Skip to content

Questions that keep coming up

If yours isn't here, raise it with the desk — and if it keeps coming up, it ends up on this page.

General

  • Do I have to be a member to raise a consular request?

    No. Anyone can raise one and you'll get a reference number either way. Signing in just means every request you've raised sits together on one page instead of you hunting through your email for the reference.

  • Is the Kenya-Korea Hub part of the embassy?

    No. We're a volunteer-run community organisation that works alongside the Embassy of Kenya in Seoul. We explain process, check documents against the list, and forward cases that need forwarding — but we don't issue passports or visas, and nothing we publish overrides an official decision.

Visas & immigration

  • How do I know the visa information here is current?

    Every visa and service page shows the date a volunteer last checked it against the official source, and links to that source. Anything unchecked for more than six months is flagged to you as possibly out of date rather than presented as current.

    That's the honest answer: we try, we tell you when we last looked, and you should still confirm anything that matters with immigration or the embassy before you travel or pay a fee.

Consular services

  • How long does a consular request take?

    There's no guaranteed response time — the desk is staffed by people with jobs and degrees. What we do guarantee is that you can see where it stands without having to ask. Genuine emergencies should go to the embassy's emergency line first, not through this form.

Living in Korea

  • I've just arrived in Korea. What should I sort out first?

    Roughly in this order:

    1. Alien Registration Card (ARC) — within 90 days of arrival, at your regional immigration office. Almost everything else depends on it.
    2. Phone number — you'll need the ARC for a proper contract.
    3. Bank account — needs the ARC and usually the phone number.
    4. Health insurance — enrolment is generally mandatory.
    5. Register with the embassy so they can reach you in an emergency.

    Then tell us you're here — the community is the part nobody puts on a checklist.

The community

  • What does it cost to join?

    Nothing. There's no fee, no subscription and no paid tier. The platform is donated and run by volunteers.

  • Will my details be published anywhere?

    No. Only aggregate counts are ever shown publicly — "31 members across 12 counties", never a name or an address. The member register is visible to community administrators only, and the consular desk is a separate permission held by different people. See our privacy policy.