About this status of stay
Short-term Visit (C-3) is the status of stay for people staying no more than 90 days for business activities such as market research, business contacts or signing contracts, or for tourism, visiting relatives, attending events, medical treatment and similar purposes. You cannot do any activity to earn money (Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act [출입국관리법 시행령], Appended Table 1).
An extension of stay is granted, within 90 days from your date of entry, only when you prove that an extension is truly necessary, such as having no transportation to leave or an unexpected accident or illness (Ministry of Justice guidance manual [법무부 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼]).
How a legal problem affects your stay
A short-term visit is short and allows only limited activities, so a single violation can easily lead straight to having to leave Korea and to restrictions on entering again later.
If you are caught working
C-3 is not a status that allows employment, so working violates Article 18(1) of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법) and is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to KRW 30 million (Article 94(8)), and it is a ground for deportation (Article 46(1)(8)). The person who hired you can also be punished (Article 94(9)).
If you overstay
Staying past your permitted period can lead to punishment and deportation (Immigration Act Articles 25, 46(1)(8) and 94(17)). If you leave Korea under a deportation order, you can be banned from entering Korea for 5 years after that (Article 11(1)(6)).
If you are involved in a criminal case
A foreign national under investigation or on trial can be placed under an exit ban, which stops them from leaving Korea (Immigration Act Article 29), and if your period of stay ends in the meantime, you need to apply for an extension separately. If you are sentenced to imprisonment (with or without labor), the ground for deportation can become an issue, and your criminal record is also checked when you apply for your next visa.
Common problems with this visa
Changing to another status of stay
As a rule, people who entered on a short-term status such as Short-term Visit cannot change to a long-term status inside Korea; they must leave Korea, get a visa at a Korean embassy or consulate abroad and come back (Ministry of Justice guidance manual). The same applies to changing to Marriage Migrant (F-6) after marrying a Korean national, and exceptions are accepted after review only when there are unavoidable circumstances, such as pregnancy, childbirth or raising a child.
If someone offers you a job
Turn down offers to let you work after you entered for tourism or to visit family. If you are caught, the person who worked can face punishment, deportation and later entry restrictions, and even if you are not paid for your work, your immigration problems make it harder to respond.
What happens to your stay, depending on the outcome of your case
Whatever your status of stay, the outcome of a criminal case leads to a review of your stay. Below is a summary based mainly on the standards set by law. The actual decision is made by the immigration office, which looks at what happened in your case together with your life in Korea.
- Case not referred to prosecutors, or suspended indictment
- These are not criminal penalties, so they do not count as 'imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence', which is a ground for deportation. However, under the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences (형의 실효 등에 관한 법률), a suspended indictment (기소유예, where prosecutors decide not to charge you) and some decisions not to refer a case to prosecutors (불송치) stay in investigation history records for a certain period, and these can be checked when needed for a foreigner's naturalization or stay permit (Article 6(1)(6) and Article 8-2). How long they stay depends on the legal penalty for the offense. Reviews that look at your conduct, such as for Residence (F-2) and Permanent Residency (F-5), also check this kind of case history.
- Fine (including a summary order)
- A fine does not count as 'imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence', which is a ground for deportation. However, it counts against you in reviews for extending your stay, changing your status of stay, permanent residency and naturalization, and if the violation is serious your stay permit can be cancelled (Immigration Act Article 89(1)(5)). The Ministry of Justice review standards have many items that look at the amount of the fine and how much time has passed since you paid it. Under the Criminal Procedure Act (형사소송법), if you received a summary order (약식명령, an order that sets a fine without a trial), you can request a formal trial within 7 days of receiving it (Article 453).
- Suspended sentence of imprisonment
- A suspended sentence (집행유예) is still a sentence of imprisonment with or without labor, so the ground for deportation ('a person sentenced to imprisonment without labor or a heavier sentence and released', Immigration Act Article 46(1)(13)) can become an issue. The review standards for Residence (F-2), Permanent Residency (F-5), Overseas Korean (F-4) and other statuses treat even a suspended sentence as a disqualifying reason for a set period from the date the judgment becomes final.
- Prison sentence
- You can become subject to deportation when you are released after serving your sentence, and the prison warden must notify the immigration office about a foreigner whose release has been decided (Immigration Act Article 84(2)). Deportation proceedings can also go ahead while you are still serving your sentence (Article 85). If you leave Korea under a deportation order, you can be banned from entering Korea for 5 years after that (Article 11(1)(6)).
- Immigration Act violations (overstaying, working without permission, etc.)
- After an investigation by the immigration office, you may receive a notice to pay an immigration fine (범칙금, money paid in place of a criminal fine) or be reported for prosecution (Immigration Act Articles 102 and 105), and this can then lead to a departure order or deportation. A record of immigration fines also counts as a record of breaking the law in later reviews of your stay.
- Departure orders and deportation orders
- A departure order tells you to leave Korea on your own by a set deadline, and the deadline is set within 30 days from the date the order is issued (Immigration Act Article 68; Enforcement Rules Article 65). For a deportation order, you can file an objection with the Minister of Justice within 7 days of receiving the order (Article 60). Filing an administrative appeal or an administrative lawsuit does not stop the order from taking effect, so you also need to apply for a stay of execution.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work for a short time after entering on C-3?
No. Short-term Visit is a status that does not allow any activity to earn money, so even working for a short time violates the Immigration Act and can lead to deportation and entry restrictions.
Something has come up and I need to stay longer than 90 days.
You must apply to the immigration office for an extension before your period of stay ends. You have to show with documents that an extension is truly necessary, such as having no transportation or an unexpected accident or illness, and it is granted within 90 days from your date of entry.
I married a Korean national. Can I change directly from C-3 to F-6?
As a rule, you must leave Korea, get a marriage migrant visa at a Korean embassy or consulate abroad and come back. If there are circumstances that make a change inside Korea unavoidable, such as pregnancy, childbirth or raising your child together, an exception may be accepted after review (Ministry of Justice guidance manual).
I am being questioned by the police, and my planned departure date is coming up.
A foreign national under investigation or on trial can be placed under an exit ban, and when your period of stay ends you need to go through the extension procedure. If you received a notice of an exit ban, you can file an objection within 10 days from the day you received it or learned of it. Plan your response around both your period of stay and your departure schedule.
Get advice right away if
- You were caught working and are going to be investigated by the immigration office
- You are going to be questioned by the police in Korea, or you received a notice of an exit ban
- You have overstayed, or are about to overstay, because of circumstances you could not avoid
Related guides
Legal basis
- Immigration Act Articles 4-5, 11, 18, 25, 29, 46 and 94
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Appended Table 1
- Ministry of Justice guidance manual on stay permits by visa type (Sept. 2026): Short-term Visit (C-3), Marriage Migrant (F-6)
This guide is based on the Immigration Act (출입국관리법) and its Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules in force as of October 2026, and on the Ministry of Justice guidance manual on stay permits by visa type (법무부 체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼, Sept. 2026). Ministry of Justice review standards can change at any time.
This guide is for reference only. The immigration office decides whether you can stay by looking at what happened in your case together with your life in Korea, so the same decision can lead to different results depending on your situation.