The E-2 is the standard work visa for English teachers in South Korea. It's tied to a single employer, so you line up the job first, then the paperwork. Start early — the document chain has a few slow links.
Who qualifies
- Passport from a recognised English-speaking country (or an F-series visa if you don't)
- A bachelor's degree in any subject
- A clean national-level criminal background check
The document chain
Every document that leaves your home country needs an apostille — this is the step that catches people out, so budget two to three weeks for it.
- Apostilled degree certificate
- Apostilled criminal background check (national level)
- Sealed university transcripts
- Passport-style photos and a copy of your passport
- Signed contract from your school
How the timeline runs
Once your school files for the visa issuance number, you take it to a Korean consulate to convert into the actual E-2. From signed contract to landing in Korea is usually four to eight weeks, most of it spent waiting on apostilles.
If you're already in Korea on an F-2 or F-4 visa, you can skip most of this — which is why so many listings say 'currently residing in Korea preferred.'