What Is the Verification Appointment Demand Survey for 2027 Student Visas?
On September 1, 2026, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal posted a notice titled "Verification Appointment Demand Survey for 2027 Student Visas" on its official notice board. If you're a Nepali student planning to study in South Korea in 2027, this is likely the first official signal from the Embassy about next year's visa season, and it's worth understanding properly before you do anything else.
In plain terms, the Embassy is trying to count heads. Before it opens the real document verification and visa appointment process for 2027, it wants a rough sense of how many Nepali students are actually planning to apply, for which semester, and for which visa type. That number helps the Embassy plan staffing, appointment slots, and processing capacity months in advance, rather than being caught off guard when hundreds of applications arrive at once.
This matters more than it might seem. South Korea has been actively expanding its international student population under the government's Study Korea 300K initiative, a plan first announced in 2023 to bring the country's foreign student count to 300,000 by 2027. That target was actually reached two years early, in 2025, with Nepal already ranking among the leading source countries for Korean international students. With demand from Nepal continuing to grow, embassies and consular offices have every reason to plan capacity ahead of time, and a demand survey like this one is a practical, low-cost way to do it.
This Is Not the Visa Application. Read That Twice.
The Embassy's own notice is direct about this, and it's the single most important thing to understand before you do anything else: this survey is not an actual visa application or a document verification application. It does not replace the real process, it does not book you an appointment, and filling it out does not mean you've applied for your D-2 or D-4 visa.
What it does is register your intent. Think of it less like a visa application and more like a pre-registration or a headcount, similar to an airline asking how many people are interested in a new route before deciding whether to launch it. The actual call for document verification, which is the real first step toward a Korean student visa, will be announced separately on the Embassy's website. The Embassy has explicitly said to check the site regularly rather than assume this survey covers that step.
The notice also mentions that applicants who fill out the survey correctly "might be at advantage" by the Embassy. This is the Embassy's own wording, and it's worth treating carefully rather than reading too much into it. It does not promise faster processing, guaranteed appointments, or any specific benefit. What it likely means, based on how demand-forecasting works in consular operations generally, is that being counted early may help the Embassy plan enough appointment capacity for you when the real process opens, rather than a smaller number of slots being available to latecomers. It is not a shortcut around document requirements, financial proof, or any other part of the standard visa process.
Who This Survey Is For
The survey applies to two broad visa categories that Nepali students commonly use to study in South Korea: the D-2 degree program visa and the D-4 language training visa. If you're not sure which one applies to you, here's the Embassy's own breakdown of the visa codes:
| Category | Visa Code | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-1 | Associate Degree |
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-2 | Bachelor's Degree |
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-3 | Master's Degree |
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-4 | Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) |
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-5 | Research Program |
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-6 | Exchange Student |
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-7 | Work-Study Program |
| Degree Program (D-2) | D-2-8 | Visiting Student |
| Language Training (D-4) | D-4-1 | Korean Language Trainee |
| Language Training (D-4) | D-4-7 | Foreign Language Trainee |
Most Nepali students heading to Korea for an undergraduate degree will fall under D-2-2, while those planning a year of Korean language study before enrolling in a degree program typically fall under D-4-1. If you're unsure which code matches your specific situation, the Embassy points applicants to the Visa Navigator tool on the official Korea Visa Portal, which walks you through a short set of questions to identify the correct visa type for your program.
Participation Period and Deadline
The survey window is short and firm: September 1, 2026 to September 17, 2026. There's no indication in the notice that this will be extended, and given that this is a planning exercise for the Embassy rather than a formal legal process, it's reasonable to expect they'll close it on schedule to move on to their actual capacity planning. If you're planning to apply for a 2027 Korean student visa, whether for the Spring or Autumn semester, it's worth submitting within this window rather than waiting.
How to Participate: The Exact Email Format
This is where most mistakes happen, and it's worth reading slowly. The Embassy is not accepting a form, an online portal submission, or a phone call. Everything happens through a single email address: nepconfirmation@korea.kr. One important detail the Embassy stresses is that this inbox is only for the survey. Inquiries about your visa, your documents, or anything else sent to this address will not be answered.
Subject Line Format
The subject line has to follow a strict six-part structure, separated by forward slashes. The Embassy's own example is:
SURVEY/SPRING/D-2-1/19991231/PA1234567/RAM BAHADUR
Here's what each part means:
| Position | Field | What to Enter | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ① | Request Type | Always enter SURVEY | SURVEY |
| ② | Semester | SPRING (for March intake) or AUTUMN (for September intake) | SPRING |
| ③ | Visa Type | Your specific visa code from the table above | D-2-2 |
| ④ | Date of Birth | YYYYMMDD format | 19991231 |
| ⑤ | Passport Number | Your valid passport number | PA1234567 |
| ⑥ | Full Name | Your full name as applicant; spaces are allowed | RAM BAHADUR |
A few things worth double-checking before you hit send: your date of birth needs to be in year-month-day order with no dashes or slashes inside it, your visa code needs to match exactly one of the codes in the table (not just "D-2" on its own), and your passport number should be entered exactly as it appears on your passport's data page, without spaces where none exist.
Attachments
Two documents need to be attached to the email:
- Certificate of Graduation — your highest completed degree certificate (for example, your +2/high school certificate if you're applying as a fresh SLC graduate, or your bachelor's certificate if you're applying for a master's program)
- Academic Transcript — your mark sheet or transcript corresponding to that certificate
Both files need to be in JPG or PNG format only. PDF, Word documents, or any other file type aren't accepted based on the notice's wording. The good news here is the Embassy has explicitly said that consular verification from Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not required for this survey stage. A clear mobile phone photo of your documents is acceptable, and you don't need to get anything scanned or professionally verified just to participate in this survey. That verification step, if and when it's required, would come later in the actual visa process, not here.
Email Body
Leave it blank. The Embassy has specifically instructed applicants not to write anything in the body of the email. All the information they need is in your subject line and your attachments.
Rules You Cannot Afford to Break
The notice lists a few conditions that are easy to skim past but genuinely matter:
You must send the email from your own account. Not your consultancy's email, not a friend's, not a family member's. The Embassy is asking applicants to send it themselves.
Only one email per person. Sending multiple emails, even to correct a mistake, isn't described as an accepted workaround in the notice. This means it's worth getting the format exactly right the first time, since there's no stated process for submitting a correction.
Format matters more than it might seem. The notice includes a specific warning: if you don't follow the exact email format, or if you cause any trouble during the survey process, you may face difficulties in your future applications at the Embassy. That's stronger language than you'd expect for what's technically just a demand-planning survey, and it's a strong signal that the Embassy is treating this as a real interaction with your consular file, not a throwaway exercise. Sloppy formatting, wrong visa codes, or careless attachments aren't risk-free just because this isn't the "real" visa application.
How to Confirm Your Visa Type Before You Apply
If you're not 100% sure whether you're a D-2-2 or a D-4-1 applicant, don't guess. Go to the main page of the Korea Visa Portal and use the Visa Navigator tool, which is built specifically to match your study plans to the correct visa code. Getting this wrong in your survey subject line means the Embassy is planning capacity for the wrong visa category, which doesn't help you or the students behind you.
A Note on the Ministry of Justice Visa Manual
Alongside the survey notice, the Embassy has also made available an unofficial English translation of the Ministry of Justice's Visa Manual for student visas, and the original Korean-language version is linked directly from the notice board. If you want to understand the fuller visa process beyond just this survey, that manual is the closest thing to an official rulebook and is worth having your consultant walk you through, since it covers requirements well beyond what fits into a short survey notice.
What Is IEQAS and Does It Affect You?
The notice also references the International Education Quality Assurance System, or IEQAS. This is relevant if the university you're applying to is classified as an "Excellent Accredited University," meaning it has demonstrated strong internationalization capacity in the eyes of Korean authorities. If your target university falls into that category, you may be eligible to apply for an electronic visa or a visa issuance confirmation directly online, rather than going through the same process as students at non-accredited institutions.
The Embassy's notice points to the 2026 List of Top Certified Universities on the Study in Korea portal for this, but recommends contacting your university directly before applying, since eligibility rules can vary by institution and by program.
Why the Embassy Is Doing This Now
It's worth understanding the bigger picture here, because it explains why this kind of survey exists at all. South Korea's Study Korea 300K project, which set a target of 300,000 international students by 2027, was actually achieved two years ahead of schedule, in 2025. Nepal has become one of the leading source countries for Korean international students, alongside Vietnam, China, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. With that kind of sustained demand from Nepal specifically, it makes practical sense for the Korean Embassy to want an early read on 2027 numbers, so appointment slots, staffing, and processing timelines can be planned rather than scrambled together once applications start pouring in.
For you as an applicant, this context matters for one reason: demand for Korean student visas from Nepal isn't slowing down, and being counted in an early planning survey like this one is a small, low-effort step that puts you on the Embassy's radar before the appointment rush begins.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Based on exactly how the notice is written, here are the mistakes most likely to trip up applicants:
Writing an incomplete or reordered subject line. The six fields need to appear in the exact order given: request type, semester, visa type, date of birth, passport number, name. Swapping the order or leaving one field out defeats the purpose of the format.
Using the wrong file format for attachments. JPG or PNG only. A scanned PDF, however clear, doesn't meet the stated requirement.
Sending more than one email. If you realize you made a mistake after sending, there's no stated mechanism in the notice for correcting it. This is exactly why it's worth having someone double-check your subject line and attachments before you hit send, not after.
Assuming this is the actual visa application. Some students may hold off on preparing their real documents because they think this survey "counts" as their formal application. It doesn't. The real document verification call will be posted separately.
Sending an email on someone else's behalf without them personally sending it. The Embassy's instruction that applicants send it themselves suggests they may be checking sender details against applicant details.
What Happens After You Submit the Survey
The notice doesn't promise a confirmation email or a follow-up response, since inquiries to the survey address aren't accepted or answered. What it does promise is that this data feeds into the Embassy's planning for the actual verification and visa process, which will be announced on the Embassy's website separately. The most useful thing you can do after submitting is exactly what the notice recommends: check the Embassy's website regularly, rather than waiting for a personal notification, so you don't miss the real call for document verification when it opens.
FAQs about Verification Appointment Demand Survey for 2027 Korean Student Visa
1. Is the Verification Appointment Demand Survey the same as applying for a Korean student visa?
No. The Embassy explicitly states this survey is only to estimate demand and is not an actual visa or document verification application. The real application process will be announced separately on the Embassy's website.
2. What is the deadline to submit the survey?
September 17, 2026. The participation period runs from September 1 to September 17, 2026.
3. Where do I send my survey email?
To nepconfirmation@korea.kr. This address only accepts survey submissions in the exact format described; it does not answer general inquiries.
4. What visa types does this survey cover?
D-2 degree program visas (D-2-1 through D-2-8, covering Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral, Research, Exchange, Work-Study, and Visiting Student categories) and D-4 language training visas (D-4-1 Korean Language Trainee and D-4-7 Foreign Language Trainee).
5. What documents do I need to attach?
A Certificate of Graduation for your highest completed degree, and your corresponding Academic Transcript. Both must be in JPG or PNG format.
6. Do my documents need to be verified by Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before I submit this survey?
No. The notice explicitly states MOFA verification is not required at this stage, since it's only a demand survey. Both scanned copies and clear mobile photos are acceptable.
7. Can I send more than one email if I want to apply for both Spring and Autumn semester?
The notice specifies only one email per person, without describing an exception for applicants considering multiple semesters. If you're unsure which semester you're targeting, decide before submitting rather than sending two emails.
8. What if I don't know my exact visa code?
Use the Visa Navigator tool on the official Korea Visa Portal to identify your correct visa category before filling in your subject line.
9. What happens if I get the email format wrong?
The notice warns that not following the exact format, or causing any trouble during the survey process, may cause difficulties in your future applications at the Embassy. It's worth getting the format right the first time.
10. Does filling out this survey guarantee me a visa appointment or faster processing?
The notice says applicants who fill it out correctly "might be at advantage," but this isn't a guarantee of any specific outcome, and it doesn't replace standard document and financial requirements for the actual visa process.
11. Should I write anything in the body of the email?
No. The Embassy has instructed applicants to leave the email body blank.
12. I already have an appointment or have started my visa process. Do I still need to fill this out?
The notice doesn't distinguish between students already in process and new applicants; it's framed as a general demand survey for 2027 student visas. If you're unsure whether it applies to your specific situation, it's worth checking with a visa counselor rather than assuming either way.
13. Where can I find more detail on the actual student visa process beyond this survey?
The Embassy has linked an unofficial English translation of the Ministry of Justice's Visa Manual for student visas, alongside the original Korean version, both attached to the same notice.
14. What if my university is on the list of "Excellent Accredited Universities"?
If your university is IEQAS-accredited, you may be eligible for an electronic visa or online visa issuance confirmation through www.visa.go.kr instead of the standard process. Check the 2026 List of Top Certified Universities and confirm directly with your university before applying.
Getting This Right the First Time
Given that there's no stated way to correct a submission once it's sent, and that the Embassy has directly linked format mistakes to potential future difficulties, this is exactly the kind of task where a second pair of eyes helps.
At Toddle, we work with Nepali students applying for D-2 and D-4 Korean student visas every intake, and we're already helping students confirm their visa codes, prepare their certificates and transcripts in the right format, and get their survey submissions right before September 17. If you're planning to study in Korea in 2027 and want to make sure this step is handled correctly, reach out to us before the window closes.
