This will make it easier for those interested to visit the country.
In a post on Thursday, February 19, the Korean Visa Application Center (KVAC) in Manila announced that the process of applying for the said visa needed to enter South Korea will be made easier.
Effective February 20, 2026, the submission of three (3) months of bank statements will be waived for all types of applications, it said.
For student applicants, meanwhile, the proof of student status requirement will be changed from Original School Certificate and copy of Student ID to simply being either of the two documents, with the applicant able to choose and submit one of those.
As for employment-related documents, the submission of an explanation letter will be waived in cases where there is no landline number indicated, or when it is issued with an electronic signature, according to KVAC.
“As long as other reachable contact information (email address or mobile phone number) is provided, the document will be accepted,” it added.
In cases with multiple applicants, common documents such as the invitation letter, family relationship documents, company-related documents, among others, would have to be submitted in one (1) copy only, and must be attached to the representative applicant’s file.
According to KVAC, the eased application process was done to enhance convenience for visa applicants and promote visits to South Korea.
As per the data provided by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 629,772 Filipinos visited the country for the entire 2025. Conversely, approximately 1,133,108 South Koreans flew to the Philippines that same year.
Bilateral trade for both nations in 2025 was worth US$15.1 billion.