can do. Ultimately, when the consul said: "I do not know whether the border guards know that you do not need a visa", I decided to deliver this visa to myself, because the border guards erudition rarely differ (and especially Korean, as it turned out in practice).

It is worth paying tribute to the employee of the Korean embassy, ​​which for the sake of page savings put the visa not on a new turn, but found a free page at the beginning of the passport and cutely joined their cute visa, and gave me a passport on the next day.