Choose your language
English- and Korean-taught routes
Check the department’s admission and graduation requirements.
Study in Korea · language requirements and TOPIKSTUDY ABROAD / KR
시작이 반이다.Your next chapter.In South Korea.
시작이 반이다 / Sijagi banida — beginning is half the task.
From a Seoul design studio to an engineering research lab, Korea offers a new rhythm for your next chapter. Compare English- and Korean-taught degrees, a language-first start and the funding that could make your course possible.
Guide checked · Official sources
SEOUL / IN FOCUSSOUTH KOREA
Ksiom · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Display cropped
Permission first
Before taking student work
Degree, language and institutional conditions affect your allowance.
Study in Korea · part-time employment for foreignersUp to 3 years
D-10 for eligible Korean-university graduates
One-year extensions, subject to approval and activity restrictions.
Korean Ministry of Justice · D-10 improvements, December 202501 / YOUR STARTING POINT
Where are you starting from?
Choose the closest match. Use it to plan your next checks, not as an admission decision.
Choose the language of instruction, then the university.
Korean universities admit international undergraduates on documents, school results and language evidence. Requirements are set department by department, so two courses at the same university can ask for different things.
Study in Korea · language requirements and TOPIK- 01Confirm whether the programme is taught in Korean or English, and what evidence each requires.
- 02Check the department’s accepted admission language tests; these can differ from the evidence accepted for work permission.
- 03Plan around the March and September intakes, and note that TOPIK scores are valid for two years from the announcement date.
Keep in mind
Ask about the language of required modules and graduation requirements. Everyday Korean can make campus and working life easier.
02 / THE REAL COST
The published averages are only half the number.
Tuition, the housing deposit and the gap before you can legally work.
Tuition varies by field, not just by sector
Published annual averages run from about KRW 6,003,000 for humanities and social sciences to KRW 7,277,200 for engineering and KRW 9,843,400 for medicine, with national and public universities averaging around KRW 4,266,000 and private universities around KRW 7,625,000. Ask your department for its own figure.
Study in Korea · study expensesOff-campus housing needs a deposit up front
Compare a university dormitory quote with a private lease, including upfront deposits. The KRW 5,000,000 calculator deposit is an editable private-housing assumption, not an official minimum or a verified campus charge.
Study in Korea · living and housing informationPermission comes before the first shift
Obtain approval before working. D-2 degree students and D-4 language students have different start conditions. Do not assume that every student must wait six months, or that TOPIK is the only accepted evidence.
Study in Korea · part-time employment for foreigners03 / MAKE THE NUMBERS YOURS
What would your first year look like?
Change the example figures to match your shortlist. See the expenses and the cash you may need to set aside.
UNIVERSITY STUDY / 12 MONTHS / KRW
An illustrative first year for a private-university programme in Seoul, in Korean won. Tuition sits near the published private-university average and should be replaced with your department's own figure — engineering and medicine are materially higher. Monthly living assumes off-campus rent, food, transport and insurance; a dormitory place would reduce it. The KRW 5,000,000 deposit is an illustrative private-housing allowance, not a published requirement. Confirm the deposit and refund terms from an actual lease; the housing source does not substantiate this example amount.
YOUR FIRST-YEAR PICTURE
Total cash to plan for₩28,600,000
- Estimated expenses
- ₩23,600,000
- Refundable deposit
- ₩5,000,000
Living costs × 12 + tuition + other fees + arrival costs. The deposit is added separately as money to set aside.
Build from funds you can rely on.
No sign-up. Your figures stay in this page.This example deducts no unawarded scholarship or income from a job you have not secured.
04 / FUNDING THE MOVE
Find the right kind of support.
Start with an affordable study plan. Then explore funding that matches your background.
Global Korea Scholarship, through a track
GKS covers airfare, language training, tuition and a living allowance, but you apply through a Korean embassy or through a designated GKS university — not directly to NIIED. Undergraduate cycles are typically announced around September and graduate cycles around February and March.
Read the GKS tracksUniversity awards, often tied to language
Most Korean universities operate their own admission and continuing scholarships for international students, and a higher TOPIK level frequently raises the award band. Ask for the percentage reduced, the renewal grade and whether it applies to every semester.
Compare study expensesBuild the budget from confirmed funds
Treat earnings as uncertain. Keep tuition, living costs and housing deposits covered without a job offer.
Check the work rulesSTUDY. WORK. UPSKILL.
Work during and after your studies.
Understand the study-related options, then prepare for the next stage.
During your course
Prior permission is required. The official table distinguishes language evidence, degree level, academic year and university conditions; lower allowances also exist without the listed language proficiency. Confirm your exact row with the international office.
Study in Korea · part-time employment for foreignersAfter you graduate
For eligible graduates of Korean universities, the Ministry of Justice’s updated D-10 scheme allows up to three years of job seeking, with one-year extensions. Approval and activity restrictions still apply; it is not permission to take any job.
Korean Ministry of Justice · D-10 improvements, December 2025Language is the hiring filter
Use projects, internships and language practice to build a credible portfolio during your course. Confirm the immigration conditions for the professional role you want; admission to an English-taught degree does not settle that question.
Study in Korea · employment in Korea05 / FROM INTEREST TO ACTION
A route you can work through.
Start at the step that matches where you are. Course dates and your circumstances set the pace.
- 01
Set a TOPIK target and a date
Decide the level you need for admission, for work permission and for graduation.
Study in Korea · language requirements and TOPIK - 02
Confirm the department's own requirements
Language evidence, documents and deadlines are set department by department.
Study in Korea · language requirements and TOPIK - 03
Start apostille certification early
Indian academic documents usually need apostille, and it takes longer than the visa itself.
- 04
Secure housing and the deposit
Apply for a dormitory place and price a one-room tenancy with its deposit as a fallback.
Study in Korea · living and housing information - 05
Plan the D-2 documents
Admission letter, education proof, financial ability and the tuberculosis test result.
Study in Korea · student visa and stay status
06 / KEEP YOUR PLAN CURRENT
Worth knowing before you apply.
Reviewed guidance and official publishers to follow as your plan develops.
WORK CONDITIONS
Read the whole row, not just the number.
Programme, language evidence and institutional conditions affect student work. Confirm the allowance applying to you and obtain permission first.
Study in Korea · part-time employment for foreignersReviewed 10 September 2026D-10 · UPDATED SCHEME
A longer window for eligible graduates.
The Ministry of Justice’s December 2025 update extends the maximum job-seeking period to three years for qualifying Korean-university graduates, with one-year extensions.
Korean Ministry of Justice · D-10 improvements, December 2025Reviewed 10 September 2026Keep an eye on what’s new
For the latest published notices, visit Study in Korea. Read the date, eligibility and deadline on each announcement.
The reviewed guidance above is a dated reference. New announcements do not automatically change the page’s advice.
THE QUESTIONS THAT MATTER
A little more clarity.
Useful answers to bring into your next conversation.
English-taught programmes are available. Verify the language of compulsory modules and graduation requirements. For work, check the separate permission rules and accepted language evidence.
Study in Korea · part-time employment for foreignersYOUR NEXT MOVE, WITH STAAR
Turn “what if” into a first step.
Tell us where you are today. We’ll help you explore what comes next.
SOURCE NOTES
Check the detail at its source.
Reviewed 10 September 2026. Course, funding and immigration rules can change. Use the current rules for your nationality, residence and intake.
Study in Korea · student visa and stay status
D-2 and D-4 categories, permitted stay and required documents.
Study in Korea · part-time employment for foreignersHour limits by degree level and TOPIK level, and the permission requirement.
Korean Ministry of Justice · D-10 improvements, December 2025Domestic-university graduates: maximum three-year job-seeking period, extended one year at a time.
Study in Korea · study expensesAverage annual tuition by sector and by field of study.
Study in Korea · language requirements and TOPIKTOPIK structure, alternatives accepted and two-year score validity.
Study in Korea · scholarshipsGKS coverage, embassy and university tracks and application timing.
Study in Korea · living and housing informationDormitory and off-campus housing options and deposit practice.
Study in Korea · employment in KoreaProfessional work statuses and what employers expect of graduates.