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. Yonsei is the Y.
Yonsei University
Yonsei · Seoul
Yonsei counts its history from 1885, when Korea's first western hospital opened. Along with Seoul National University and Korea University, it's one of the three universities known together as SKY. Exchange students study and live at Sinchon, the main campus in Seoul.
- Founded
- 1885 as Gwanghyewon, a hospital
- Campus
- Sinchon Line 2, Sinchon Station
- Dorm
- ₩2,150,000 a semester for a double in SK Global House, Yonsei's estimate. Check the fee when you apply
- Course load
- 9 to 18 credits counting Korean classes
Tungdangthanh, CC BY-SA 4.0, croppedWhat Yonsei is like
Things Korean students all know that are new when you arrive.
It began with a hospital
Gwanghyewon, Korea's first western hospital, opened on 10 April 1885, and Chosen Christian College followed in 1915. Yonhi College and Severance Medical School merged in 1955 to make Yonsei.
The autumn games against Korea University
Every September or October Yonsei and Korea University play each other. Yonsei calls it Yon-Ko-Jeon and Korea University calls it Ko-Yon-Jeon. Wear royal blue to cheer for Yonsei.
Learn the cheers
AKARAKA is one of Yonsei's festivals, and its website has the cheering songs and dances you'll need at the games. Yonsei encourages exchange students to join both.
The May festival
Yonsei's biggest festival runs for three days around the second week of May, with bands, exhibitions, sports and department booths along Baekyang-ro. You'll see it if you come in spring.
The eagle and Yonsei Blue
Yonsei's mascot is the eagle, and its 140th anniversary emblem draws one from the number 140 and a wing. The school colour is Yonsei Blue, and its banner is truth and freedom.
- Words you'll hear
- Yondae 연대 Short for Yonsei University
- Baekyang-ro 백양로 The main road through campus
- Sinchon 신촌 The student area outside the main gate
- Sugang 수강신청 Course registration
From Yonsei's official English pages (history, the 140th anniversary emblem and a news post on the eagle mascot) and the Global One-Stop Service Center's festival page, checked on 26 October 2026. The line about SKY is A-CHA's own explanation.
People
Clubs and help for international students at Yonsei.
Mentors Club
Yonsei OIA's international student club, running since 2002. One-to-one buddies, small group meetups, a welcome party, a spring trip, a festival party in May and cheering at the autumn games against Korea University.
- How to join
- Apply online at mentorsclub.kr.
- When they recruit
- Sign-up opens at the start of each semester. During the semester, only when places come up.
- Fee
- No
Yonsei Global
An OIA club running since 2003. It runs the First Step to Korea orientation, Global Day, language exchange, sports, Korean cooking, K-pop dance and film nights, and trips around Seoul.
- How to join
- The club introduces itself at the semester orientation, then opens a Google Form at a set time, first come first served. Ask on Instagram.
- When they recruit
- At the start of each semester, after orientation.
FSU
Yonsei's Foreign Student Union. Email fsu.yonsei@gmail.com.
@yonsei_fsuCountry associations
Yonsei's club list from September 2024 has student groups by country, among them Vietnam (@yonseivietassociation), Mongolia (@yonsei_mongolians), Indonesia (PPMK, @ppmkofficial), Japan (JSAY, @yonsei.jsay) and YIA (@yia.yonsei). The Chinese association uses WeChat (yscssa). The list is from 2024, so some may have changed.
Instagram accounts checked on 19 October 2026.
Country chats
Country chats are for everyone from that country studying anywhere in Korea, not only at Yonsei.
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 Yonsei.
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 Sinchon, the main campus in Seoul. Courses at the International Campus in Songdo are closed to them, and the Mirae Campus is in Wonju. Mirae Campus guide
Address in Korean
서울특별시 서대문구 연세로 50
50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722
Also on Kakao Map and Google Maps. Naver and Kakao work best in Korea.
- Subway
- Sinchon Station on Line 2. Exit 2 points to Yonsei and Severance Hospital, Exit 3 to Yonsei.
- From Incheon Airport
- Airport bus 6011 stops at Yonsei University on the median bus lane.
- Taxi from the airport
- International Taxi charges ₩70,000 to ₩140,000 between the airport and Seoul (fares as of February 2023). Book 24 hours ahead.
- International Office
- The Office of International Affairs is room 207 in the Student Union Annex. The Global One-Stop Service Center next door (208) handles visas and daily life, weekdays 9:00 to 17:20, closed 12:00 to 13:00.
- Where students eat
- Mostly on Myeongmul-gil in front of the main gate and in the Sinchon food alleys by Sinchon Station.
Hongdae and the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, plus every place to eat near campus.
1,094places to eat near SinchonRestaurants 688 · Cafés 240 · Bars & pubs 166 · Vegetarian options 245 · · Open late 325Each place shows the menu in English and Korean and walking directions.
1.2 km from campus
Hongdae Busking Street
Performances cluster on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Almost everything is cancelled when it rains.
1.2 km from campus
Yeonnam Gyeongui Line Park
Known as Yeontral Park. A picnic on a mat is the whole point, so there is no reason to go in the rain.
2.3 km from campus
Seodaemun Prison History Hall
09:30-18:00 in summer, 09:30-17:00 in winter. When a Monday falls on a public holiday, it closes the following day instead.
2.7 km from campus
Mangwon Market
Open daily 08:00-22:00 with no closing day. It is a working neighborhood market, used mostly by locals.
3.4 km from campus
Inwangsan Mountain
An hour and a half round trip, starting right at Gyeongbokgung Station. A good first hike in Seoul.
- Coffee & dessert 167
- Western 118
- Korean BBQ 103
- Pocha 84
- Pub & Bar 82
- Japanese 70
- Street food 66
- Soups & stews 66
- Fried chicken 55
- Korean home food 48
- Chinese 47
- Juice & tea 36
Checked by A-CHA
- 금별맥주Try: Pastry Pizza, Grilled Dried Filefish, Soupy Tteokbokki
- 독수리다방
- 라구식당
- 유자유김치떡볶이
- 씽킹인사이드더박스Try: Combination Canapes, Grilled Filefish and Mixed Nuts, Fruit Cereal Salad with Yogurt
- 빠빠빠치킨 연대본점
- 폼프리츠Try: Belgian Fries
- 도토리칼국수
- 복성각
- 포석정Try: Spicy Pork Bulgogi, Cheese Potato Pancake, Pork Belly with Kimchi and Sprouts
- 돈뼈공방 신촌본점
- 한사발포차 신촌점Try: Sweet Egg Toast, Shrimp Chive Pancake, Bacon Kimchi Pancake
Before you come
0 / 8For 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 Yonsei page. Dates and rules change. Check the details on Yonsei's official site before you apply or book anything. Yonsei exchange programme ↗ Checked on 19 October 2026
Your home university nominates you between 1 September and 15 October, then you apply on say.yonsei.ac.kr by 31 October for spring 2027. Results come out by mid December.
Two finished semesters at your home university and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0. If your transcript doesn't show a 4.0 scale, upload the Confirmation of Student Information Form with it. For English, TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.5 or Cambridge B2 First and up. For Korean, TOPIK 4 or KLAT 4. Scores must be less than two years old when the semester starts. Students from English-speaking countries or schools, or in programmes taught fully in English, can skip the test with proof.
Your transcript, language proof, a photo, your passport, a bank statement, a study plan and proof of insurance, which can follow after you're accepted. Students from outside the OECD need an apostille or consular legalization on one paper. The exchange page names the transcript and the fact sheet names the certificate of enrolment, so ask study@yonsei.ac.kr which one before you order it. The bank statement must be issued within 30 days before your visa application.
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa. Show US$5,000 a semester or US$12,000 for a year. The certificate of admission comes from three months before the semester, and your passport has to be valid for six months after you leave Korea.
Have your own insurance and upload it before course registration. National Health Insurance starts after you register for your residence card, at about ₩79,000 a month in 2026. Yonsei says the card takes 6 to 8 weeks and suggests private cover for your first two or three months. Your proof must show your name, the coverage period and that it's valid in Korea. Until you upload it, you aren't registered and can't sign up for courses.
Arrival and orientation are in late February. Last spring the dorm opened on 22 February and orientation for new exchange students was on 26 February.
Yonsei's student ID comes with Woori Bank. Apply on the Yonsei portal when the dates go up in early February, then collect it at your college office with your passport or residence card. Tap it on the reader in class to mark attendance. Cards that aren't collected within two weeks are destroyed. Its transit card function is paused for now.
Yonsei's estimate for a semester: ₩2,150,000 for a double in SK Global House, ₩2,500,000 for food, ₩500,000 for books and ₩500,000 for transport, ₩5,650,000 in all.
Other dates
- Last spring: 9 DecemberDorm application opens
- Last spring: 9 to 13 FebruaryCourse registration
- Last spring: 22 FebruaryDorm move-in
- Last spring: 27 FebruaryMentors Club sign-up closes
- 2 MarchSemester starts
After you arrive
Residence card
Register within 90 days of arriving.
Yonsei applies for exchange students as a group at the start of each semester, in early March and early September, and sends the details by email.
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
- Documents
- The application form, your passport, one 3.5 × 4.5 cm colour photo and proof of address. The fee is ₩35,000 in cash.Residence card guide ↗
- How long
- Yonsei says about six weeks, and that immigration keeps your passport until it's done.
- Trips abroad
- Don't travel to other countries until your card is out. A single-entry visa works only once, so leaving early can stop you from coming back on it.
- Changes
- If anything on your card changes, report it within 15 days. If you lose your card, book a visit at immigration to get a new one. It costs ₩35,000.
- Staying longer
- You can apply to extend your stay in the last 2 months before your visa runs out, at immigration or online. Staying past your end date is against the law and can lead to a fine or deportation.
- Part-time work
- Yonsei asks for a GPA of 2.0 or more last semester and approval from both Yonsei and immigration. You can work at two places at most, and construction, tutoring and delivery jobs aren't allowed.
- Before the card arrives
- Health insurance starts once you register. Until the card comes, hospitals accept a certificate of alien registration from immigration. Each month's premium is due by the 25th of the month before, and unpaid premiums can shorten a visa extension.
- Helplines
- 1345 answers immigration and visa questions in English. Yonsei's visa desk is ivisa@yonsei.ac.kr or +82-2-2123-6492.
Going to Yonsei with a friend? Send them this page.
Housing
Exchange students apply separately online for SK Global House or International House. Places go first come first served and aren't guaranteed.
SK Global House
₩2,150,000a semester for a double, Yonsei's own estimate
- Rooms
- Doubles for men and women. International House next door is for women only, with shared bathrooms on each floor, and its residents use SK Global House too.
- In the building
- A lounge, study rooms, laundry, a gym open 6:00 to 23:30, a shared kitchen open all day, a music room, a convenience store and a café.
- Curfew
- The rules don't set one. Quiet hours are from midnight to 6:00.
- Visitors
- No outside visitors. Floors of the opposite sex in SK Global House are open only 8:00 to 22:00, and you can't go into their rooms. Bringing someone in without permission costs 70 penalty points.
- Check-in
- Any time after 10:00 on your check-in day. Check-out is between 9:00 and 11:00.
- Alcohol
- No drinking or bringing alcohol in, from 50 penalty points up to being sent out. No smoking.
- Cooking
- Only in the shared kitchen, or the lounge in International House.
- Contact
- skghouse@yonsei.ac.kr or 02-2123-7481. International House: ihouse@yonsei.ac.kr or 02-2123-4616.
Before you apply
- Apply online. Last spring, applications opened on 9 December at 10:00 Korean time, results came on 16 December and fees were due 18 December to 6 January by international transfer. Move-in was 22 February and move-out 22 June.
Yonsei's spring 2027 exchange factsheet (fee) and the Yonsei dormitory website. Checked on 19 October 2026.
- Off campus
- A hasukjip has no deposit and includes breakfast and dinner. A share house costs ₩350,000 to ₩550,000 a month. A private studio needs a deposit of ₩5,000,000 to ₩30,000,000 and rent of ₩400,000 to ₩1,500,000. These prices come from a 2022 Yonsei page.
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
- 9 to 18 credits for undergraduates, counting 3 or 6 credits of Korean at the Korean Language Institute. Graduate students take 9 to 15.
- Course list
- The list is final two months before the semester. Until then, past lists give a fair idea.Courses for exchange students ↗
- What you can't take
- Medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, music, the MBA, law, the Global Leadership Division and anything at the Songdo campus. Business majors can take up to four business courses and choose Business Administration as their Yonsei major when they apply. Underwood International College courses open only if seats remain after Yonsei students register.Rules for exchange students ↗
- Korean classes
- The Korean Language Institute teaches Korean for credit, from beginner to advanced. Basic Korean is 3 credits and meets twice a week. Intensive Korean is 6 credits and meets three times a week. A placement test sets your level.
7 more
- Exams
- Last spring, midterms ran 21 to 27 April and finals 9 to 22 June.
- Add and drop
- Last spring, changes ran 5 to 9 March, first come first served from 8:00 to 17:00. The final withdrawal was 14 to 16 April, as long as 9 credits remained.
- Spring 2027
- Classes run 2 March to 21 June, with finals in mid June. The dates are still tentative.
- Attendance
- Missing more than a third of a course's classes means an automatic F.
- Grades
- Courses taught in Korean are usually graded on a curve, while most taught in English aren't. There are no incomplete grades. To see your grades, fill in the online course evaluation in the last month of the semester.
- Online classes
- Course pages and online lectures are on LearnUs. The IT help desk is on the 2nd floor of the Yonsei-Samsung Library, +82-2-2123-4971.
- Transcripts
- Spring transcripts come out in mid July.
Questions exchange students ask
How much is the dorm at Yonsei?
SK Global House · On campus
₩2,150,000
A semester for a double, Yonsei's own estimate
Does the Yonsei dorm have a curfew?
The rules don't set one.
Quiet hours are from midnight to 6:00.
What about living off campus at Yonsei?
A hasukjip has no deposit and includes breakfast and dinner.
A share house costs ₩350,000 to ₩550,000 a month.
A private studio needs a deposit of ₩5,000,000 to ₩30,000,000 and rent of ₩400,000 to ₩1,500,000.
These prices come from a 2022 Yonsei page.
What do I need for the visa to study at Yonsei?
Exchange students need a D-2-6 visa.
Show US$5,000 a semester or US$12,000 for a year.
The certificate of admission comes from three months before the semester, and your passport has to be valid for six months after you leave Korea.
Is there a group chat for Yonsei exchange students?
Yes.
Yonsei has a room on A-CHA where exchange students meet, and you can join before you land.
When should I arrive at Yonsei?
Arrival and orientation are in late February.
Last spring the dorm opened on 22 February and orientation for new exchange students was on 26 February.
How do I get my residence card at Yonsei?
Register within 90 days of arriving.
Yonsei applies for exchange students as a group at the start of each semester, in early March and early September, and sends the details by email.
Do exchange students at Yonsei need health insurance?
Have your own insurance and upload it before course registration.
National Health Insurance starts after you register for your residence card, at about ₩79,000 a month in 2026.
Yonsei says the card takes 6 to 8 weeks and suggests private cover for your first two or three months.
Your proof must show your name, the coverage period and that it's valid in Korea.
Until you upload it, you aren't registered and can't sign up for courses.
How many credits can I take at Yonsei?
9 to 18 credits for undergraduates, counting 3 or 6 credits of Korean at the Korean Language Institute.
Graduate students take 9 to 15.
How do I apply to Yonsei as an exchange student?
Your home university nominates you between 1 September and 15 October, then you apply on say.yonsei.ac.kr by 31 October for spring 2027.
Results come out by mid December.
Who do I contact at Yonsei?
Official links and help
Office of International Affairs+82-2-2123-3977
study@yonsei.ac.krStudent life
- Which club
- Yonsei points exchange students staying less than a year to Mentors Club and Yonsei Global, because central clubs expect two semesters or more.
- Festivals
- Akaraka, the spring festival, is in May, and the Yonsei and Korea University games are in autumn.
- Country associations
- Groups such as CSSA for Chinese students and VSAY for Vietnamese students. Their contacts are on the GOSC club page.GOSC clubs ↗
- Counseling
- The Counseling Center works in English and Chinese, but it's only open to degree students. The Human Rights Center is free.
- Bank
- Most students bank with Woori, which has a branch in the Student Union with ATMs for foreign cards. Bring your passport, residence card, Korean address and Korean phone number. Banks open 9:30 to 16:00 on weekdays.
- Phone
- For a stay under a year, Yonsei suggests a prepaid SIM from about ₩30,000. Regular contracts run 2 to 3 years.
Where to ask. GOSC: For part-time work and insurance questions, write to the Global One-Stop Service Center at istudent@yonsei.ac.kr or call +82-2-2123-3488. Open ↗
- Exchange students
- Calendar for exchange students
- Courses for exchange students
- Global One-Stop Service Center
- Dormitory (English)
- Directions