What can and can't you do with a C-3 short-term visit visa?

With a C-3 (Short-Term Visit) visa, you can only do activities that do not earn money, for a period of no more than 90 days. You cannot take a job where you work and get paid. You also cannot do for-profit activities that make a profit inside Korea.

What you can do

• Tourism, transit (transfer), visiting relatives or acquaintances
• Medical treatment or recuperation (medical tourism)
• Attending or observing meetings, events, and friendly matches
• Business activities such as market research, business contact, consultation, and contracts
• Culture and arts, general training, lectures, attending religious ceremonies, and collecting academic materials
• Short language training, such as taking classes at a private academy (hagwon) or going to an English camp

Business activities are allowed only if the profit is made outside Korea. For example, buying goods in Korea and selling them abroad as exports is fine. But if you resell them inside Korea, it becomes a for-profit activity.

What you can't do

• Part-time work or employment: Even with a verbal contract, if you work and get paid, it counts as employment.
• For-profit activities, such as selling goods or services in Korea to make money
• Being dispatched to a Korean company or organization under a contract and actually working there. This is not allowed even if you are paid from abroad.
• Studying in a regular university program. This requires a separate student visa.

⚠️ Things to watch out for

If you work without permission, you can be punished or ordered to leave the country. You can extend your stay only if there is an unavoidable reason, such as an accident or illness. Even then, you can extend only within 90 days from the date you entered Korea. If you want to work in Korea, you must get the right work visa before you start working.

If you are not sure whether your activity counts as a business activity, ask in advance at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or call 1345.