South Korea Spouse and Dependant Visa for Indians: Joining Family

The requirements below come from the 2026 KVAC dependent family checklist, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Delhi and the Mumbai-jurisdiction VFS pages, as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. Korea does not offer visa on arrival to Indians, so the dependant must hold the visa before flying. For other Korean visa types, see our South Korea visa guide for Indians.

Who can apply for a Korean dependent family visa?

The long-term dependent family visa covers the spouse or unmarried children under 20 of a foreigner who is registered in Korea and holds an Alien Registration Card, such as a family member who is working or studying there. The Chennai/Bengaluru checklist asks for a birth certificate for children under 18 invited by a parent. Mumbai-jurisdiction VFS centres list the same route as the F-3 Dependent Visa.

Three related situations use different routes:

Family of E-7 and other experts holding a Gold Card employment recommendation can receive an F-3 e-Visa through the Korea Visa Portal instead of visiting a KVAC.

Which documents come from you, and which from Korea?

The file has two halves. Start the Korean half early, because the inviter has to gather it and send it to India.

The TB test report must be an original from a designated hospital, not any local lab, so check which hospitals are designated with the KVAC before booking the test. The Mumbai-jurisdiction checklists also ask for your Aadhaar number in the 'National Identity No.' field of the e-Form and a copy of your Aadhaar card.

How much does the dependant visa cost?

The Embassy revised Korean visa fees from 1 August 2026. Express fees are not returned on rejection, so use express only when you can meet its conditions.

Which Korean office handles your state?

No appointment is needed at the Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad centres; you walk in during submission hours. At Chennai and Bengaluru, children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, and VFS staff do not count.

How long does it take to join your family in Korea?

Two timing rules matter. The Chennai-jurisdiction site says you can apply no earlier than 89 days before travel. And since 21 September 2026, the Mumbai-jurisdiction centres accept applications only if the travel date is within one month of submission, until further notice. The New Delhi and Kolkata centres' processing-time pages could not be located when we checked, so confirm timelines with the KVAC there.

After submission, track the application on the Korea Visa Portal using the 14-digit reference number from the centre with your passport number, date of birth and name.

Mistakes that delay a dependant visa

• Getting the TB test from a lab that is not designated.
• Submitting without the inviter's Alien Registration Card copy (front and back) or housing contract.
• Applying for express without a confirmed air ticket and accommodation, which Chennai and Bengaluru require; you also cannot switch from normal to express after applying.
• Reapplying too soon: after a refusal you may reapply only after three months, and the consulate may not give reasons for non-issuance.

Once the visa is issued, the dependant can complete the e-Arrival card at www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr from 3 days before arrival.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter); WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us through the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can my spouse work in Korea on a dependent family visa?

The official checklists reviewed for this article do not state work rights for the dependent family visa, so check with the Korean mission for your jurisdiction before planning any job. By comparison, the F-1-D digital nomad route explicitly rules out local employment.

Does the dependant need travel insurance for Korea?

Travel insurance does not appear among the dependent family checklist items published by the KVAC. The F-1-D digital nomad visa is the route that explicitly requires private medical insurance, with cover of at least KRW 100 million.

Can the inviter's documents from Korea be scanned copies?

The dependent family checklist lists the inviter's documents as copies, such as the passport copy and both sides of the Alien Registration Card. For Korean invitation letters in other categories, the Embassy accepts photo or scanned copies with no attestation.

Which Korean office covers Kerala?

The Embassy page places Kerala under the Consulate General in Chennai, but the Chennai/Bengaluru KVAC page names only Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Confirm with the Chennai consulate before you submit.