South Korea eases visa requirements for Filipino applicants

Bank statements no longer required and student document rules relaxed effective February 20, 2026

South Korea has eased visa document requirements for Filipino applicants, waiving the bank statement requirement and simplifying several other submissions. According to a notice published on the Korea Visa Application Center in Manila website on February 19, 2026, the changes take effect on February 20, 2026.

In order to enhance convenience for visa applicants and promote visits to Korea, the required supporting documents for visa applications will be revised.

What has changed

Bank statements waived: The submission of three months of bank statements is no longer required across all visa categories.

Simplified student documents: Student applicants can now choose to submit either an original school certificate or a copy of their student ID, rather than both.

Shared documents for group applications: When multiple applicants apply together, common documents such as invitation letters, family relationship documents, and company-related papers should be submitted in one copy only, attached to the representative applicant's file.

Relaxed employment document rules: Explanation letters are no longer required when employment documents lack a landline number or are issued with an electronic signature. Documents will be accepted as long as alternative contact information, such as an email address or mobile phone number, is provided.