Please Note: This website is still under construction.
However, all application and submission forms are functioning.

Applications

We are currently not accepting any new applications due to a re-structuring of our Korean office. Updates to follow, please write to ContactUs@teachenglishkorea.co.uk for further details

You may wish to print off this page, and then tick off the various stages as you move along the application process. It is recommended that you start collecting the various documents from the "Visa Application Process" as soon as possible, so they can be ready for when you receive a job offer. Try not to be overwhelmed by the various bits and pieces of paperwork you need to complete. While it can seem a little daunting at first, you will find that it is relatively straightforward, and the instructions below are comprehensive. Remember, if there is anything that needs clarification, please get in touch with us using the Contacts Page.

Step 1

Complete the online
application form.

Step 2
Contact from Oxford English representative, you will receive a phone call and email regarding this stage of the application.
Step 3

Your details will be forwarded to teaching institutions in Korea.

Step 4
Job Offer and telephone interview with a school. You should begin to collect the paperwork listed in the Korean Visa Application process.
Step 5
Oxford English will confirm your application and job/contract details.
Step 6
If the job offer is accepted, apply for the Korean E2 visa.
Step 7
Send your completed Visa information to the Korean Embassy in London.
Final Step
Obtain your South Korean
E-2 Working Visa.
Your employer will forward details and your flight ticket, and further instructions. Stay in contact with us throughout this process and through to your arrival in South Korea!

Visa Application Process

ChecklistYou will need to submit your first set of required documents (hardcopies) to Korean Immigration, via your new employer at your school, once you have accepted a job offer in order to be issued with a Korean E2 working visa. Click on each option to jump to a full explanation of each step of the process.

  1. Signed and dated contract.
  2. Two Notarised and Apostilled copies of your Bachelors degree.
  3. Authenticated (apostilled) Criminal Record Check.
  4. 2 sets of officially sealed academic transcripts.
  5. Photocopy of your passport profile page.
  6. 4 official passport photos.
  7. E2 health questionnaire. ( Download Here )
  8. Updated C.V.

 

 

1) Upon your acceptance of a position, your future employer will e-mail you a copy of the contract. This should be signed, dated and included with the other documents ready to send to Korea.

2) Two Notarised and Apostilled copies of your Bachelors Degree. Please note that Korean law has recently changed and the Korean Foreign Office will no longer accept original degree certificates. You will need to send two Notarised and Apostilled copies of your degree to the school in Korea. Click here for an explanation of the Notarisation/Apostillisation process.

3) Authenticated (Apostilled) Criminal Records Check
First of all, you need to obtain a basic CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) certificate. This has to be dated less than 6 months previously (so if it is dated 4 months ago or longer, you will need to apply for a new one). Since February 2011, this has been outsourced by the government. There are numerous websites offering this service. We recommend either of the following:

www.criminalrecordchecks.co.uk

www.personnelchecks.co.uk

Apply and select the basic option. The documents should take between 1 and 2 weeks to arrive.
Once you have received your CRB certificate, you need to get it ‘notarised’ and ‘apostilled’. This may sound complicated, but is actually relatively straightforward if you follow these steps:

An explanation of the Notarisation/Apostillisation Process

Notarisation

You need to take the CRB certificate to a Solicitor, specifically a ‘Notary Public’, and let them authorise it. To find a Notary public in your home town, simply use the Yellow Pages or type ‘Notary Public’ plus the name of your town into Google.

You can also use the Notary Society webpage to find a solicitor:
http://www.thenotariessociety.org.uk/find-a-notary

They will ‘notarise’ the document (give it a legally authorised seal), once you have arranged an appointment the whole process usually takes about 10 minutes.

Apostillisation
Now that you have the notarised CRB check in hand, you need to get it ‘Apostilled’. This is a government stamp which confirms that the Notary who approved your document is legally able to do so. In effect, the entire Notary/Apostille process is a double-check on behalf of the Korean government to ensure that your original CRB document is legal.

Your notarised CRB certificate needs to be mailed to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in Milton Keynes, who will apostille the document for a £30 fee. Click below, and make sure you follow the instructions on the website carefully:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-services/Legalisation/

Once you have submitted these documents and paid for them, you should receive your notarised, apostilled CRB check within 2-3 days.

This document will now be ready for submission for your Korean working visa.

 

4) 2 Sets of officially sealed academic transcripts from your University

Note that these are not the results which may have originally come with your degree certificate. You need to request transcripts from your University in two separate envelopes. Please make sure when you request the transcripts that the University utilises headed note paper, and after sealing them in an envelope will use a University stamp and signature over the fold in the envelope.

Two copies are needed as one will be sent (it must be unopened!) to the school along with the other documents in order to be issued an E2 visa number, and another copy in the unlikely event that you are asked to attend the Korean consulate. Note that the first ‘copy’ of the transcripts is usually free, although you may have to pay a small admin fee depending on the University in question.

 

5) A Photocopy of your passport profile page
Ensure that this is a clear photocopy of your current passport.

6) 4 official passport photos
Follow the standard advice and procedure for passport photos. Standard size (3.5cm x 4.5cm a passport-photo booth should suffice) with no Groucho Marx-esque disguise etc. The photos must not be printed from a home PC.

7) E2 health questionnaire, self assessment form. ( Download Here )

8) Updated C.V.
An up to date copy of your C.V (the same one that you submitted to Oxford English initially), ensuring that it contains previous education and employment references.

Once you have all of these documents ready, write to us using the information on the Contacts Page and we will get in touch to double check that everything is ready.

 

Submission of documents and obtaining your Korean E-2 working Visa:

After we have confirmed that your documents are ready and correct, you will then need to send all of them to the school in Korea (the address will be provided), who will then obtain an E-2 Visa number for you. It is recommended that you use a recognised international carrier such as DHL or UPS to send the documents, so that your documents are traceable and insured. Do not use Royal Mail international air mail.

This is the final stage in the application.

Documents to send to the Korean Embassy in London to obtain your E-2 Visa:
1) Passport
2) ‘Visa Application’ form. ( Download Here )
3) ‘Consul Checklist for E2 Applicant’ form. ( Download Here )
4) Visa Fee*

* This is currently £80. You can pay by cash or a postal order made payable to ‘the Korean Embassy’.

 

This will then need to be mailed along with your passport, and visa fee, to the Korean Embassy in London. It is recommended that you use recorded delivery. The Embassy will then return your passport complete with Visa. Very occasionally the Embassy might request your personal attendance for an interview in London.