Visas for travel to Seoul, Korea IETF meeting.
Perhaps I can settle this.
A U.S. citizen does NOT need a visa to visit Korea for a meeting
by a non-profit group such as the Internet Engineering Task Force.
I just confirmed this with the head of the visa section in the
Korean Consulate in Washington DC.
But don't take my word for it. If anyone requests, I will be glad
to get an official letter faxed from the Korean Consulate-General.
I would carry that letter with your current U.S. passport.
More precise statement:
- U.S. citizens traveling to Korean to attend the IETF meeting
do not need a visa, as they are traveling to attend a
non-profit conference. They can stay in Korea up to 30 days
for such purposes and for tourism.
- If you travel to Korea for business purposes, such as meeting
customers or other business purposes, then a visa is required.
- There also is confusion about government employees. U.S.
government employees going to Korea just for tourism or a non-
profit conference such as IETF do not need a visa because they
are going a private citizens. However, government employees
going to Korea for official purposes do need an official visa.
I won't request an official letter unless someone asks me to do
so. I could post on a neutral web site or email to you.
Gene Gaines
gene.gaines@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sterling, Virginia
On Wednesday, January 28, 2004, 3:54:12 PM, Eric wrote:
> On 1/28/2004 12:46 PM, Kevin C. Almeroth wrote:
>> Seems to me to pretty clear that a visa is not needed.
> These are the future possibilities:
> 1) You got the visa, the guard on duty that day deems it unnecessary,
> and you curse the effort you spent to get it.
> 2) You don't get the visa, the trainee on duty that day deems it is
> necessary, and you curse the ~30 hour round-trip flight, the
> money, and the effort you spent avoiding the visa fetch.
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