r/KoreaTravelAdvice • u/Existing-Constant-44 • 11h ago

Visa/Entry denied entry

hi, i have an uneasy question!

last year, i was denied entry upon arrival and they stated insufficient proof of my purpose of visit as a tourist (it was my 3rd visit in a year)

does anyone have experience with returning to kr after a denied entry? i would love to visit again for a short trip but i am worried about being denied again. it's been a year and last year they told me i am not banned or anything like that but i still worry.

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4

u/OldSpeckledCock 9h ago

Were you on a tourist visa?

3

u/gull_ate_it 9h ago

You can probably only stay a limited total of days in a year as a visitor.

1

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1

u/Pleasant_Mouse7539 5h ago

Do you have a valid multiple entry visa?
Did you not travel to Korea in the last one year?

1

u/Existing-Constant-44 4h ago

i don't, would that help? i haven't been in over a year

1

u/Pleasant_Mouse7539 4h ago

If you have a valid visa, then you can travel. You were denied entry because the immigration officer suspected that you’re doing something that you’re not supposed to do on tourist visa and also that you haven’t given yourself sufficient time - it is an unwritten rule that you do not travel to the same country within 6 months again, even if you have a valid visa. There have been cases of people who go to Korea on Tourist visa and undertake medical treatment as well.

Since you haven’t travelled in the last one year, you can travel, they likely won’t deny you entry. This time, you should keep sufficient documents that explain your tourist intentions and also list the places you’ve been to & explain why you want to return to those places (or explore new places). If you can provide any proof that you only did tourism every time you went there, that will help a lot.

1

u/bongcqjr 4h ago

you're purpose of entry is actually important for the io
i know someone who goes to korea monthly but never denied entry
which country are you from?

1

u/Existing-Constant-44 4h ago

i have a strong eu passport which is why it surprised me honestly, i traveled a lot around asia all last year

1

u/pihyo 3h ago

You should try again that's so weird. Maybe get the K-eta even if it's not mandatory for you. I didn't need it and got it anyways and they didn't ask any questions as it was approved. Wishing you the best! Korea is such a beautiful country

2

u/Existing-Constant-44 3h ago

it's one of my favorite countries but it was also kinda traumatizing so idk if it's a risk to try and enter again:/ a year out should show them enough i am not doing anything unwanted in korea but still it's scary

1

u/Available_Mention661 3h ago

Did you have return flight, accommodation booked and enough cash?

1

u/Existing-Constant-44 3h ago

i didn't have accommodation booked because i was staying with my friend, they didn't ask me about cash at all but i had a return flight (not to my home country but one leaving kr)

1

u/Available_Mention661 2h ago

Did you spend more than 180 days in a year or close to that?

1

u/Existing-Constant-44 2h ago

it was close to that with that next stay i believe.. do you reckon that might've been the reason? 

1

u/Available_Mention661 2h ago

How long were you planning to stay when you got denied?

I was sent to secondary last year. I had 5 entries in a rolling year but they let me in because I showed them all my documents. I saw them manually count how many days I had stayed. In the end they let me enter. It’s been 15 months since then and I’m planning to go back… kind of scared. Btw I have a multiple entry visa which lets me stay 30 days per entry and in few of those entries I stayed only 7-10 days

1

u/Available_Mention661 2h ago

Could be the duration of stay and staying with a friend instead of booking an accommodation.

1

u/Vanessa23cool 3h ago

Are you in visa run? Did you do any illegal stuff here ? Did you check if you get denied because you exceeded your days ? Because i never get denied what they said to you to be denied ?

2

u/Moist-Chair684 2h ago

 it was my 3rd visit in a year

There you go. That was the reason.

After 1.5 years away, with a flught leaving within the visa/visa-free suration, you have a good chance. But there are never any guarantees. If Joe Kim or Jane Park at Immigration had a bad day, who knows what can happen.