D-2 Visa Application
International students entering from overseas should obtain a student visa (D-2) from the South Korean Embassy or Consulate in their country.
In order to apply for a student visa (D-2), students must first receive a document called the "Certificate of Admission" from Mason Korea. After receiving the certificate, students can proceed and apply for a visa at the Korean Embassy or Consulate.
First Step: Certificate of Admission
Certificate of Admission (COA) is a document issued by the university to officially show our endorsement of your student visa/status application. The COA is one of the major documents required for the student visa (D-2) application.
To issue the Certificate of Admission, a student must submit the following documents to Mason Korea International Student Services, Office of University Life.
Documents Required for COA
Required documents is determined by which student status you are applying for. Students admitted directly to Mason Korea should apply for either D-2-2 or D-2-3 status depending on their degree level. Students visiting Mason Korea from another higher-ed institution including Mason Fairfax should apply for D-2-8 status.
First-Time Student
- Proof of Education: High school diploma/transcript with record of date of graduation that is internationally authenticated.
- Proof of Funding: Proof of fund readily available for studying such as Bank Statement, Scholarship Letter, or Financial Aid Certificate.
Transfer Student
- Proof of Education: High school diploma/transcript with record of date of graduation AND college transcript that are internationally authenticated.
- Proof of Funding: Proof of fund readily available for studying such as Bank Statement, Scholarship Letter, or Financial Aid Certificate.
- Proof of Education: Undergraduate diploma that is internationally authenticated.
- Proof of Funding: Proof of fund readily available for studying such as Bank Statement, Scholarship Letter, or Financial Aid Certificate.
- Proof of Education: High school diploma/transcript with record of date of graduation AND college transcript that are internationally authenticated.*
- Proof of Funding: Proof of fund readily available for studying such as Bank Statement, Scholarship Letter, or Financial Aid Certificate.
* International authentication requirement is waived for students applying for visiting status (D-2-8) if they hold passport in one of the OECD countries.
How to Prepare Documents
Please refer to the following advice for document preparation guidance.
Documents that have been certified through either Apostille or Consular Legalization process are considered "internationally authenticated".
Apostille and Korean Consular Legalization
Legalization is the certification of a document’s formal conformity with the law binding in the place of its issue or of the authenticity of the seals and signatures placed on the document.
In countries – parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents legalization was replaced by apostille.
>> Apostille example
Resources
It is strongly recommended to utilize private courier services for the apostille/consular legalization of your documents due to their generally expedient processing. Here are a few examples of courier services for international authentication of documents.
>> The Notary Seal (US)
>> 아포스티유센터.com (Korea)
Waiver of the Requirement for D-2-8 Applicants
Students who hold a citizenship in one of the OECD countries applying for D-2-8 status are waived from this document authentication requirement. For example, if you are a student from Fairfax campus with US-citizenship, you are allowed to upload your proof of education WITHOUT the international authentication of documents.
The university is required by local Korean law to verify whether a student has sufficient amount of funds to cover the cost of his or her academic program in Mason Korea. We do this by asking for documents to show that the funds are currently available for the full cost of the student’s first year of study and verify that funds will be provided for subsequent years. The cost can be prorated if one's study period is less than a year.
| Estimated Total Costs | In-State Domicile | Out-of-State Domicile |
| D-2-2/3 Students Studying in Korea for 1 year or more |
USD 23,000 | USD 29,000 |
| D-2-8 Students Studying in Korea for 6 - 12 months |
USD 11,500 | USD 14,500 |
All documents must be dated within 1 month of the COA application submission date.
We accept:
- Bank statements or letters
- Money market statements
- Stock portfolio summary statements for US-based investment companies (we accept 30% of the value stated)
- Pre-approved education loan and other loan certificates or letters (must specify the name of the student, dates valid, amount of loan, and any limitations/conditions)
- Gold certificate issued by a government agency, bank, or investment company (we do not accept jewelry valuations)
- Corporate sponsorship letter (must be signed by CEO or CFO, state the student’s name and amount of award)
Each document must be presented in English on the letterhead of the agency issuing it and clearly show:
- The name of the account holder
- The amount in the account
- The currency
- Issue Date (Documents issued within 30 days from the application date are acceptable)
- Statement/indication that the funds in the account are available for withdrawal
- All official letters must include at least one of the following;
- Signature of the issuing agency official OR
- Issuing agency stamp OR
- Issuing agency seal
We do not accept:
- Real property certificates or valuations (for example, real estate)
- Salary/income/pay statements
- Retirement accounts
- Provident funds
- Corporate bank statements as proof of personal funds
- Lines of credit
- Credit Cards
- Statements from accountants or financial advisors
- Solvency certificates
As of current, the Korean government only accepts Proof of Funding (unless an official letter issued by a school, scholarship committee, tuition sponsor company) under the name of the applicant or the name of the applicant’s parent/legal guardian. In this case, additional Proof of Family Relation is required. (I.e., Birth certificates.)
In the case an applicant’s parent/legal guardian is unable to financially support their child/dependent only, Proof of Funding under the applicant’s sibling’s name may be submitted. Additional Proof of Family Relation is required. (I.e., Birth certificates from both siblings.)
Application for COA
To receive COA, students must complete the application form and upload the necessary documents specified above. The application must be submitted during the periods specified below.
| Item | Fall Admission | Spring Admission |
| COA Application Open | Second week of June | First day of December |
| COA Application Deadline |
Second Friday of July |
Last Friday of January *For directly admitted Mason Korea students only, applications are accepted on a first-come first-served basis. |
For Spring 2026 Global Gateway (Mason Fairfax) students only* (D-2-8), the COA application must be submitted from: November 19, 2025 (Wednesday), 10:00 AM KST ~ December 3, 2025 (Wednesday), 5:00 PM KST
For Spring 2026 Study Abroad (Mason Fairfax) students only* (D-2-8), the COA application must be submitted from: November 26, 2025 (Wednesday), 10:00 AM KST ~ December 10, 2025 (Wednesday), 5:00 PM KST
For both Global Gateway and Study Abroad cohorts*, late or incomplete applications will not be accepted after the application period has closed.
For more information, access the application form below.
The review process could take 2 - 3 weeks to be completed. If approved, you will receive the following documents in digital format. Notifications will be sent to your Mason email when the documents are ready for you to download.
- Certificate of Admission
- Letter of Admission/Acceptance
- Mason Korea Business Registration Certificate
Next Step: D-2 Visa Application
After receiving COA, students should apply for a D-2 visa individually at the Korean embassy/consulate. It could take another 2 - 3 weeks for the embassy/consulate to review an application and issue a D-2 visa.
All applicants must pre-book an appointment online before they can come in to drop off the application packet in person. Visit the website linked below and click on “Reservation to Visit a diplomatic mission”. Gain temporary access to the system as a “Non-Member” by providing/verifying your email address. After logging in, you should be able to select a date you wish to visit the embassy.
If you are a visiting student from Mason Fairfax via Study Abroad or Global Gateway program, please consult with your program officer about the embassy visit.
Required Documents
Mason Korea will provide:
- Certificate of Admission
- Letter of Admission/Acceptance
- Mason Korea Business Registration Certificate
You should also prepare:
- Passport (must have at least 6 months of validity)
- One copy of your passport (bio-data page)
- Korean visa photo (color; 3.5cm x 4.5cm; taken within the past six months)
- Application fee: 45 - 60 USD depending on the embassy/consulate in your home country.
- Any other documents required by the embassy.*
* Please note that the embassy may require additional documents from you. We strongly recommend contacting the embassy and checking their website for more information.
This process is usually for students who are a registered foreigner in Korea already.
If you are a first-time international student in Korea, you are strongly encouraged to obtain a D-2 visa from the Korean Embassy/Consulate overseas before entering the country. If a student enters without obtaining a student visa without a valid reason, their request to change to a student visa status may be denied by the Korean Immigration Authority, and the responsibility for this lies solely with the student.
After receiving COA, students should apply for the status change process individually at the Incheon Korean Immigration Office. It could take up to 2 - 3 weeks for the immigration office to review an application and issue a D-2 visa.
It is highly recommended that all applicants pre-book an appointment online before they can come in to drop off the application packet in person. Students can make an appointment online 2 business days after entry to Korea. Visit the above website and proceed as follows. Then, you should be able to pick a date and time for your visit.
Reserve Visit -> Visit Reservation Application (Non-member) -> Identity verification using passport number
Required Documents
University will provide:
- Certificate of Admission
- Letter of Admission/Acceptance
- Mason Korea Business Registration Certificate
You should prepare:
- One copy of your passport (bio-data page)
- Alien Registration Card (if applicable)
- Application fee: KRW 110,000
Please note that the immigration may require additional documents from you. Contact the Korea Immigration Contact Center by dialing (Tel: 1345) and double-check the list of required documents.