Frequently Asked Questions

General

1. What does Korea look like?
2. How will I get around?
3. What is the accommodation like?
4. What about shopping?
5. What should I bring?
6. What are some important phrases?
7. Am I eligible for Tax exemption?

Documents

1. What if I can't or wish not to send my original diploma?
2. My original diploma is in non-English, is this acceptable?
3. How should I send my transcripts?
4. Can I receive an E2 visa from a third party country?
5. What if I'm applying from within Korea?

Korean Consulates

1. When do I have to visit the Korean Embassy/consulte?
2. Who and when am I required to have an interview at an Embassy/consulate?
3. I am far away from the Korean embassy/consulate. How can I do my interview and/or send & receive documents?

Apostille?

1. What do you mean by apostille?

After Arrival Tips

1. Power Voltage in Korea
2. Cell phones
3. High Speed Internet Installation
4. Alien Registration Card (ARC)

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General

1. What does Korea look like?
   Korea is bright and beautiful. Almost 70% of Korea is covered with scenic mountains and hills which means you can find a hiking trail easily, even from the middle of Seoul. Korea's climate is said to be closest to that of Boston, Massachusetts. You will experience all four of the seasons in their beautiful colors : in winter you can enjoy skiing and boarding, spring , summer (comes early, stays long, can be unbearably hot+humid, but there is airconditioning most everywhere you go because of this, and fall is beautiful in color, especially in Mt. Surak.

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2. How will I get around?
   Public transportation in Seoul and most cities are easy and efficient. Subway station names and transfer stops are clearly marked in English and Korean. Buses may be a little more challenging because the signs are in Korean, but it won't take long before you recognize your surroundings. There are taxis everywhere: deluxe taxis are black, more expensive and provide better service than the grey ones, although they can only be picked up at specified stands. Grey taxis can be hailed from wherever you are by extending your arm to stop them. You should tell them your destination before getting into them. Taxi drivers can sometimes be impatient, especially if your standing on the wrong side of the road.
   
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3. What is the accommodation like?
   The accomodation will be either a western style apartment or officetel. All of the schools that we represent provide single accomodation. Most housings are located within 15 minutes of walking distance from your school, fully furnished including
   kitchen, desk, chair, refrigerator, bathroom with shower (some bathrooms won't have a shower booth but just shower handle which you can hang to the wall. This comes from Korea's traditional public spa culture), washing machine, TV, Bed and pillow etc.
   
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4. What about shopping?
   You will find gorgeous department stores with trendy fashion items. You will also easily find boutique shops, underground shopping malls at subway stations such as Kangnam station, the marketplace at Nam Dae Mun and Dong Dae Mun are famous, and don't be surprised to find a selection of global brands in shops in Itaewon. Sometimes you can find well-known or designer names like Victoria's Secret, Liz Claiborne and Guess etc. The list goes on. But beware, the sizes here rarely go beyond size 12.
   There are some excellent specialty shopping areas where you can find all sorts of different items from electronics, prescription eyewear, gift shops, clothing and even food courts all gathered in one areas as if you were at a tourist attraction or amusement park. For groceries, you can shop from the smallest street markets which you'll find in every other corner of each neighborhood to large wholesale stores including Walmart, Costco and Carrefour Korea.

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5. What should I bring?
   Even though there is plenty of shopping, some items are tricky to find. Korean clothing is generally smaller and proportioned differently than western clothing, and finding sizes can be challenging. Bring a supply of personal hygiene items for your first couple of months until you find yourself a convenient store nearest you. If you have any special teaching items, bring them. Koreans really like American TV, so if you can videotape current sitcoms or bring DVDs, they might come in handy for classes
   as well. There are some excellent book stores including Barnes and Noble that sell English text books, not to mention tons of ESL related books.

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6. What are some important phrases?
   Kam-sa ham-nida - Thank you.
   Yoe-bo-seyo - Hello when picking up the phone.
   Anyoung-haseh-yo - How are you?
   Do-wa-juseh-yo - Please help me.
   

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7. Am I eligible for Tax exemption?
   Due to the tax treaty between Korea and foreign countries, all program participants are eligible for income tax exemption benefits during the first two years of your employment in Korea. Canadian citizens are not eligible for this benefit as there is no tax treaty between Korea and Canada. If you are a hire of SMOE, please refer to Article 13, item 3 in your SMOE contract for further information. In order to claim tax exemption, within a month of your arrival, you are required to submit a copy of “Residency Certification” (a government certified document that confirms your legal residency status in your country. This can be obtained from the tax revenue authority in your country. If you depart without this document, you may be able to request it through mail
   or online after your arrival in Korea. As some tax offices require in-person application, please check with the relevant authority before departure. If you are a US citizen, go to www.irs.gov and print out form No. 8802. You then need to pay $35 and send it to the IRS in the U.S. They then send you a form that declares that you are a U.S. resident so your employer in Korea won't deduct
   U.S. taxes.

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Documents

1. What if I can't or wish not to send my original diploma?
   You must submit a copy of your diploma or a degree confirmation letter from your University and get it apostilled by an apostille office or notarized by a Korean Consulate.

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2. My original diploma is in non-English, is this acceptable?
   It must be translated into English and be notarized at your nearest Korean consulate before you send.

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3. How should I send my transcripts?
   Transcripts must be double-sealed. The Seoul Immigration Office requires that your transcripts arrive double-sealed from your university: the transcripts must be sealed within the envelope, and the envelope must be sealed as well, or have the registrar's signature written overtop the glued flap of the enevelope..

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4. Can I receive an E2 visa from a third party country?
   Any applicant who qualify within any of the conditions below can apply for an E2 visa at any Korean embassy/consulate of a
   third party country.
   - Applicants with a past history of an E1 visa (university professor), E2 visa (English instructor), E3 visa (academic research/ student visa), with no history of breaking Korean law.
   - A member of the Korean University Education Union/Community that verifies academic qualifications.

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5. What if I'm applying from within Korea?
   Applicants who already obtain an E2 visa and are transferring from a Hagwon to a public school or moving on from a public school to another, won't need to get a new E2 visa. These applicants need to do a Visa Employment Transfer and does not have to conduct a visa run. Below are the required documents.
   
   1. Criminal Record Check: 2 options are available.
      A. A criminal record check from the respective Embassies in Korea would be accepted. This criminal record check does not need to be notarized by the "Apostille Certificate", but note that getting a criminal record check from your embassy could take even longer than getting one directly from your home country. You can get an online criminal record check and get it notarized at your Embassy in Korea.
      B. Applicants who already have a criminal record check from their home country (which is not older than 6 months to start date) will need to get it notarized by the Embassy in Korea.
      
   2. For teachers who have received their E2 visas after December 15, 2007 and who wish to extend their contract in Korea, no longer require a criminal record check.
      
   3. Medical Records:
      A doctor's medical check will be required to do the employment transfer and to extend the alien registration. The doctor's medical check needs to be issued by the national hospital in Korea. Your employer will give further information.
      
   4. Verification of Education Background by your employer: a copy of Degree needs to be submitted by your employer along with an official document called "Verification of Academic Records" issued by the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE). http://english.kcue.or.kr/ Tel: (02) 6712-0181 Address: 27-2 Yeoeuido-dong, Yeongeungpo-gu, Seoul. Exit 2 Yeoeuido station Line 5. According to the revision of E2 visa, applicants who are once verified by KCUE for E2 visa application do not need to go through KCUE a second time. For questions or additional info contact the Immigration Bureau (02) 2650-6212-4. Press #2 for information in English.
      
   5. Transcripts : Unopened official University transcripts sealed in envelope (the Immigration office requires that your transcripts arrive double-sealed from your University: the transcripts must be sealed within the envelope, and the envelope must be sealed as well, or have the registrar's signature written overtop the glued envelope.

Korean Consulates

1. When do I have to visit the Korean Embassy/consulte?
   1) Before you sign a contract: you may need to visit them to get your diploma or criminal check notarized. 2) To submit the E2 visa application after you receive your visa number from your employer: Once you sign a contract with an employer, you are to send the visa documents to your employer/recruiter so that they can process your visa at the immigration office. This takes approximately 7-10 business days. When your visa is approved, you will receive a visa confirmation number from your employer/recruiter. If it is your first time to teach in Korea, you will be requrested an interview at the consulate on the day you pick up your passport. Always call and check with your nearest Korean Consulate before you visit them.

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2. Who and when am I required to have an interview at an Embassy/consulate?
   If it is your first time to teach in Korea your E2 visa will only be issued after a successful interview. In general, all applicants for an E2 visa require an interview when they pick up their passport with the E2 visa stamp. If you have taught in Korea before or if you are hired by SMOE for Seoul Public Schools, you should not have to go through an interview. Always double check with
   your nearest Korean embassy/consulate.

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3. I am far away from the Korean embassy/consulate. How can I do my interview and/or send & receive documents?
   If the Korean embassy/consulate deems that the applicant lives an unreasonable distance to be physically present for a personal interview, a web cam interview via internet will be substituted. Regarding documents, you may mail your documents back
   and forth. But be reminded that this should be communicated with the embassy before hand.

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Apostille?

1. What do you mean by apostille?
   An appostille or postil is a seal applied by the Department of State to authenticate a document in a foreign country in order to assess the authenticity of an official signature. The Apostille is recognized as form of an international notary seal. An Apostille can be used if both countries (the country issuing the document and the country in which the document will be used) are part of the international "The Hague Apostille Convention"

   Apostille Organizations:
   AUSTRALIA
   IRELAND
   NEW ZEALAND
   SOUTH AFRICA
   USA
   UK: Download form 3019B here and then submit your criminal background check to http://www.fco.gov.uk

After Arrival Tips

1. Power Voltate in Korea
   If your laptop is multi voltage, prepare a global converter. Korea uses 220Volt (2 round prong adapter)
   
   
2. Cell Phones
   Pay & Call cell phone : After arrival, you can buy one immediately.
   Call & Pay cell phone: after arrival and after receiving your alien registration card, you can apply for an account with a telecommunication company. Prices of phones range from $50-$400.
   
   
3. High Speed Internet Installation
   To install high speed internet cable in your apartment. After receiving your alien registration card, you can open an account through a telecommunication company. Costs range from approximately $30-40/month.
   
   
4. Alien Registration Card (ARC)
   How to apply for an alien registration card: You must request for an ARC(alien registration card) within 90 days after arrival. First you must go through a medical checkup at a general hospital your employer indicates for you. You must submit your medical check up results, certificate of employment, your employers business license and passport to your nearest immigration office. You will receive your ARC within on week.
   
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