Guide · as of 2026-08-08
D-2 financial proof: the exact numbers
A D-2 (degree-seeking student) application must show a bank balance of at least ₩20,000,000 for a university in the capital region (수도권: Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon) or ₩16,000,000 for a university anywhere else (지방/비수도권). The figures come from the Ministry of Justice guideline for international students (외국인유학생 사증발급 및 체류관리 지침) and are applied by Korean consulates; the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City’s document checklist (2024-09-26) states them verbatim. For language training (D-4-1), the corresponding figures are ₩10,000,000 (capital region) / ₩8,000,000 (elsewhere).
The amounts by program type
| Program | Capital region | Non-capital |
|---|---|---|
| Degree course (D-2-1 – D-2-3, associate/bachelor/master/doctoral) | ₩20,000,000 | ₩16,000,000 |
| Language training (D-4-1) | ₩10,000,000 | ₩8,000,000 |
| Exchange student (D-2-6) | monthly living cost × months of stay | same |
For exchange students, the monthly living-cost unit is pegged to the 1-person household figure in the Ministry of Land’s housing-benefit standard (주거급여 선정기준); the Ho Chi Minh checklist cites ₩1,069,654/month (2024 figure) × the number of months of stay. Where a D-2 stay is under one year, the requirement is tuition plus living costs proportional to the stay.
Deposit-age (예치 기간) rules
There is no single nationwide deposit-age rule; consulates in countries designated for enhanced review set explicit holding periods. The Ho Chi Minh City rules (the strictest published example) are:
- Degree course (D-2): balance held at least 3 months before application. Exception: D-2-4 through D-2-8 subtypes are exempt from the minimum holding period; students bound for universities under consulting status (컨설팅 대학) need 6 months.
- Language training (D-4): balance held at least 6 months.
Balance certificates are generally required to be recently issued, commonly within 30 days of application (unverified: 30-day window appears in university/agency guidance, not in a single national rule).
Whose account counts
- The principle is a certificate in the applicant’s own name, with the physical bankbook (통장) presented at application (Ho Chi Minh checklist).
- Parents’ funds are accepted if family relationship documents are attached (LA Consulate D-2/D-4 notice; Ho Chi Minh checklist details parental job/income proof and a financial-support pledge).
- Transferred/assigned bankbooks are not accepted; local-currency balances are converted at the exchange rate on the application date (Ho Chi Minh checklist).
- Scholarship students: a scholarship certificate covering 100% of tuition and living costs replaces the balance; partial scholarships require balance proof for the remainder.
Where the numbers bind, and where they don’t
The ₩20M/₩16M figures are the MOJ guideline floor used in visa screening. Individual universities set their own admission-stage requirements and may demand more (or verify at a different point in time), and consulates in the 21 countries designated for enhanced review (불법체류다발국, including Vietnam) attach the deposit-age and guarantor documentation rules above. The final decision standard is the reviewing consulate’s checklist for the applicant’s country.
Related data
- /visa/d-2: D-2 holders, subtypes, arrival trends
- /visa/d-4: D-4 language-training data
- /fees: official visa and permit fees
- /tools/entry-check: entry requirement checker