JAKARTA - South Korea’s visa application process for Filipinos was simplified after the Korea Visa Application Center in Manila removed the requirement to submit three months of bank statements for all visa types, effective February 20, 2026. 

The advisory was issued by the Korea Visa Application Center Manila, not as a central government press release, and the notice explicitly says the waiver applies to all categories of required documents rather than only tourist filings. 

Under the new rules, student applicants may also now submit either an original school certificate or a copy of a student ID instead of both documents. 

Family and corporate group applications will only need one set of common documents attached to the representative applicant’s file, and employment-related requirements have also been relaxed for documents that lack a landline or carry electronic signatures, provided other contact details are present. 

The change is separate from recent K-ETA adjustments. The K-ETA electronic travel authorisation covers nationals from visa exempt countries. Filipino nationals remain subject to the Philippines visa regime and cannot rely on K-ETA exemptions that apply only to visa-exempt nationalities. 

For context, South Korea received roughly 18.5 to 18.9 million international visitors in 2025 as inbound travel recovered to record levels. Policymakers have been pursuing measures to sustain that momentum and deepen travel ties across the region.

The Philippines recorded about 1.4 million arrivals from South Korea in 2025, a drop of around 20 to 21 percent from 2024, making Seoul a key but cooling source market for Philippine tourism.