Urgent South Korea Visa from India: Fastest Legal Options

The figures below come from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Delhi, the Consulates General in Mumbai and Chennai, and the VFS Global-run Korea Visa Application Centres (KVAC), as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. Express timings are stated as minimums, and no official route promises a decision date.

Is there a visa on arrival or instant e-Visa for Indians?

No. Korea's missions in India state that Indian nationals must obtain a visa before travel by filling the e-Form on the Korea Visa Portal and submitting it at a KVAC. The Visa Portal issues e-Visas only to narrow groups, for example:

• C-3-4 business visitors invited by a Korean company who have entered Korea at least 3 times on C-3 visas since 1 January 2012 with no illegal stay;
• C-3-3 medical tourists or G-1-10 patients whose application is filed by a recognised medical travel facilitator;
• Gold Card experts (E-1, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-7) and their F-3 family, and C-4 scientists invited by a government-funded research institute or accredited university.

If you fit one of these, ask your Korean inviter or facilitator about the e-Visa first. Everyone else uses the walk-in route below.

How fast is express processing at each centre?

Express is the only speed option the centres publish. VFS says no appointment is needed at the Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa and Hyderabad centres, so you do not lose days waiting for a slot.

You must use the centres for your state. The Embassy in New Delhi covers north and east India (including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and the north-east) through its New Delhi and Kolkata centres. The Mumbai consulate covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. The Chennai consulate covers Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. Living in Bengaluru does not let you file at Mumbai for the shorter express time.

Who is not allowed to use express?

• First-time tourist visa applicants at the Mumbai-jurisdiction centres (Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad).
• Yellow passport (Identity Certificate) holders.
• Chennai and Bengaluru applicants whose travel date is not within 10-12 calendar days (Chennai) or 12-14 calendar days (Bengaluru) of submission.
• Anyone who has already lodged a normal application at Chennai or Bengaluru; switching to express afterwards is not possible.

Express at Chennai and Bengaluru also needs the Declaration Form for Express Visa and copies of a confirmed air ticket and accommodation.

How much does an urgent Korean visa cost?

Normal fees follow the Embassy's notice effective 1 August 2026; express amounts are those on the KVAC fee list. Add the centre service charge: Rs. 1,000 per person at Mumbai-jurisdiction centres, and Rs. 1,600 on the Chennai/Bengaluru KVAC pages (their 2026 checklists print Rs. 1,380). Courier return is an optional Rs. 550. Express fees are not returned on rejection, which matters if your file is thin.

Can you travel without a regular visa via Jeju or a transit?

Two visa-free options exist, and both are narrow:

• Jeju Island: Indians flying directly from abroad to Jeju, with no stop elsewhere in Korea, can enter without a visa or K-ETA because India is not among the 23 excluded countries. The KVAC gives the stay as up to 30 days for tourism or visits. To travel on to Seoul or any other region, Indian ordinary passport holders need permission from the Jeju Immigration Office.
• Transit: Indians holding a valid visa (or permanent residency or re-entry permit) for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or one of 32 European countries can enter visa-free for up to 30 days (B-2) when transiting Korea to or from those countries, with a confirmed onward ticket within 30 days.

Neither option replaces a visa for an ordinary holiday or business trip to mainland Korea.

What should you have ready on the day you walk in?

1. The e-Form filled and printed from www.visa.go.kr; the Chennai consulate has warned about counterfeit Visa Portal sites.
2. Passport with more than 6 months' validity and at least 2 blank pages, plus copies.
3. A photo to your centre's specification (one 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background, at Mumbai-jurisdiction centres).
4. 2 years' ITR and 6 months' bank statements carrying the bank's original seal and signature.
5. Employment certificate or business registration/GST certificate, and a covering letter stating purpose and dates.
6. For express at Chennai or Bengaluru: the express declaration and copies of the confirmed flight and accommodation.

Since 21 September 2026, Mumbai-jurisdiction centres accept applications only if your travel date is within one month of submission. For an urgent trip that rule rarely hurts, but it rules out filing early as a safety margin. A refusal means waiting three months before you can reapply, so a rushed, incomplete file is the costliest mistake. Category-wise checklists are on our South Korea visa page, and the express fee table is on the KVAC visa-type page.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram can prepare the day-by-day itinerary, hotel booking, covering letter or flight reservation for your Korea file. Packages start at INR 1,000 for a flight reservation and go up to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. Chennai/Bengaluru express needs a confirmed air ticket, which a reservation does not replace. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or reach us through the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Korean express visa fee refunded if the visa is refused?

No. The KVAC states that express fees are not returned on rejection. Check your documents against the checklist before choosing express.

Can I get a Korean visa from India in three days?

Not through any route published by the Korean missions or VFS. The shortest published minimum is 5 working days for express at the Mumbai centre; e-Visas exist only for specific groups such as qualifying repeat business visitors and facilitator-filed medical tourists.

What are the submission hours at the Korea visa centres?

Mumbai accepts submissions Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 15:00, and Chennai and Bengaluru from 09:00 to 13:00 (travel agents 09:00 to 12:00). Pune lists 08:00 to 17:00, Hyderabad 08:00 to 15:00, and Ahmedabad and Goa 09:00 to 13:00.

Does a US or Schengen visa let Indians skip the Korean visa?

Only for transit. Indians with a valid visa for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or one of 32 European countries can stay up to 30 days visa-free when transiting Korea to or from those countries, with a confirmed onward ticket within 30 days. A trip that starts and ends in India still needs a Korean visa.