How much money do I need to show for the D-4 visa? Is $5,000 enough?

Short answer: $5,000 is not enough for a full year. Plan for $9,000-10,000.

What immigration wants is proof you can pay tuition and live in Korea without working. In practice that means a bank balance certificate showing roughly 10,000 USD (or the equivalent) for a one-year course.

For a shorter stay the number goes down proportionally — one or two semesters need less — but tuition (1.3M-1.86M won per term) plus living costs (600,000-900,000 won a month in Seoul) still have to be covered on paper.

Two details that trip people up:
- The money usually needs to have been in the account for a while (many schools ask for a statement covering the last few months). Moving a lump sum in the day before looks like borrowed money.
- The certificate must be issued by the bank in English, with the bank's stamp.

Tell us your school and how many semesters you're planning and we'll give you the exact figure that school asks for.