One of Korea's top three
SKY stands for Seoul National, Korea and Yonsei, the three universities in Korea that are hardest to get into. SNU is the S.
Seoul National University
SNU · Seoul
Korea's flagship national university, opened in 1946. It's the S in SKY, the three universities in Korea that are hardest to get into. Exchange students study and live at Gwanak, the main campus at the foot of the Gwanak Mountains in the south of Seoul.
- Founded
- 1946 with nine colleges
- Campus
- Gwanak Line 2, Seoul Nat'l Univ. Station, then a bus
- Dorm
- From ₩139,800 a month, up to ₩278,100 for a global dorm double
- Course load
- Up to 18 credits 12 for graduate students
H. Y. Shin 000, CC0, croppedWhat SNU is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
The first university of independent Korea
SNU opened on 15 October 1946 with nine colleges and a graduate school, and calls itself the first comprehensive university of independent Korea. Its main campus moved to Gwanak in 1975.
The gate shaped like a key
The main gate, built in 1978, joins the Korean letters ㄱ, ㅅ and ㄷ from the school's full name. It looks like the syllable 샤 (sha), and the school says it's a key, the key to truth in SNU's motto, 'Truth is my light'.
A pond by the humanities college
Jaha Pond, near the College of Humanities, is named after the 18th-century scholar Shin Wi, whose pen name means purple mist. It's prettiest in spring.
A museum by Rem Koolhaas
SNU's Museum of Art, designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, opened in 2006. It shows work by students and well-known artists, and tickets are cheap.
A campus on a mountain
The campus is large and hilly, with the Gwanak Mountains all around. Free shuttle buses run around campus.
- Words you'll hear
- Seouldae 서울대 What Koreans call SNU
- Seoripdae 서울대입구 The Line 2 station, where buses leave for campus
- Nokdu-geori 녹두거리 A student street near Seoul Nat'l Univ. Venture Town Station
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From SNU's official English pages (timeline and symbols) and a 2015 SNU NOW post on places to see on campus, checked on 26 October 2026. The line about SKY is A-CHA's own explanation.
People
Clubs and help for international students at SNU.
SNU Buddy
A volunteer group that pairs exchange students with SNU students. It runs an opening party, pub nights and a membership trip, plus sports days, rafting and hiking. Membership was ₩70,000 in spring 2026. You sign a waiver, pay, then pick a buddy on the matching site, first come first served. Each buddy group has 40 to 50 people.
- How to join
- Exchange students sign up about a month before the semester. SNU emails you the link.
- When they recruit
- Sign-up opens about a month before each semester.
SISA
The SNU International Students Association, under the Office of Global Affairs since 2019. Orientation and welcome parties, a sports day, language exchange, a food festival and an end of year party. Announcements go out on social media and a KakaoTalk open chat.
@snusisaSNU OGA
The Office of Global Affairs' Instagram, linked from its website.
@snuoga.officialInstagram accounts checked on 19 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at SNU.
Netherlands
Germany
France
Spain
Italy
Sweden
Finland
PolandGoing with friends? Make a group in A-CHA for your own crew and send them the invite link.
A-CHA events
All eventsOpen to every international student in Korea, not only at SNU.
Flash meetups. Anyone can start or join a short meetup in the app, like dinner tonight or a hike on Saturday.
Around campus
Exchange students study and live at Gwanak, the main campus in the south of Seoul. The Yeongeon campus (medicine and nursing) and Pyeongchang don't take exchange students.
Address in Korean
서울특별시 관악구 관악로 1
1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Seoul Nat'l Univ. Station on Line 2, Exit 3 or 4. From there take bus 5511, 5513, 5515 or 5517 and get off at Seoul National University or the Administration Building. The walk from the stop is 5 to 10 minutes.
- From Incheon Airport
- Airport limousine 6003 goes to the main gate in about 100 to 110 minutes and costs about ₩16,000. SNU recommends it. By train, take AREX to Hongik Univ., change to Line 2 for Seoul Nat'l Univ. Station and finish by bus or taxi, about 80 to 95 minutes.
- Taxi from the airport
- 60 to 80 minutes and about ₩60,000, or ₩80,000 in a deluxe taxi.
- International Office
- Office of Global Affairs, CJ International Center (Building 152). Weekdays 9:00 to 18:00, closed 12:00 to 13:00.
- Getting around
- A subway ride starts at ₩1,550 and a city bus at ₩1,500. SNU expects ₩70,000 to ₩90,000 a month. Free shuttle buses run around campus.
- Where students eat
- Mostly along Syarosu-gil by Seoul Nat'l Univ. Station and around Nokdu-geori near Seoul Nat'l Univ. Venture Town Station.
Places on the Han River and the National Museum of Korea, plus every place to eat near campus.
1,850places to eat near GwanakRestaurants 1,236 · Cafés 373 · Bars & pubs 241 · Vegetarian options 161 · · Open late 531Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
4.2 km from campus
Nodeul Island
A culture and rest space looking over the Han River - best as a light evening stop on a day when something is on.
5.1 km from campus
National Museum of Korea
Open late on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the Mirror Pond at night is a sight in itself. First pick on a rainy day.
5.4 km from campus
Banpo Moonlight Rainbow Fountain
Each run lasts 20 minutes. Monday to Thursday the shows are at 20:00, 20:30 and 21:00. On Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays a 19:30 show is added. In July and August there is a 21:30 show as well. The off-peak season is March 15 to June, plus September to October. July and August are the peak period. They switch it off when wind reaches 7 m/s. It also stops if rain is forecast during a show, or if Han River turbidity reaches 15 NTU.
5.5 km from campus
Yeouido Hangang Ramen
The instant ramen cookers at the GS25 and CU convenience stores are the whole point. Rain basically rules it out.
Noryangjin Fish Market
The market floor is open every day. Only the dawn auction closes on Sundays and major holidays.
- Coffee & dessert 250
- Korean BBQ 170
- Soups & stews 165
- Western 149
- Pocha 134
- Korean home food 132
- Street food 130
- Japanese 114
- Pub & Bar 107
- Seafood 96
- Fried chicken 85
- Bakery 71
Checked by A-CHA
- 광부맥주서울대 입구점
- 고명식당
- 속초오징어어시장
- 휘가로Try: Cheese Rolled Omelet, Dried Squid with Peanuts, Dried Squid (Hanchi)
- 한양왕족발
- 그집돼지서울대 입구점
- 라이라이켄
- 맥주창고Try: Nachos, French Fries, Fried Dried Filefish
- 옷살
- 진주상회Try: Oysters and Bossam with Mussel Soup, Spicy Skate Salad and Bossam Set, Bossam Set
- 전설의떡볶이
- 다부찌
Before you come
0 / 7For Spring 2027. The emails from the school come first. Use this list to check nothing is missing. Ticks stay in this browser only.
Not an official SNU page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on SNU's official site before you apply or book anything. SNU exchange programme ↗ Checked on 19 October 2026
Your home university nominates you, then you apply online. For spring 2027, nominations closed on 10 September and applications on 25 September. Results come out in late November and admission documents follow in December.
At least one semester finished at your home university. Undergraduates need a GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 (2.7 out of 4.3) or 83 out of 100, graduate students 3.0 out of 4.0. A language score isn't required, but SNU suggests TOEFL iBT 88, IELTS 6.0 or TOPIK 5.
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa, which you apply for with your certificate of admission. Consulates may ask for a bank balance of ₩20,000,000 or more.
National Health Insurance starts once you register for your residence card, from April in the spring semester, at about ₩79,000 a month in 2026. Bring travel insurance to cover you until then. You pay the clinic first and claim from your insurer later, and SNU doesn't cover medical costs.
The welcome orientation is planned for 28 February 2027 and classes run 1 March to 14 June. Finals can go on until the end of June.
The S-CARD gets you into the library and computer rooms, checks you in for class and takes ₩1,000 off cafeteria meals. There's a mobile version too, without the banking functions. The SIM version only works on Android phones with SK Telecom, LG U+ or KT.
SNU's own estimate for a month: ₩400,000 for food, ₩70,000 to ₩90,000 for transport and ₩20,000 to ₩100,000 for a phone. Cafeteria meals are ₩4,500 to ₩6,000 and books about ₩150,000 a semester. OGA's housing page gives a wider range of about ₩2,200 to ₩15,000 a meal.
Other dates
- 1 MarchSemester starts
After you arrive
Residence card
Register within 90 days of arriving.
SNU doesn't apply as a group, so you book your own appointment on HiKorea. Slots are very hard to get at the start of the semester. Keep checking, because cancellations open new ones.
You need the card to open a phone contract in your own name, open a bank account and sign up for most Korean apps.
Booking the immigration visit. Papers, fee and HiKorea screens step by step. Read the guide
- Where
- The Seoul Immigration Office in Yangcheon-gu (151 Mokdongdong-ro), weekdays 9:00 to 18:00.
- Documents
- The application form with a 3 × 4 cm colour photo, your passport, an enrolment certificate and proof of address. In the dorm that's a residence certificate you print from mySNU. The fee is ₩35,000.Residence card guide ↗
- How long
- SNU says up to 6 to 8 weeks, counting working days only. Don't travel to other countries until your card is out, because a single-entry visa works only once.
- Changes
- If you move or get a new passport, report it on HiKorea within 15 days. It's free.
- Staying longer
- To extend your stay, book an immigration visit in the last 2 months before your visa runs out. You'll need an enrolment certificate from mySNU, a transcript and proof of ₩1,148,666 for each month you stay.Visa extension guide ↗
- Part-time work
- You need an immigration permit before you start, and OGA has to sign the form. Tell OGA at least a month ahead. The steps are a contract with your employer, the work confirmation form, OGA's signature and then an immigration booking. Working without the permit can lead to a fine or deportation.
- Helplines
- 1345 answers immigration and visa questions in English. OGA lists sjh93@snu.ac.kr or +82-2-880-5085 for exchange students' visa questions, and i-office@snu.ac.kr or +82-2-880-4447 for international student services.
Going to SNU with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Exchange students can apply for the Gwanak Residence Halls by the back gate, which house about 6,200 students in 27 buildings.
Gwanak Residence Halls
₩139,800 to ₩278,100a month for undergraduates, plus one month's deposit
- Rooms
- Buildings 915 and 916 (global dorm): ₩278,100 for a double or ₩244,200 for a single room in a unit of four. Building 901: ₩241,000 for a double. Buildings 921 to 926: ₩139,800 for a double. Building 919: ₩188,000 for a double.
- Graduate students
- Graduate rooms cost ₩241,000 to ₩339,800 a month.
- Buildings 915 and 916
- Each room has a shower and toilet, air conditioning and a small fridge. Laundry on every floor, a lounge, gym, shop and cafeteria.
- Visitors
- Weekdays 17:30 to 22:30, weekends and holidays 9:00 to 22:30. Guests can't stay the night. A visitor outside these hours costs 5 penalty points, and an overnight guest costs 9.
- Curfew
- The rules don't set one.
- Bedding
- No blanket or pillow. The room has a bed, desk and closet. Heaters and other unapproved appliances bring penalty points.
- Paying
- The first month and the deposit go to a virtual account. For the months after, set up an automatic transfer at your bank, and rent is taken on the 2nd of each month.
- Contact
- +82-2-880-5401.
Before you apply
- Apply on mySNU. OGA lists early December for spring and mid July for autumn. The dorm office says applications open between mid November and early December and posts the exact dates on its website around November. You apply on mySNU.
- Health certificate. Bring an original health certificate with a hospital stamp, in Korean or English, from the last 6 months. It needs a chest X-ray or PPD test result, and for measles a record of your second shot or a positive antibody test. Add a copy of your passport.
- No smoking. Smoking inside the dorm, corridors and balconies included, can mean permanent eviction. Smoking outdoors outside the marked areas costs 3 penalty points.
- Emergencies. Call 119 in an emergency. For the dorm, the main control office in Building 906 is on 02-881-9191 and the administration office is on 02-880-5181.
- Cancelling. Cancel before your move-in date and you get a full refund. You apply on mySNU under Academic affairs, Dormitory, Cancel move in.
The Gwanak Residence Halls website (undergraduate monthly rates) and SNU's housing page. Checked on 19 October 2026.
Living off campus
- Rent
- SNU puts a room off campus at ₩500,000 to ₩900,000 a month.
- Kinds of rooms
- OGA's housing page lists one-rooms at ₩300,000 to ₩600,000 a month with a deposit of ₩2,000,000 to ₩10,000,000, and goshiwon rooms at ₩200,000 to ₩600,000. A hasukjib boarding house costs ₩500,000 to ₩800,000 a month with two meals a day. Near Nakseongdae there's no shuttle, and the walk to campus is about 30 minutes uphill.
Room search sites in English
Korean universities point exchange students to these. They're private companies with no tie to any school. Don't send a deposit before you've seen the contract.
Finding a room. Browse rooms near campus in the app. If nothing fits, tell us what you need and we'll ask local agents for you, free.
Courses
- How much
- Up to 18 credits for undergraduates and 12 for graduate students, with no minimum.
- Language
- Most courses are taught in Korean, with some in English. The course list comes out in early January for spring and early July for autumn.
- Registration
- Online, about a month before the semester, first come first served. Places in the courses you want aren't guaranteed.
- What you can't take
- Medicine is closed to exchange students. Undergraduates can't take courses in the College of Law, but they can apply to the School of Law as master's students. Business courses are for students who major in business or economics at home, and places are limited. The fact sheet asks for 15 credits in computer science but also lists computer science and electrical and computer engineering as closed, so ask OGA before you plan on them. Korean history, psychology, statistics and pharmacy ask for TOPIK 5. Dentistry, the MBA, music and fine arts have extra conditions.
6 more
- Korean classes
- The Language Education Institute runs paid Korean courses. SNU pays them back in part, 30 to 50%, or in full for Korean studies majors.
- Attendance
- Missing more than 5 classes in a course usually means an F. Most classes check you in through the Seoul National University app, your S-CARD or a QR code.
- Grades
- Grades are out of 4.3, so an A+ is 4.3, an A0 4.0 and a B0 3.0, and some courses are graded pass or fail. A typical course is 3 credits. Whether your credits count back home is up to your home university.
- Portal
- mySNU is the student portal, with eTL for course pages and your webmail inside it. The IT help desk is on +82-2-880-8282.
- Library
- Your S-CARD gets you into the central library and every college library, with more than 6,000 seats between them. Copying and printing need a CP Gate Card (₩5,000, cash only), and a page costs ₩50 in black and white or ₩300 in colour. To send a fax, go to the post office on campus.
- Transcripts
- Spring transcripts are ready in mid July and reach your home university by mid August.
Questions exchange students ask
How does course registration work at SNU?
Online, about a month before the semester, first come first served.
Places in the courses you want aren't guaranteed.
How much is the dorm at SNU?
Gwanak Residence Halls · On campus
₩139,800 to ₩278,100
A month for undergraduates, plus one month's deposit
Does the SNU dorm have a curfew?
The rules don't set one.
Does the SNU dorm give you bedding?
No blanket or pillow.
The room has a bed, desk and closet.
Heaters and other unapproved appliances bring penalty points.
What do I need for the visa to study at SNU?
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa, which you apply for with your certificate of admission.
Consulates may ask for a bank balance of ₩20,000,000 or more.
How do exchange students meet SNU students?
SNU Buddy
A volunteer group that pairs exchange students with SNU students.
It runs an opening party, pub nights and a membership trip, plus sports days, rafting and hiking.
Membership was ₩70,000 in spring 2026.
You sign a waiver, pay, then pick a buddy on the matching site, first come first served.
Each buddy group has 40 to 50 people.
Is there a group chat for SNU exchange students?
Yes.
SNU has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at SNU?
The welcome orientation is planned for 28 February 2027 and classes run 1 March to 14 June.
Finals can go on until the end of June.
How do I get my residence card at SNU?
Register within 90 days of arriving.
SNU doesn't apply as a group, so you book your own appointment on HiKorea.
Slots are very hard to get at the start of the semester.
Keep checking, because cancellations open new ones.
Do exchange students at SNU need health insurance?
National Health Insurance starts once you register for your residence card, from April in the spring semester, at about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
Bring travel insurance to cover you until then.
You pay the clinic first and claim from your insurer later, and SNU doesn't cover medical costs.
How many credits can I take at SNU?
Up to 18 credits for undergraduates and 12 for graduate students, with no minimum.
How do I apply to SNU as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you, then you apply online.
For spring 2027, nominations closed on 10 September and applications on 25 September.
Results come out in late November and admission documents follow in December.
Who do I contact at SNU?
Office of Global Affairs
Official links and help
Office of Global AffairsWeekdays 9:00 to 18:00
incoming@snu.ac.krStudent life
- Central clubs
- The club union lists every central club, and the sports clubs have their own site.SNU club union ↗
- Health
- The Health Service Center on campus has a primary care clinic and specialist clinics, from psychiatry and dermatology to dentistry. Its number is +82-2-880-5347.Health Service Center ↗
- Counseling
- The counseling center talks with students in English. SNU Call answers day and night on +82-2-880-8080. To book, call +82-2-880-5501 or use snucounsel.snu.ac.kr. Dorm residents can also call Gwansim counseling on +82-2-880-7979.
- Bank
- There are four banks on campus. To link a bank account to your S-CARD you need one at Woori Bank. Bring your passport, residence card, Korean address and Korean phone number.
Where to ask. OGA Supporters: Students at the Office of Global Affairs who make its guides and Instagram posts for international students. For questions before you arrive, write to incoming@snu.ac.kr. Open ↗
Living in Korea.Packing, weather by semester, parcels, phone, bank and trash rules are the same for every school.