Key Facts
- Hangul: 비자; Revised Romanization: bija
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean.
Visa in Korean: What Does 비자 Mean?
비자 is the permission, often a sticker or an electronic approval, that lets you enter or stay in a country. It is separate from the passport, which is why the two words appear together on most border forms.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Say bi-ja, two syllables. The first begins with the b sound of ㅂ, and there is no v sound.
Example Sentences with 비자
비자가 필요해요?
Bijaga piryohaeyo?
Do I need a visa?
The question 필요해요 asks whether something is needed. Put a country name before 비자, as in 한국 비자, to ask about a specific country.
한국 비자를 신청했어요.
Hanguk bijareul sincheonghaesseoyo.
I applied for a Korean visa.
신청했어요 is the past of apply. 한국 비자를 names the country, so the sentence suits a conversation about your move to Korea.
비자는 삼 개월 동안 유효해요.
Bijaneun sam gaewol dongan yuhyohaeyo.
The visa is valid for three months.
유효해요 means valid, and 삼 개월 동안 gives the length. This is how you describe a visa that lasts three months.
Collocations
비자를 신청하다 is to apply for a visa, 관광 비자 is a tourist visa, and 비자가 만료되다 is the visa expires.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 비자를 신청하다 | to apply for a visa |
| 관광 비자 | tourist visa |
| 비자가 만료되다 | the visa expires |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners keep the English pronunciation.
- Wrong: "VEE-za", with an English v and z.
- Correct: bi-ja. Korean has no v or z sound, so ㅂ gives a b and ㅈ gives a j.
비자 Compared with 여권 and 체류
여권 is the passport, the document that holds the visa. 체류 is staying in a country, the action the visa permits.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 여권 | passport | 여권 is the document that holds the visa. |
| 체류 | stay | 체류 is staying in a country. |
Talking to a Friend about an Application
Two friends discuss an application that is still being processed. The conversation concerns what Alex has done, rather than any country's entry requirements.
Jisu
비자를 신청했어요?
Bijareul sincheonghaesseoyo?
Have you applied for a visa?
Alex
네. 아직 기다리고 있어요.
Ne. Ajik gidarigo isseoyo.
Yes. I am still waiting.
Jisu
서류는 다 냈어요?
Seoryuneun da naesseoyo?
Have you submitted all the documents?
Alex
네. 어제 냈어요.
Ne. Eoje naesseoyo.
Yes. I submitted them yesterday.
비자를 신청했어요 says an application was made. It does not say the visa was issued. Alex's reply 아직 기다리고 있어요 means “I am still waiting”, which makes that difference clear. If someone asks about progress, a sentence about applying answers only one stage of the process.
서류 means documents, and 다 means “all” in the question about submitting them. 냈어요 comes from 내다, which here means to submit. The topic marker 는 places the documents at the center of the follow-up: the friend is checking whether that part of the application is complete.
What Do the Common Visa Phrases Actually Tell You?
비자 신청 means a visa application, while 비자 발급 means visa issuance. 신청 concerns the request; 발급 concerns the visa being issued. These noun phrases are useful on a form or in an email heading. Neither phrase by itself tells you who is applying or when the action happened.
비자를 받다 means to receive a visa. It is an everyday way to report the result after applying. 비자가 만료되다 means a visa expires. Notice the markers: the person receives 비자를 as an object, while 비자가 is the subject of expiring. Learning those pairings helps you follow a status update.
관광 비자 and 학생 비자 identify visas by purpose: tourism and study. They are useful general vocabulary labels. A specific document may use a more detailed category name or code. The words teach you how the labels are built; they do not establish eligibility or the conditions attached to an actual visa.
Where Will You See 비자 and 사증?
비자 is common in travel conversations, application messages, and questions about moving abroad. 사증 is a formal term for a visa that you may encounter in official document titles. Recognizing both lets you connect everyday 비자 with the more administrative wording on a document.
신청서 means an application form, while 서류 is the broader word for documents. A message requesting 서류 may be referring to several items rather than just the form you filled in. 첨부 means attachment, a useful label when reading an email about an application. These are document words, so they appear in other administrative situations as well.
유효 기간 means validity period, and 만료일 means expiration date. The earlier three-month example illustrates the language of validity; its number belongs to that example. A phrase about visa validity and a phrase about 체류 기간, the period of stay, refer to different labels. Read the whole label to identify which period a sentence is describing.
비자가 필요해요? is a polite question with no explicit “I” or “you”. The situation supplies the traveler. If you are helping a friend, the same sentence can ask about their need for a visa. The noun stays neutral; the 요 ending makes the question suitable for polite everyday conversation.
Document Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 여권 | passport | Distinguish the identity document from a visa. |
| 신청서 | application form | Identify the form that needs completing. |
| 서류 | documents | Understand a request for paperwork. |
| 만료일 | expiration date | Find the date when something expires. |
The travel and airport vocabulary lesson teaches document and journey words together. In an application conversation, naming the document and the action—applying, submitting, receiving, or expiring—gives a clearer update than saying only 비자.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 비자를 신청했어요 mean the visa has already been received?
- Which term means visa issuance: 신청 or 발급?
- What does 만료일 label on a document?
Show answers
- No. It means an application was made.
- 발급. 신청 means application.
- The expiration date.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "visa" in Korean?
Say 비자 (bija), borrowed from English.
Is there a v sound in 비자?
No. The ㅂ gives a b sound, so say bi-ja.
What is the difference between 비자 and 여권?
여권 is your passport, the identity document. 비자 is the permission to enter or stay in a country, usually attached to the passport or linked to it.
How do you say "tourist visa"?
관광 비자. 관광 means sightseeing or tourism.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Travel and airport words lists 비자 with travel and airport words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.