Overview
South Korean nationals do not need a visa for short-term visits to Japan — stays of up to 90 days for tourism, family visits, or business are visa-exempt. The Embassy of Japan in Seoul therefore matters mainly for longer plans: work, study, a working-holiday year, or joining family in Japan. The embassy sits in Twin Tree Tower, directly across from Gyeongbokgung's Gwanghwamun gate, with its Consular Section on the 8th floor of Tower A.
Visa Services
Long-stay applications follow Japan's Certificate of Eligibility (COE) system: the host in Japan — an employer, school, or family member — first obtains the COE from immigration authorities in Japan, and the applicant then submits it with the visa application through the embassy's visa desk. Categories handled this way include work visas, student visas, spouse and dependent visas, and the Japan–Korea working-holiday programme for young applicants. Visa questions go to the Consular Section's dedicated visa desk (visa@so.mofa.go.jp).
Consular Services
The Consular Section on the 8th floor of Tower A serves Japanese nationals living in South Korea — one of the larger Japanese resident communities abroad — with passport issuance and renewal, family-register notifications, residence registrations (zairyu todoke), and certificates. General consular enquiries are taken by phone and email rather than walk-in where possible.
Trade & Export Support
Japan and South Korea are each other's near-neighbours and major trading partners, with deep supply-chain links in semiconductors, materials, machinery, and consumer goods. The embassy's economic sections monitor trade policy and support the bilateral business relationship alongside JETRO's Seoul office, which handles practical trade promotion for Japanese companies.
Investment Opportunities
Cross-investment flows both ways: Korean companies invest in Japanese materials and technology firms, while Japanese groups hold long-standing positions in Korean manufacturing and finance. The embassy's economic section is the first point of contact for policy-level questions around these flows.
Business Support
Japanese companies operating in Korea — from manufacturing subsidiaries to retail brands — draw on the embassy's economic section for regulatory and policy engagement, while day-to-day market entry support runs through JETRO Seoul and the Seoul Japan Club, the local Japanese chamber network.
Cultural & Educational Programs
The embassy's Japan Information and Culture Center in central Seoul runs exhibitions, film screenings, language-learning events, and study-in-Japan information sessions — the public face of a cultural relationship that spans everything from literature exchanges to the large community of Korean students at Japanese universities.
Appointment Information
Short-term visitors generally need no embassy contact at all — the 90-day visa exemption covers tourism and business. Long-stay applicants submit COE-based applications to the Consular Section, 8th floor, Twin Tree Tower A, 6 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Main switchboard: +82 2 2170 5200; visa desk: visa@so.mofa.go.jp. Check kr.emb-japan.go.jp for current submission hours before visiting.
Special Notes
The 90-day visa exemption for South Korean passport holders covers tourism, family visits, and general business meetings — it does not permit paid work. Anyone planning employment, study, or a stay beyond 90 days needs the right visa before travelling, and most long-stay categories require the Certificate of Eligibility first, which the host in Japan applies for — start that process well before intended travel.
Treat this Visaja page as your starting point: verify the current rules directly with the official source before you submit an application.