D-2/D-4 Stay Extensions Must Be Filed Before Expiry: HiKorea Online Fee Drops From KRW 60,000 to KRW 48,000, Degree vs. Language Training Documents, and When Extensions Are Blocked

To remain in Korea beyond their period of stay, study (D-2) and Korean language training (D-4) students must obtain an extension of period of stay before their period of stay ends (Immigration Act, Article 25). The fee is KRW 60,000, reduced by two-tenths to KRW 48,000 for e-applications filed through HiKorea. Applying after the expiry date can result in a fine or administrative penalty, and leaving the country after applying but before a decision is issued may lead to refusal. Check the expiry date, prepare the documents and choose an application method, in that order.

This article is part of a series on stay procedures. For registration, see the alien registration card application guide; for trips home during school breaks, see the winter break re-entry guide.

Check the Expiry Date First

The stay expiry date can be checked through HiKorea's "Stay Expiry Date Lookup." For degree program (D-2-1 to D-2-4) and work-study linked study (D-2-7) students, the period of stay granted at alien registration or extension is set to end on the last day of March or September, so most expiry dates fall around the start of a semester. For exchange students (D-2-6) and visiting students (D-2-8), it is set to the end of January or the end of July, within one month of the program end date.

For example, an undergraduate whose stay expiry date is March 31, 2027 must apply for an extension before that date passes. Anyone who applies online pays a fee of KRW 48,000. A degree program student at a certified university with an overall GPA of C (2.0) or higher can receive 2 years per grant, so if the passport is valid long enough and the student is not covered by the special scheme for night degree programs, the extension can be granted through March 31, 2029. Students planning to visit their home country during the break are safer getting the extension decision before departure, rather than by March 31.

How to Apply: Online and In Person

Among language trainees (D-4-1 and D-4-7), those not subject to in-person screening, such as students enrolled at certified universities, are encouraged to apply online or through their international student officer, who can file online for up to 10 students at once. When visiting, reserve a date before the stay expiry date; if no date is available within that period, go directly to the immigration office with jurisdiction before the expiry date. A visit reservation only secures a date; it is not the filing of an application. HiKorea's visit reservation notice states that applicants who paid overdue health insurance premiums within the last 5 days should bring the receipt when they visit.

Documents: Degree Programs vs. Language Training

For proof of residence, submit one of the following: a lease agreement, a confirmation of accommodation provided, a mailed notice of upcoming stay expiry, a utility bill payment receipt or a dormitory fee receipt. Language trainees prove their finances only with deposits in their own domestic account, not with balance certificates for a parent's account or an overseas account. The degree program extension requirements do not specify which accounts are accepted, so check with the university's international office or the immigration office with jurisdiction. For a change of status, the standard is a balance certificate in the name of the applicant or a parent (a sibling if the parents are deceased), issued within 30 days of the application date. Financial threshold amounts are summarized in the international student bank balance certificate article.

When a TB Certificate Is Also Required

Nationals of high-risk TB countries (35 countries including Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and China) submit a tuberculosis (TB) certificate with their extension application if either of the following applies: they stayed in a high-risk TB country for 6 consecutive months or more within 1 year before the application date (excluded if the place of stay was not a high-risk country), or they have not submitted a TB certificate when applying for a visa or stay permit since March 2, 2016.

Screening Varies by University Tier

Degree program extensions are granted for up to 2 years, through the end of March or the end of September. Research program (D-2-5) students receive up to 1 year per grant and cannot stay longer than 2 years in total.

When Extensions Are Blocked

• Leave of absence: Students on leave of absence for personal reasons or due to insufficient credits are restricted from extending their stay. Leave for family matters or to postpone graduation is not accepted either. Exceptions can be made if unavoidable reasons such as illness or an accident are recognized.
• Night and weekend classes: Except for certain night degree programs approved by the Ministry of Justice, students taking night or weekend classes are restricted from receiving a stay permit. If a switch to daytime, weekday classes is confirmed, they can receive a stay permit.
• Passport validity: The period of stay is granted within the validity of the passport. Only when it is practically impossible to have the passport reissued within the remaining period of stay is a one-time permit of up to 6 months granted, treating the passport as valid for 6 months.

Writing a Thesis or Graduating Late After Coursework

Students who have completed coursework in a bachelor's, master's or doctoral program and are writing a thesis, preparing for a graduation exam or earning the credits required for graduation apply for an extension by submitting a certificate of completion along with a confirmation from their academic advisor and international student officer. The confirmation states the thesis supervision schedule and content, and the advisor confirms that an extension is needed to earn the degree. The post-coursework extension special rule is allowed only up to 3 years after admission for associate degrees (4 years for three-year programs), 6 years for bachelor's degrees (7 years for five-year programs), 5 years for master's degrees (6 years for three-year programs) and 8 years for doctoral degrees (7 years for two-year programs). Master's and doctoral students preparing theses after completion of coursework may be allowed part-time employment, but those whose graduation was delayed by poor academic performance, such as insufficient credits or attendance, are excluded. Even when allowed, work is capped at 30 hours per week, and the rule allowing unlimited hours on days off, public holidays and during vacations does not apply. Students who finished an associate or bachelor's program and received an extension because they did not meet graduation requirements are excluded from part-time employment permits.

Changing Schools

Changing schools or degree programs within Korea is restricted as a rule. However, if a degree program (D-2-1 to D-2-4) student who has been completing the program normally has a reason to change schools, a change to a degree program at the same level is allowed. In that case, the combined study period at the previous and new schools must not exceed the period of stay cap for the program, and the student must have Korean ability (one of the following: TOPIK Level 3 or higher, completion of KIIP Level 3 or higher, or a KIIP pre-assessment score of 61 or higher). School changes are restricted for students who received a notice of penalty disposition for violating Article 18 of the Immigration Act, students who were expelled and are subject to departure, students moving to a lower degree program (except certain majors designated by the Ministry of Justice), and students who finished their program without receiving a degree and are in completion-of-coursework or thesis-writing status. Graduates are subject to new admission, not a school change. The Korean ability requirement is waived when moving to a certified university, when the move is unavoidable due to a school closure or merger, or when moving from an English track to an English track. After changing schools, file a report of changes to registration details within 15 days. As a rule, language trainees leave Korea and re-enter with a visa obtained through the new university; a school change to a general university or higher is allowed as an exception only when the trainee is not at fault, such as when a language institute closes, or when the trainee has a TOPIK Level 3 score or higher (including KIIP) and a legitimate reason to change schools is recognized.

After You Apply

Applicants for a stay permit must remain in Korea. Leaving the country after applying may result in refusal, and while the applicant is abroad, authorized immigration application agencies cannot apply on their behalf either. Screening fees are not refunded once the application is accepted. During screening, applicants may be asked to appear in person or be subject to a fact-finding investigation, and depending on the outcome, the application may be refused.

If you plan to go home during the break, leave after receiving the extension decision. Once the extension is granted, also check the period of your part-time employment permit. The permit runs for up to 1 year within the period of stay for study (D-2) students (up to 2 workplaces) and up to 6 months for language training (D-4) students (1 workplace).

Checklist

• Check your expiry date with HiKorea's "Stay Expiry Date Lookup" and mark it on your calendar.
• An e-application via HiKorea costs KRW 48,000.
• If you need to visit, make a visit reservation for a date before the expiry date; if none is available, go in person before the expiry date.
• Prepare a certificate of enrollment, grade and attendance records, financial documents (own domestic account for language trainees) and proof of residence.
• Check your passport validity in advance, and if you paid overdue health insurance premiums within 5 days before an in-person application, bring the receipt.
• Students preparing a thesis, graduation exam or credits after completion of coursework prepare a confirmation from their academic advisor and international student officer together with a certificate of completion.
• Do not leave Korea after applying until the decision is issued.

Whether a stay permit is granted is decided through screening by the immigration office, and the head of the office can add or remove required documents if necessary. If your circumstances differ from the tables, check with the Immigration Contact Center (1345) or your university's international office.