Letter of Guarantee for Foreign Nationals in Korea — Maximum 4-Year Guarantee Period and Guarantor Eligibility

Procedure

1. 1. Check whether a letter of guarantee is required

   The Minister of Justice may require the inviting person or another related person to guarantee a foreign national's identity where deemed necessary for visa issuance, visa issuance confirmation, stay permits and similar matters (Immigration Act Article 90(1)). Annex 5 and Annex 5-2 of the Enforcement Rule list the letter of guarantee as an attachment for statuses such as F-6 (Marriage Migrant), F-1 (Family Visitor) and D-3 (Technical Training), and overseas missions or immigration offices may add or remove attachments where necessary (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5 notes).

2. 2. Check guarantor eligibility

   The guarantor must have an address in Korea and demonstrate the ability to guarantee; where the foreign national belongs to an institution or organization, its head is the guarantor unless there is a special reason, and no proof of ability is required in that case (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Article 77(2) and (3)). A foreign national guarantor must hold a residence card and the guarantee period may not exceed the guarantor's own period of stay, and a guarantor who failed to fulfill guarantee obligations within the last 1 year may be restricted from acting as guarantor for up to 1 year (same Article (4) and (10)).

3. 3. Complete Form No. 129

   The letter of guarantee records the foreign national's name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, address in Korea and purpose of stay, together with the guarantor's personal details, relationship to the foreign national, workplace and the guarantee period (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Article 77(1), Form No. 129). The guarantee period may not exceed 4 years, a period written as 4 years or longer is accepted only up to 4 years, and any permit period may not exceed the guarantee period (same Article (7); Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5 notes).

4. 4. Confirm the guarantee items and sign

   The form sets out 3 guarantee items: compliance with all laws and regulations during the stay, responsibility for return travel expenses and related costs, and responsibility for costs arising during the stay or detention (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 129). The guarantor reviews the contents, writes the date and signs or affixes a seal (same Form).

5. 5. Submission and obligations after the guarantee

   The letter of guarantee is submitted to the head of the immigration office, branch office or detention center, and no additional letter is needed when the period of stay is extended within the guarantee period (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Article 77(1) and (9)). If the guarantor fails to fulfill the guarantee and the state bears the cost, the Minister of Justice may exercise the right to reimbursement, and a guarantor who receives a reimbursement notice must pay within 15 days of receiving it (Immigration Act Article 90(3); Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act Article 95-2).

Required documents

• Letter of guarantee (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 129)
• Copy of the guarantor's ID (copy of the residence card if the guarantor is a foreign national)
• Proof of the guarantor's ability to guarantee (certificate of employment, income certificate, etc.)
• Copy of the foreign national's passport
• Proof of the relationship between the guarantor and the foreign national (family relation certificate, marriage relation certificate, etc.)
• Proof of the foreign national's affiliation where the head of an institution or organization is the guarantor
• Status-specific attachments for the application (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5 and Annex 5-2)

Fees

The Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act sets no separate fee for preparing or submitting a letter of guarantee, and the fees for the accompanying visa or stay permit application follow the rules for that application. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the type of invitation or stay permit application handled together and the volume of documents; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Immigration Act Article 90
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act Article 95
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act Article 95-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Article 77
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Article 77-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Annex 5
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Annex 5-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Form No. 129

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-24

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Before submission, check that the foreign national's name and passport number match the passport and that the relationship, guarantee period and signature or seal fields are all completed (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 129).
• Because any permit period may not exceed the guarantee period on the letter of guarantee, make sure the guarantee period is not shorter than the period of stay you are seeking (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5 notes).

Frequently asked questions