Korean University Admission for Japanese High School Graduates: Foreigner Admission Eligibility, Which TOPIK Level, March Graduation and Application Timing, Apostille and Costs

In Japan, studying in Korea usually brings to mind language courses or short-term programs, but there is also degree-seeking study: finishing high school and entering a Korean university as an undergraduate. The route is the “foreign-student admission track” that each university runs. These applicants are selected separately, through a process distinct from the one for Korean students.

The most confusing part of preparing is the timing. Japanese high schools graduate their students in March, but Korean universities take spring-semester applications in the fall of the previous year. Drawing on the 2027 admission guidelines of Yonsei University, Korea University and Ewha Womans University, along with Yeungnam University and Dongseo University outside the capital region, this article walks through eligibility, language, timing, documents, costs and visas in order. Amounts are given in yen first, with won in parentheses (Hana Bank base exchange rate on November 3, 2026: ¥100 = KRW 849.50).

Who can apply through the foreign-student admission track

There are two basic conditions. The applicant and both parents must hold foreign nationality, and the applicant must have completed schooling equivalent to Korea’s 12 years of primary and secondary education. A student who has graduated (or is expected to graduate) from a high school in Japan meets the academic requirement.

The conditions confirmed in each university’s guidelines are as follows.

• Yonsei University: Open to foreign nationals whose parents are both foreigners and who have graduated (or are expected to graduate) from a high school in Korea or abroad. If the applicant or even one parent holds Korean nationality, the applicant cannot apply. GED, homeschooling and online (cyber) learning are not recognized as academic credentials.
• Korea University: Both parents and the applicant must be foreigners, and the applicant must have completed all 12 years of regular schooling.
• Ewha Womans University: Open to female foreign nationals whose parents are both foreigners. It is a women’s university.
• Yeungnam University and Dongseo University: The applicant and both parents must have held foreign nationality before the applicant entered high school. An applicant who holds dual Korean and foreign nationality cannot apply.

Students from Korean-Japanese families in which one parent currently holds Korean nationality cannot apply through the foreign-student admission track at these five universities. However, some universities accept them if the Korean parent and the applicant lost Korean nationality before the applicant entered high school (Yeungnam and Dongseo). Those who do not qualify should look into other options, such as the admission track for overseas Koreans.

Which TOPIK level do you need? It depends on the university

The common claim that “you need TOPIK Level 3 to get into a Korean university” is only half right. The standard at the time of application differs from the standard after admission, and each school sets its own.

A few additional notes.

• Korea University has scrapped its level test. It no longer offers the online Korean level test it used to give applicants without a language qualification. Only TOPIK scores within two years of the application date are accepted.
• Graduation requirements. Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University (except the Division of International Studies) and Dongseo University’s Korean-taught track (Level 3 for arts and physical education) require TOPIK Level 4 before graduation. Not needing a level to apply does not mean you can get through four years without Korean.

Earning TOPIK Level 3 or 4 while still in high school widens your options. The 2027 TOPIK dates are listed in 2027 TOPIK test schedule, and the level required for each program is explained in TOPIK level guide by study program.

March graduation and Korean application timing

Spring (March) semester admission. Applications are accepted from August to November of the year before admission. For spring 2027 admission, the windows were as follows.

• Korea University: August 3–31, 2026
• Yonsei University: September 1–17
• Ewha Womans University: September 2–October 8

All three have closed. Yeungnam University’s first round accepts applications until 5 p.m. on November 11 (Korea time), and documents must arrive by November 13. Some regional universities also hold a second round.

• Yeungnam University second round: December 9, 2026–January 6, 2027 (semester starts March 1)
• Dongseo University second round: December 21, 2026–January 3, 2027 (semester starts March 2)

Whether a third-year student at a Japanese high school may apply before graduating depends on each school’s rules. Yonsei University has specified that, for expected graduates of Japanese high schools only, graduating by March 2027 is sufficient. Such students apply for the standard admission letter for their visa using an apostilled certificate of expected graduation. They must then submit an apostilled graduation certificate within eight weeks of the start of classes. Those who fail to do so will have their visa canceled and become subject to a departure order.

Spring freshmen at Ewha Womans University must have graduated (or be expected to graduate) by February 2027, and Korea University likewise accepts only those graduating (or expected to graduate) before February 2027. At Dongseo University, expected graduates who are admitted must submit their final academic certificate before enrollment; if they cannot, their admission is canceled.

Fall (September) semester admission. This is a convenient time to apply right after graduating from a Japanese high school in March. The guidelines for fall 2027 have not been released yet. For reference, Ewha Womans University’s fall 2026 admission selected undergraduate freshmen. Applications ran from March 4 to April 3, 2026, with final results announced on June 12. Expected graduates only needed to graduate by August 31. Korea University’s fall 2026 special admission for international students selected only third-year transfer students.

In short, if this year’s standards are repeated, current second-year high school students will apply for spring 2028 in August–October 2027. However, Korea University and Ewha Womans University require graduation by February, so Japanese high school students who graduate in March cannot apply. Among the schools reviewed for this article, Yonsei University is the only one that accepts Japan’s March graduation. Current third-year students can choose from the following three options.

• Spring 2027 through Yeungnam University’s first round (closing November 11) or at a university holding a second round
• Fall 2027 (check the schedule once the guidelines are announced; this year, Ewha accepted applications in March–April)
• Spring 2028, one year later

Yeungnam’s and Dongseo’s guidelines contain no special provision for Japan’s March graduation like Yonsei’s. Dongseo requires a diploma when applying for a visa, and admission is canceled if the final academic certificate is not submitted before enrollment. Completing the apostille and visa after graduating in early March and before classes start on March 1 or 2 is tight, so ask the university before applying whether exceptions exist for when the graduation certificate must be submitted.

If your Korean is not yet strong enough, you can also study at a language institute first and then enroll. For this route, see Korea study roadmap for Japanese students starting without TOPIK and Short-term language courses, D-4 and working holiday compared for Japanese students.

Documents: apostille and family register

Apostille. Korean universities require an apostille or Korean consular legalization on graduation (or expected graduation) certificates and transcripts from overseas high schools. The guidelines of Yonsei, Korea, Yeungnam and Dongseo universities all say so. Japan is a party to the convention, so an apostille is the default. Yonsei University does not accept consular legalization for documents from convention countries, and for academic documents used for the visa it accepts only those issued on or after September 1, 2026. An apostille is a certification that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan attaches to official documents issued by Japanese government offices, local governments and similar bodies. Korea is a contracting state to the convention, so this method is valid. Applications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be made by mail or at the counter. From October 5, 2026, the counter at the ministry’s main office in Tokyo requires an online reservation. Documents are returned by mail only, so a trackable return envelope is required.

Check in advance with your school and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ guidance on the procedure for getting a school-issued graduation certificate apostilled. Some universities also set validity periods for documents. Dongseo University limits all notarizations and certifications to those issued within one year of the first day of the application period.

Family documents. Yonsei University requires Japanese nationals to submit a family register (koseki tohon, full certificate of all registered matters) and does not accept a residence certificate (juminhyo). Yeungnam University accepts a birth certificate and copies of the parents’ IDs. Documents not in Korean or English require a notarized translation.

Application fees. Based on the 2027 academic year.

Tuition and proof of funds

Tuition varies widely by field and school. The figures below are 2026 academic year rates published by each school; amounts for the 2027 academic year have not yet been set.

• Yonsei University (first semester of first year, per semester): About ¥471,300 (KRW 4,004,000) for humanities and social sciences; about ¥614,000 (KRW 5,216,000) for engineering
• Korea University (humanities and social sciences freshmen, per semester): About ¥477,800 (KRW 4,059,000)
• Yeungnam University (first semester): About ¥434,300 (KRW 3,689,400) for humanities and social sciences
• Dongseo University (first semester): About ¥367,300 (KRW 3,120,000) for humanities and social sciences; about ¥497,100 (KRW 4,223,000) for engineering, natural sciences and arts

When applying for a visa, students submit a bank balance certificate covering one year of tuition and living expenses. The Ministry of Justice standards do not specify an amount; the university sets it in its guidance.

• Yonsei University: about ¥2,589,800 (KRW 22,000,000) or more
• Yeungnam University: about ¥1,883,500 (KRW 16,000,000) or more. Submitted after admission; overseas residents may also submit a bank balance certificate in yen.
• Dongseo University: an equivalent amount. Bank balance certificates are accepted only in US dollars or Korean won, so proof of yen deposits cannot be used; a certificate issued within 30 days of the submission date must be submitted with the application.
• Graduates of Yeungnam University’s Korean Language Institute: about ¥941,700 (KRW 8,000,000) or more

The bank balance certificate must be in the name of the student or a parent (a sibling if the parents are deceased) and must be issued within 30 days of the application date. The balance must be maintained throughout the authorized period of stay. If the account is in a parent’s name, family relationship documents must be submitted as well. A one-year budget including living costs can be worked out with the 2027 Korea study cost guide.

Some schools reduce first-semester tuition based on TOPIK level. Dongseo University cuts first-semester tuition by 50% for students with TOPIK Level 3. Such reductions are university policies that apply regardless of nationality.

D-2-2 visa and part-time work after arrival

Visa application. The student visa for bachelor’s programs is D-2-2. Japanese nationals usually apply at the Korean diplomatic mission in Japan with jurisdiction over their place of residence. The first visa issued is a single-entry visa with a period of stay of up to two years. Students admitted to a top-tier (excellent) IEQAS-certified university can obtain an e-visa through the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr). At regular certified universities, e-visas are available only to incoming master’s and doctoral students, so they do not apply to undergraduate freshmen. Japan is not on the Ministry of Justice list of high-risk tuberculosis countries, so applicants are not required to submit a tuberculosis certificate. However, universities may separately require a health checkup certificate. The application procedure is laid out in the D-2 student visa application guide after admission.

Part-time work. Undergraduates can apply for a part-time work permit without any length-of-stay requirement. However, they must complete alien registration and have an employment contract and a confirmation from the university’s international student officer, and they must not work before the permit is granted. Permitted hours during the semester for first- and second-year students are as follows.

• 10 hours per week for those without TOPIK Level 3 (or completion of KIIP Stage 3 or a KIIP pre-assessment score of 61, or King Sejong Institute Intermediate 1)
• 25 hours per week for those who meet it, with no hour limits on weekends and during vacations
• 30 hours per week for students meeting the standard who are enrolled at a certified university, have excellent grades or have excellent Korean proficiency

For third- and fourth-year students, the standard is TOPIK Level 4. If the previous semester’s average falls below C (2.0), the permit may be restricted. Permits are valid for up to one year and cover up to two workplaces. Special-type employment such as delivery work, and manufacturing (for those below Korean Level 4), are restricted.

Preparation checklist

• Confirmed that you and both parents hold foreign nationality and that you do not hold dual nationality.
• Checked the language requirement at application and the TOPIK Level 4 graduation requirement in the guidelines of the three to five universities you plan to apply to.
• Chose a target semester: spring (August–November of the previous year, with second rounds at some universities in December–January) or fall (check after the guidelines are announced).
• Confirmed with your school and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the apostille procedure and processing time for your graduation (or expected graduation) certificate and transcript.
• Calculated in yen the balance amount and tuition required by the universities and agreed on a budget with your family.
• Put TOPIK test dates during high school on your calendar.

--- Eligibility, schedules and application fees are based on each university’s 2027 admission guidelines; tuition on 2026 academic year fee schedules; visa and part-time work rules on the Ministry of Justice visa and stay services manual (October and November 2026 editions); and apostille information on guidance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (2026).