When foreign artists visit Korea for concerts or performances, they are required to obtain a performance visa.

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Unlike ordinary visas, a performance visa involves multiple steps—

from securing a performance recommendation letter to completing the visa application at the overseas Korean mission.

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This process is relatively complex and time-sensitive.

Today, we share the case of Vivid Culture, an event agency

that successfully obtained a performance visa in June 2024 for a Japanese artist’s scheduled live concert in Seoul.

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The Core of the Performance Visa: Thorough Preparation of the Recommendation Letter

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[Client Information]
✔ Organization: Vivid Culture (Performance Planning Agency)
✔ Request: C-4-5 visa issuance for a Japanese artist’s Korea performance

In this case, Vivid Culture, a performance planning agency, requested our support to obtain a D-1 visa for a Japanese artist scheduled to perform in Seoul in June.

The concert was set for mid-June at a live venue in Hongdae, and because time was limited, careful scheduling and accurate document preparation were absolutely essential.

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Careful Documentation of the Performance Recommendation Letter Increased Approval Chances

The key step in inviting a foreign artist to perform in Korea is securing the Performance Recommendation Letter issued by the Korea Media Rating Board.

This letter is not a simple formality—it is granted only after a comprehensive evaluation of:

✔The nature of the performance

✔The artist’s profile and career background

✔The clarity of contractual relationships

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[Required Documents for the Recommendation Letter]
✔Copy of artist’s passport
✔Concert poster and detailed program overview
✔Artist profile, promotional videos, and press materials
✔Performance contract and venue rental agreement
✔Event agency’s business registration certificate & representative’s ID
✔Certificate of Registration for Popular Culture & Arts Planning Business

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Hanguk Visa provided detailed guidance on all required documents and consulted with the agency based on actual review criteria.

Since the artist was not yet widely recognized and lacked sufficient press materials,

Hanguk Visa reorganized the artist’s profile, supplemented the press kit with alternative content, and refined the performance contract into a more credible format.

These steps greatly improved the likelihood of passing the recommendation letter review.

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Two Things You Must Check in Advance When Applying for a Performance Recommendation Letter

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1) Submission Deadline

The application deadline for the recommendation letter is every Thursday, with feedback released on Friday.

The schedule is very tight—if you miss the deadline even slightly, the review will be delayed by at least a week. Careful date management is therefore critical.

With prior experience, Hanguk Visa prepared documents in advance according to the timeline.

Once feedback was received on Friday, we immediately made corrections and resubmitted, ensuring the recommendation letter was issued on schedule.

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2) Consulate Reservation

After receiving the recommendation letter, the visa application must be submitted at a Korean consulate abroad.

In Japan, consulate reservations are mandatory. Missing a reservation could cause serious delays in the performance schedule.

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To minimize the burden on the client, Hanguk Visa provided step-by-step guidance, including:

✔Instructions for completing the visa application form

✔How to use the consulate reservation system

✔Checklist of required documents

✔Timeline coordination and support for possible local submission

Thanks to this process, the agency was able to complete the visa submission smoothly in Japan, and the visa was issued within the expected timeline.

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The artist entered Korea as scheduled and successfully completed the performance.

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✅ Documents Prepared by the Client

✔Copy of artist’s passport

✔Concert poster and detailed event overview

✔Artist profile, promotional videos, press materials

✔Performance contract & venue rental agreement

✔Event agency’s business registration certificate & CEO’s ID

✔Certificate of Registration for Popular Culture & Arts Planning Business

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✅ Documents Prepared by Hanguk Visa

✔Performance Recommendation Letter

✔Visa Application Form

✔Required for Visa Submission (Consulate):

✔Visa Application Form

✔Passport (original + copy)

✔Standard photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background) → attached to application

✔Japanese Resident Record (with all details, including family information, no omissions)

✔Complete file package provided by Hanguk Visa

✔Application fee

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Key Timeline

✔Apr 14: Inquiry submitted to Hanguk Visa
✔Apr 21: Step 1 – Preparation of required documents for recommendation letter
✔Apr 28: Step 2 – Submission of recommendation letter application & feedback received (approx. 1 week)
✔May 6: Step 3 – Visa application submitted in Japan
✔May 20: Step 4 – Visa issued
✔May 28: Step 5 – Artist entered Korea and performed

After the visa was issued, the Japanese artist arrived in Korea as scheduled and successfully completed the performance.

The agency expressed great satisfaction, saying:

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“At first, we felt overwhelmed, but the whole process was fast and seamless.”

Since then, they have continued to consult Hanguk Visa for upcoming concerts.

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[Service Summary]
✔Service Name: Performance Visa Support (Recommendation Letter & Visa Guidance)
✔Agency Fee: KRW 500,000 per artist
✔Processing Time: Approximately 2 months (including local consulate visa issuance)

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[Who Is This Service For?]

✅ Event agencies inviting overseas artists to Korea for the first time

✅ Agencies working under tight deadlines before concerts

✅ Agencies unable to handle all visa-related tasks on their own

Do you need to invite a foreign artist to Korea?

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Hanguk Visa has extensive experience in handling performance visas for artists from various countries.

Performance visas are not just paperwork—they require experience, schedule management, and responsive feedback handling.

If you’re planning to invite overseas artists, Hanguk Visa will be your reliable partner, ensuring smooth preparation from start to finish.

📞 Tel: +82-2-3210-1113

✉ Kakao Channel: 한국비자

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