Seoul National University (SNU) was founded in 1946 and is South Korea’s leading national university. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 38th in the world and first in Korea. Its main Gwanak campus is in southern Seoul, and it’s strong across the sciences, engineering, medicine, business, the social sciences and the humanities.
SNU admits international students twice a year, for the spring semester starting in March and the autumn semester starting in September, and most classes are taught in Korean. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Seoul National University’s own guidance and official Korean government information.
1. Choose your admission type and programme
SNU’s International Admissions I is for applicants who, along with both parents, hold foreign citizenship; International Admissions II is for students who completed all of their primary and secondary education abroad. You apply to a specific college or department, and you can’t change it, or the admission type, after paying the fee. You need a high school qualification recognised by a government; the GED, homeschooling and online schooling aren’t accepted. Most courses are taught in Korean, so ask your department how many English-taught courses it offers before you apply.
2. Watch for the short application windows
Each round is open for only four days. For autumn 2026 entry, applications ran from 3 to 5 March 2026, after the guide was published on 30 January, so expect the autumn 2027 guide around the end of January 2027 and the application window in early March. For spring 2027 entry, applications closed on 9 July 2026, preliminary decisions were announced on 16 October and final decisions come on 20 November 2026. The application fee is ₩70,000, and it’s non-refundable. Seoul National University: admissions.
3. Prove your Korean or English
You need TOPIK level 3 or completion of level 4 at a university language institute, or TOEFL iBT 80 (4.0 on the new scale for tests from 21 January 2026), IELTS Academic 6.0 or TEPS 269. If you completed your whole high school education in Korean or English, that can count instead. SNU accepts TOEFL MyBest scores, TOEFL Home Edition, IELTS Online and IELTS One Skill Retake, but not TOEFL ITP or IELTS Indicator, and its reporting code is 7972. Admitted students may also have to take SNU’s own Korean test, which can limit the courses you take. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests.
4. Write a focused personal statement and study plan
You write your Personal Statement and Study Plan directly in the online application, in Korean or English, up to about 800 English words. Explain why you want your chosen department, what you’ve done to prepare and what you plan to study. Don’t include personal details such as the names or jobs of your parents or relatives. See our 50 sample SOPs for ideas.
5. Line up your recommendation letter early
After you pay the fee, your recommender automatically receives an email asking for a letter of up to about 600 words, which must be submitted online; letters by post or email aren’t accepted. The recommendation deadline is one day after the application deadline, and you can’t change your recommender after 2 p.m. on that last day, so tell your teacher about the timing in advance.
6. Upload your documents, then send the originals
You upload scans of your transcripts, graduation certificate (or expected graduation certificate), language scores and proof of nationality during the application period. If you’re given a preliminary offer, you must post the originals, with an apostille or Korean consular confirmation on your diploma and transcripts; for spring 2027 entry, this had to happen between 16 October and 3 November 2026. Missing documents can lead to your offer being withdrawn, so start arranging the apostille as soon as you apply.
7. Prepare for an interview or portfolio if needed
Most decisions are made on your documents. International Admissions II applicants to some colleges, including Engineering, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences and Medicine, may be invited to an online interview based on what they submitted. Fine Arts and Music applicants send a portfolio to their department, and Physical Education applicants may have a performance test. You can submit only one application per round, and an offer can’t be deferred to a later semester.
8. Understand the fees and scholarships
SNU’s tuition is low compared with private universities. In 2026, it was ₩2,442,000 a semester for the humanities, business and most social sciences, ₩2,975,000 for most natural sciences, ₩2,998,000 for engineering and ₩5,038,000 for the four-year medicine course, and these amounts can change. Scholarships for international students are run by SNU’s Office of Global Affairs, and you can also apply for the Korean government’s Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), which covers tuition, a monthly allowance and a year of Korean language study. Seoul National University: Office of Global Affairs.
9. Get your Certificate of Admission and D-2 visa
Once you’ve accepted your offer and paid your first tuition fee, Seoul National University issues a Certificate of Admission, which you use to apply for a D-2 student visa at the Korean embassy or consulate in your country. You’ll need to show that you can pay for your studies and living costs; Korea University, for example, asks admitted students for a bank balance of at least ₩20,000,000 for the visa. Make sure your school documents carry an apostille or have been confirmed by a Korean consulate, because Korean universities require this. Within 90 days of arriving, you must register with the immigration office to get your residence card, and you’ll be enrolled in National Health Insurance, which KAIST and POSTECH estimated at about ₩76,000 to ₩80,000 a month in 2026. HiKorea (Korea Immigration Service).
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
You can’t work on a D-2 visa until the immigration office gives you permission, and you need a job offer first, because the employer starts the application. You also need at least a C average in your last semester. On weekdays, first- and second-year undergraduates with TOPIK level 3 can work up to 25 hours a week, but only 10 hours without it; from your third year you need TOPIK level 4 for the higher limit. Master’s and PhD students with TOPIK level 4 can work up to 30 hours (15 without). If you meet the language level, there’s no hourly limit at weekends or in the vacations. After graduating, you can switch to a work visa such as E-7 if you have a job offer, or apply before your D-2 visa expires for a D-10 job-seeker visa. Korea extended how long the D-10 can last in 2025, so check the current rules, and remember that Korean language skills make a big difference to your job prospects. Korea JoongAng Daily: part-time work rules for international students.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at SNU?
SNU’s graduate schools also admit international students twice a year, with separate guides and dates; applications for spring 2027 opened on 6 July 2026. Many departments teach partly in Korean, so check the language of your programme and contact a potential supervisor before you apply. The Global Korea Scholarship for graduate students, through a Korean embassy or a university, is the main government scholarship. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
SNU is Korea’s most competitive university, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Yonsei University, Korea University, KAIST and POSTECH. Our guide to studying in South Korea explains how the Korean system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from Seoul National University’s 2027 Spring Undergraduate Admissions Guide for International Students and admissions announcements, Korea University’s admissions guide (for visa funds), KAIST and POSTECH cost-of-attendance pages, Korean government information and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on SNU’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Seoul National University.