Academic Calendar

Intakes & Application Timelines in South Korea

Plan your application strategy with our guide to South Korea's university intake periods, application deadlines, and critical timelines for international students.

South Korea Academic Calendar

2027

Annual Intake Periods

Spring semester (starts in March) (The Korean school year starts in March.)

Fall semester (starts in September) (The second start of the year. Classes start in September.)

Spring and fall 2027

Spring 2027 applications at Korea University (3 to 31 August 2026) and Yonsei (September 2026) are closed. Korea University's fall 2027 applications are in March 2027.

South Korean universities have two starts a year: spring semester (starts in March) and fall semester (starts in September). A semester is half of the school year.

Intake Periods

Intakes in South Korea

Korean universities have two starts a year, in March and September.

Starts in September

Fall semester

September

Key Information

The second semester of the Korean school year.
Korea University's fall 2027 applications are in March 2027, and results are in June 2027.

Application Period

Korea University: March 2027 (exact dates to be announced)

Each university sets its own window.

Spring semester

March

Key Information

The first semester of the Korean school year.
Spring 2027 results: Korea University on 27 November 2026; Yonsei on 4 December 2026.

Application Period

Korea University: 3 to 31 August 2026. Yonsei: September 2026.

Korea University took applications from 3 to 31 August 2026.

Tip

Read your university's international admissions guide for the start you want. Dates change every year.

Critical Timelines

Key Steps and Dates

Start each step well before its deadline. Check each university's dates.

First

Choose universities

Read each university's guide for the start you want.

Before you apply

Prepare papers

Collect transcripts and certificates. Plan for an apostille (an official stamp that shows a paper is real) or a confirmation from the Korean embassy.

Key tasks

• Take TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) or an English test.
• Write your personal statement or statement of purpose.

Spring 2027 example: applications were open from August to September 2026

Apply

Apply online, pay the fee and post papers if asked.

Key tasks

• Pay the application fee.
• Post papers by tracked post if the university asks.

Spring 2027 example: results in November and December 2026

Results and tuition

Pay tuition (the fee for your classes) in the registration period. For spring 2027 this is in January 2027.

Key tasks

• Check results online.
• Pay tuition by the date given.

After you get your Certificate of Admission (CoA), the letter that says the university accepts you

Visa

Apply for the D-2 student visa. Pakistan: the visa takes at least 8 weeks after the embassy receives your application.

Key tasks

• Collect your visa papers. India: ask the embassy or consulate for your state.
• Apply at the Korean embassy or consulate (a smaller embassy office) in your country.

Before the semester starts

Arrive and register

Arrive and go to orientation (a welcome meeting). If you stay more than 90 days, register within 90 days of the day you enter Korea to get your residence card (your ID card in Korea).

Important

Check the dates for your exact programme. Each university and each application period has its own.

Academic Structure

The Korean Academic Year

Korean universities use two semesters a year: spring from March and fall from September.

Two semesters

Each semester is about half of the school year.

Key Dates

Spring semester

Starts in March

Fall semester

Starts in September

Graduation

End of February or August

Academic Structure

The year starts with the spring semester in March. The fall semester starts in September.

Tip

At Yonsei, a D-2 student visa (the visa for degree students) most likely ends in March or September. So students who graduate at the end of February or August get 30 extra days to leave Korea.

Application Planning

Timelines by Student Type

Steps differ for bachelor's and graduate applicants.

Application Process	Undergraduate Students	Graduate Students	International Students
Language proof	Seoul National University: TOPIK level 3, or an English test: TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0. Other universities differ.	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST): IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 83 (or 4.5 on the 1 to 6 scale).	Your score must be good on the application deadline.
Scholarship window	Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) embassy track (you apply through the Korean embassy): September.	GKS: February to March.	Plan scholarship and admission dates together.