Studying in Korea and Japan: your questions answered

Your initial counseling session is completely free. Our advisors assess your profile, goals, and budget, then recommend the best-fit universities in South Korea and Japan — with no obligation.

We specialize in South Korea and Japan — two of Asia’s leading destinations for engineering, technology, business, and language studies, with strong scholarship options and career prospects.

Not to begin with. We offer language training (Korean, Japanese, IELTS, TOEFL) and many programs are taught in English. We’ll match you to programs that fit your current level and help you grow.

We maintain a consistently high visa success rate. Our team prepares your complete documentation and coaches you through interview preparation to give your application the strongest possible footing.

Yes. Both South Korea and Japan offer generous scholarships (including MEXT for Japan). We help you identify, prepare for, and apply to the scholarships you’re eligible for.

A lot — visa processing, a pre-departure briefing, accommodation guidance, and on-ground support so you arrive prepared and settle in with confidence.

The D-2 is South Korea’s student visa for international students admitted to a degree programme — associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral — at a Korean university. You apply for it after receiving an admission letter and Certificate of Admission from the university.

The D-4 (General Trainee) visa covers non-degree study, most commonly the Korean language programmes run by university language institutes. Many Nepali students start on a D-4 language course and later move to a D-2 degree programme.

The D-2 is for degree study, while the D-4 is for non-degree training such as Korean language courses. D-2 students can usually apply for part-time work permission sooner, and a D-4 language course is often the pathway into a D-2 degree.

You typically need a valid passport, academic certificates and transcripts, a bank balance certificate and sponsor documents, a study plan, the university’s admission letter, and the visa application form with photos. Univa provides a personalised checklist because exact requirements differ by university and visa type.

Annual tuition is roughly USD 3,500–6,000 at national universities and USD 6,000–9,000 at private universities. Living costs vary by city, with Seoul being the most expensive.

Yes, with permission from the immigration office. Degree (D-2) students can generally work part-time during semesters, with more hours allowed in vacations, while language (D-4) students usually become eligible after about six months of study. Allowed hours depend on your TOPIK level and academic performance.

Not always. Korean language programmes do not require TOPIK, and English-taught degrees accept IELTS or TOEFL instead. Korean-taught degrees usually ask for TOPIK level 3 or higher, which can also improve scholarship and work-permission eligibility.

Korean university language programmes usually start four times a year — March, June, September and December. Degree programmes mainly start in March (spring) and September (fall). Applications typically close three to five months before the start date.

Students need Japan’s “Student” (Ryugaku) status of residence. Your Japanese school or university applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) on your behalf, and you then get the visa from the Embassy of Japan in Kathmandu.

You typically need a passport, academic certificates and transcripts, a Japanese language certificate or proof of study hours, sponsor and bank balance documents, sponsor income proof, and the school’s application forms. Univa reviews every document before submission because the COE stage is document-heavy.

Most Japanese language schools expect around JLPT or NAT N5 level (or 150+ hours of documented Japanese study) at application. Japanese-taught university programmes usually require N2 or higher, while English-taught degrees accept IELTS or TOEFL.

Tuition at national universities is about ¥535,800 per year (around USD 3,600), while private universities charge roughly ¥800,000–1,500,000. Language schools typically cost ¥700,000–900,000 for the first year.

Yes. With a “Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted” from immigration, students can work up to 28 hours per week during term and up to 8 hours per day during official school holidays.

Japanese language schools take students in January, April, July and October, with April and October being the largest. Universities mainly start in April, and some also have a September intake. Applications usually close about six months in advance.