Study in South Korea from Nepal
Tuition from around KRW 3.5 million a year, part time work rights that grow with your Korean, and up to three years to find a job after you graduate. Here is what it costs, and what the D-2 visa asks a Nepali applicant to prove.
Eligibility and language requirements
Academic
- 12 years of schooling, NEB +2 or equivalent, for a bachelor’s degree
- A recognised bachelor’s for a master’s, a master’s for a doctorate
- GPA around 2.5 and above on the 4.0 scale; SKY universities want considerably more
- Transcripts, character, migration and provisional certificates, attested through the Korean Embassy in Kathmandu
Korean and English
- TOPIK Level 3 is the practical floor for Korean taught degrees, Level 4 for graduate study
- IELTS 5.5 to 6.5 for English taught programmes, or PTE and TOEFL equivalents
- No score yet? The D-4 language route converts to D-2 later, but carries no work rights
- Your TOPIK level also sets your legal part time work hours
Finances
- KRW 20 million for a Seoul metropolitan university, KRW 16 million for a provincial one
- Held steadily. A balance that appears days before you apply is the commonest refusal trigger
- Source of funds: PAN and business registration, salary slips and employer letter, or a notarised sponsorship
- GKS holders substitute the award letter for the bank statement
Health and documents
- Tuberculosis certificate from a designated hospital, compulsory for Nepali applicants
- Medical report from Patan Hospital or another designated facility
- No Objection Certificate, NPR 2,000 from the Ministry of Education
- National Health Insurance on arrival, about KRW 75,000 a month
Unsure where you stand? Our visa application assistance team assesses your profile against every line above, free, before you spend a rupee. The full document list is in our D-2 and D-4 visa guide.
Why study in South Korea?
International enrolment in Korea reached 307,464 students in 2026, up 21.3% in a single year. Nepal is now the fourth largest source country at 6.5%, close to 20,000 students, behind only Vietnam, China and Uzbekistan.
KRW tuition, from
National universities start here. KAIST and GIST waive tuition for qualifying students.
Work hours per week
Undergraduates 25, graduates 30, rising with certification. Unlimited on vacation at TOPIK 4.
To find a job after graduation
The D-10 job seeking visa, up from two years. Korea work visas explained.
Nepali students already there
Fourth largest nationality, with established student associations on most large campuses.
K-STAR residency for STEM
Master’s and doctoral graduates of 32 designated universities, with permanent residency possible after three years.
Industry that actually recruits
Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK hire from these campuses. R&D spend per GDP among the highest in the world.
Top courses in South Korea
The fields Nepali students most often pick, chosen for graduate demand rather than ranking alone.
Engineering
Mechanical, electrical, semiconductor and materials. The most direct line into Korean industry.
Computer science and IT
Software, AI and data. The widest availability of English taught programmes.
Business and trade
Large intakes and strong English provision, mostly at private universities.
Hospitality and tourism
Practical, well supplied at vocational colleges, with clear part time work overlap.
Korean language and Korean studies
Usually the D-4 route first, converting to D-2 once you reach TOPIK 3.
Nursing and health sciences
Smaller intakes, almost always Korean taught, TOPIK 4 or higher.
An English taught degree removes the TOPIK barrier at admission but not afterwards: your work hours, your part time job options and your D-10 conversion all improve with Korean. Plan to study the language either way. Why expert guidance matters for Korea.
Intakes in South Korea
| Intake | Course starts | Apply from Nepal by |
|---|---|---|
| Spring, academic year start | Early March | Sep to Nov, prior year |
| Fall, most popular from Nepal | Early September | Mar to May |
| Language institute, D-4 | Mar, Jun, Sep and Dec | 3 to 4 months ahead |
Allow six months end to end. Your Certificate of Admission comes first, then your university applies to Korean Immigration for the Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance, and only then do you submit at the Embassy in Kathmandu. Two to six weeks at the embassy stage is normal. The steps before it take longer than students expect. Meet our counsellors at an upcoming education expo.
Your journey to Korea, step by step
- 1
Free counselling and profile assessment
We shortlist universities you can actually be approved for, including checking their current visa issuance status. Book a session.
- 2
Apply and receive your Certificate of Admission
Korean universities typically respond in 4 to 8 weeks. See our partner institutions.
- 3
No Objection Certificate
NPR 2,000 at noc.moest.gov.np, issued in 3 to 7 working days. You cannot legally remit tuition without it.
- 4
Financials, TB test and attestation
Assemble the bank balance and source of funds file, complete the tuberculosis test at a designated hospital, and get academic documents attested at the Korean Embassy.
- 5
Visa lodgement
Your university applies for the Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance, then you submit in person at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kathmandu. There is no VFS partner for Nepal. We handle the file.
- 6
Pre departure and arrival
Accommodation, banking, SIM, your Alien Registration Card within 90 days, health insurance, and a HiKorea work permit before you take any job.
Required documents
Academic and identity
- Transcripts and certificates, SEE through to your most recent qualification
- Character, migration and provisional certificates
- Citizenship certificate for you and your sponsor, notarised English translation
- Passport valid six months beyond entry, plus 35×45mm photographs
- Embassy attestation, or apostille if a qualification was earned outside Nepal
Supporting
- TOPIK certificate, or notarised IELTS or TOEFL score report
- Study plan and statement of purpose, assessed seriously, not a formality
- Bank balance certificate and six months of statements
- Source of funds pack, plus relationship and birth documents linking you to your sponsor
- Tuberculosis certificate and original No Objection Certificate
Every university adds its own list on top of this. Check the provider’s page before paying any application fee, or ask us to confirm it for you.
How much does it cost to study in South Korea from Nepal?
Budget KRW 15 to 28 million for your first year, roughly NPR 14.5 to 27 lakh. Where you land is decided by two choices: national or private university, and Seoul or a regional city.
| First year cost | KRW |
|---|---|
| Tuition, national university | 3,500,000 to 8,000,000 |
| Tuition, private university | 6,000,000 to 15,000,000 |
| Living costs, Seoul | 10,300,000 to 14,400,000 |
| Living costs, Busan, Daejeon or Daegu | 7,100,000 to 10,800,000 |
| National Health Insurance | about 900,000 |
| Airfare, Kathmandu to Seoul | about 700,000 |
| Indicative total, single student | 15,000,000 to 28,000,000 |
Separately from what you spend, you must evidence a bank balance of KRW 20,000,000 for a Seoul metropolitan university or KRW 16,000,000 for a provincial one. Add NPR 2,000 for your NOC, plus test, translation, attestation, TB test and medical fees. Scholarships cut this sharply, so start with our GKS and university funding guide.
Check your university before you pay a single rupee
Ranking is not the check that matters for a Nepali applicant. Three things about the institution itself decide whether your visa is straightforward, difficult or impossible, and none of them appear in a university’s brochure.
1. Is it currently allowed to issue student visas?
Twenty institutions, sixteen degree providers and four language institutes, were barred from issuing student visas for one year from autumn 2026 after failures in their oversight of international students. A genuine offer letter from one of them will not become a D-2.
2. Is it a certified university?
Certified institutions get simplified visa screening with lighter documentation. Non certified ones can still sponsor a D-2, but your file goes through full general review, and your permitted work hours are lower.
3. Could TOPIK 3 replace your bank balance?
From February 2026, students admitted to designated technical programmes at 16 vocational colleges can have the bank balance requirement waived entirely with TOPIK Level 3. Work hours there run to 35 a week in semester, and graduates can move to the E-7-M work visa on a salary of KRW 26 million or more. The pilot runs to the end of 2027 and only specific departments qualify.
Scholarships for Nepali students
Global Korea Scholarship
- Return economy airfare and a settlement allowance
- Tuition up to KRW 5 million per semester
- Monthly stipend of KRW 1.0 to 1.5 million
- Medical insurance and a completion grant
- One year of Korean language training, waived at TOPIK 5 or 6
- Four embassy track places for Nepal in the 2026 graduate round, applications 12 to 25 February
University and institutional
- Most Korean universities offer 30% to 100% tuition reductions to strong international applicants
- Often applied automatically at admission, so your transcript does the work
- KAIST and GIST waive tuition outright for qualifying science and engineering students
- Regional universities discount more heavily than Seoul ones
GKS applicants must be under 40 and either rank in the top 20% of their class or meet the CGPA threshold, 2.64 on 4.0 and its equivalents. Full detail in our Korea scholarship guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need in the bank for a Korean student visa from Nepal?
What TOPIK level do I need to study in South Korea from Nepal?
Can I study in Korea without TOPIK?
How many hours can I work on a Korean student visa?
What is the difference between a D-2 and a D-4 visa?
What are the intakes for South Korea?
Can I stay and work in Korea after I graduate?
What scholarships can Nepali students get for Korea?
Related Nepcoms pages
Weighing up other destinations before you commit to study in South Korea from Nepal?
Official sources for the figures on this page
- Study in Korea, Korean GovernmentCourse search, and the current list of certified universities
- HiKorea, Korea Immigration ServiceVisa categories, work permits and Alien Registration
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in NepalVisa submission, fees and document attestation
- Global Korea ScholarshipGKS-U and GKS-G notices, benefits and deadlines
- TOPIK, National Institute for International EducationTest schedule, levels and registration
- National Health Insurance ServiceMandatory student health insurance and premiums
- Ministry of Education, Nepal, NOC portalNo Objection Certificate applications
Bank balance thresholds, the certified university list and the list of institutions barred from issuing visas all change. Confirm against the sources above and with the Embassy in Kathmandu before you apply. Last checked 31 August 2026.
Book your free Korea counselling session
Bring us your transcripts, your TOPIK or IELTS score and your honest financial position, and we will tell you what is achievable, including when a language year first is the cheaper route, and when a university on your shortlist cannot currently issue you a visa at all. Walk into any of our offices, or book online and we will call you back the same working day.