Korean Language Course in Korea: The D-4 Visa Route to a Degree

Dr. Jayanthy Ramakrishnan

03/11/2026

12 min read

A Korean language course in Korea is a way to start in the country before a degree. You study Korean full-time at a university’s language institute on a D-4 visa, reach the level a Korean-taught degree asks for, and then move to that degree on a D-2 student visa.

This guide explains how the route works for students from India and Nepal: what the D-4-1 visa is, how a language programme term runs, what two real university institutes charge, which documents the Korean embassies in New Delhi and Kathmandu ask for, the part-time work rules, and what it takes to move on to a degree. Every rule here comes from official sources, read on 31 October 2026: Study in Korea (run by Korea’s National Institute for International Education, NIIED), the two embassies, and the universities’ own guides.

What is the D-4 visa, and who is it for?

Korea issues two main visas to international students. According to Study in Korea’s visa page, the D-2 (Study) visa is for students enrolling in degree programmes, and the D-4 (General Training) visa is for students enrolling in non-degree programmes. Within D-4, the sub-type D-4-1 is Korean Language Training; D-4-2 is foreign language training.

The D-4 route tends to suit you if:

• You want a Korean-taught degree but do not yet have the Korean level the university asks for.
• You want to learn Korean properly before you decide on a degree, while living in Korea.
• Your chosen course is not offered in English, or the English-taught options do not fit your plans.

A D-4 language course is not a degree, and it does not by itself lead to one. You still have to apply to the degree programme, meet its requirements and change to a D-2 visa. (EPS-TOPIK, which leads to a work permit under Korea’s Employment Permit System, is a separate route that this guide does not cover.)

How does a university Korean language programme work?

Many Korean universities run a language institute alongside their degree programmes. Study in Korea describes these university-affiliated Korean Language Institutes as offering courses for general learning, university admission and business Korean. Each institute sets its own calendar, fees and rules, so the two examples below are illustrations, not a national standard.

• Sejong University, Seoul. The Sejong Language Center 2026–2027 admission guide runs four semesters a year (spring, summer, fall and winter). After admission, it issues the certificate of admission and visa documents for D-4-1 applicants. It recommends applying at least two months before the semester begins, and offers a three-week TOPIK II preparation course each semester for students in level 3 classes or above.
• Woosong University, Daejeon. The Woosong Korean Language Institute brochure describes a 10-week regular course: morning classes of 4 hours (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), 5 days a week, for a total of 200 hours. Classes are graded Beginner 1–2, Intermediate 1–2 and Advanced 1–2. The brochure says the course targets students who want to enter a university after reaching TOPIK level 3 or 4.

Term dates and fees as each institute publishes them:

Neither fee table says in so many words whether the tuition is for one term, so confirm that with the institute. Woosong’s expense guide totals KRW 2,360,000 with the dormitory. Sejong notes its schedule may change and that changes are announced on its website. Fees and dates change each year, so confirm them with the institute before you apply.

What documents does a D-4 visa need?

Study in Korea lists these documents for a General Training (D-4) visa: a copy of your passport; one passport-size photo taken within the last 6 months; a copy of the institution’s business registration certificate; the standard admission letter issued by the university president or dean; a certificate of enrollment or proof of your highest education; proof of financial ability; and a training plan. It adds that further documents may be required depending on the programme and your country, and tells applicants to check with the Korean mission in their country. That is where India and Nepal differ.

Applying from India

The Korean Embassy in New Delhi publishes a notice on visa documents and procedure (in Korean, updated 30 September 2026) with an English checklist attached for D-2 and D-4 student visas (more than 90 days). Its guidance applies only to applications made to the embassy itself. India is split into three consular areas, decided by the place of issue on your passport or the address on its last page:

• Embassy, New Delhi: the northern and eastern states and union territories, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, West Bengal and the north-eastern states.
• Consulate General, Mumbai: Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana, plus Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
• Consulate General, Chennai: Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, plus Lakshadweep.

The embassy says documents, submission method and processing time differ at Mumbai and Chennai, so applicants there should follow that consulate’s own notices. For the New Delhi embassy, the student checklist asks for:

1. Original passport, valid for 6 months or more
2. The application form, filled in online on the Korea Visa Portal and signed
3. The Standard Admission Certificate (original or photocopy)
4. The university’s Korean business registration certificate
5. Your highest academic records, copied with apostille
6. Proof of occupation: employment proof if you are working, or a bonafide certificate if you are studying
7. Income tax returns for you or a linear family member: 2 years for an individual, 3 years for a business (an explanation letter if there is no ITR)
8. Bank statement for you or a linear family member, covering 6 months
9. An original TB test report from a designated diagnostic institute
10. A health condition report and a declaration form, both available at the visa application centre and online
11. If you apply through an agent, the agency employment ID card; a representative brings government-approved ID

The embassy does not accept visa applications directly. You submit at the VFS Global Korea Visa Application Centre in New Delhi or Kolkata, which charges a service fee of Rs. 1,380 including tax. Processing takes the application date plus 14 working days (2–3 days more through Kolkata for courier), longer if extra documents or verification are needed, and urgent processing is suspended. From 1 August 2026, the embassy’s revised visa fee notice sets a single-entry visa for more than 90 days at INR 5,400.

Applying from Nepal

The Korean Embassy in Kathmandu publishes a notice on D-2 and D-4 student visa documents (in Korean, revised 30 July 2026). It splits the documents into two sets. The Korean side prepares the originals and sends them to you, and you submit them with your own.

From the university in Korea:

• The Standard Admission Certificate (original or copy), with the tuition-payment sections (items 7 and 8) filled in by the university
• The university’s business registration certificate
• A scholarship confirmation, only if you receive a scholarship
• Sponsorship and financial documents from the school or sponsor, only if the school is supporting your costs

From you, in Nepal (documents in Nepali need a notarised translation):

• Visa application form with one passport-size photo, and your passport with a copy
• If a Nepali agency handles your application: its business registration certificate, and its representative’s ID and contact details (not needed if you apply yourself)
• A visa cover letter explaining the purpose, motivation and costs of your study in Korea, and a study plan
• Your final education certificate and transcript, with consular verification by the Korean Embassy in Nepal. A provisional certificate is accepted only if you apply within one year of graduating
• A TOPIK score report (Korean track) or an IELTS or TOEFL score report (English track), as the notice lists them
• A tuberculosis report from one of the four hospitals the embassy designates: Patan Hospital, Civil Service Hospital, Korea Nepal Friendship Hospital (Korea Thimi Hospital) and Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital
• Bank transaction statements for the last 6 months, from a first-tier (“A level”) bank

Documents must be issued within 6 months of the application date (2 years for language test scores). The embassy says review takes 8 days, or 10 working days during the student-visa intake period, and longer if documents need checking. It directs visa questions to the Korea Visa Application Centre in Kathmandu. The embassy’s English visa page sets a single-entry visa for more than 90 days at 9,300 NPR from 1 July 2026. The same page says processing can take 21 working days or more, so plan on the longer figure.

How much money do you need to show?

Neither embassy page states a minimum balance for a D-4 visa. New Delhi asks for 6 months of bank statements and income tax returns; Kathmandu asks for 6 months of bank transaction statements, and its English visa page also lists a balance certificate. An institute may set its own figure: the Woosong brochure lists “Bank Balance (Over USD 10,000)” among the documents for its D-4 language course application. Ask your institute and the visa centre what figure applies before you open a bank certificate.

Can you work part-time on a D-4 visa?

Yes, but not straight away, and only with permission. Study in Korea’s residence and stay page (sourced from HiKorea) sets out the rules for international students:

• When: language training (D-4-1) students become eligible 6 months after the date they changed status, or after their entry date if they came on a visa.
• Korean level: the standard for language trainees is TOPIK level 2, or completion of level 2 (or a pre-evaluation score of 41 or higher) in the Social Integration Program, or completion of the elementary course at a King Sejong Institute.
• Hours: the table permits 10 hours for a language trainee who does not meet that standard, and 20 hours for one who does, rising to 25 hours at an accredited university or for academic or Korean-proficiency excellence. The table does not name the period the hours apply to, so confirm the current limit with your institute’s international office.
• How: you need a standard employment contract stating the hourly wage, a part-time employment confirmation form signed by the university’s international student advisor, and an approval before you start. Work without permission, or outside its conditions, is penalised under the law.

Plan your budget without part-time income for at least the first 6 months.

How do you move from D-4 to a D-2 degree?

You apply to the degree programme like any other international applicant, using your Korean level to meet its language requirement. If you are admitted while in Korea, you then apply for a change of status of residence before you start activities under the new status (Study in Korea, citing HiKorea). The language bar is set by each university and sometimes by each department. Two examples from the universities above:

• Sejong University (Spring 2027 undergraduate guide): the Korean track asks for TOPIK level 3 for most majors, level 4 for Korean Language and Literature, Media and Communication, and Business Administration, and level 2 for Creative Studies, Arts and Physical Education majors and the School of Entertainment and Content. Students who have completed two or more semesters at the Sejong Language Center can apply with the matching completion level instead. Korean-track students must reach TOPIK level 4 (level 3 in the arts majors) before graduating. The same guide asks degree applicants for a verification of deposit of 20 million KRW or 16,000 USD or more.
• Woosong University (Fall 2026 international undergraduate guide): the Korean track asks for TOPIK level 3 or higher, or the equivalent in the Social Integration Program (level 3 or a pre-evaluation score of 61) or the King Sejong Institute standard (Intermediate 1). Applicants who have completed one year at Woosong’s Korean language institute as D-4 holders and passed its internal assessment can apply with a completion certificate and a supervising professor’s letter confirming TOPIK level 3 equivalence. Nursing asks for TOPIK level 5 and an English score.

Study in Korea notes that TOPIK scores are valid for 2 years from the date of score announcement, so time your test against your application.

Should you take the D-4 route or go straight to an English-taught degree?

Many Korean universities teach some degrees in English. Sejong, for example, lists English-track majors that ask for IELTS 5.5 or the equivalent rather than TOPIK. If an English-taught programme fits what you want to study, you can apply directly on a D-2 visa and skip the language year.

The D-4 route costs more time and money up front, but it opens Korean-taught programmes as well, and the Korean you learn helps with daily life and part-time work. Our study in South Korea guide covers the degree side, including English-taught options.

Is the GKS language year the same thing?

No. The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), run by NIIED, includes its own Korean language year, but it is a scholarship route, not a self-funded D-4 course. According to Study in Korea’s GKS page, GKS degree scholars take 1 year of Korean language training followed by their degree, and the scholarship covers airfare, Korean language training fees, tuition and a monthly allowance. Places are set by quota for each country and track. See our South Korea scholarships guide for how GKS works for Indian and Nepali applicants.

If you are weighing a Korean language course against a direct degree, or planning the degree that follows it, talk to our South Korea admissions team.