Hey everyone,
I wanted to share that I recently got my DTV approved from London as a South Korean national.
I applied twice — first at the RTE in Seoul, Korea, and then again at the RTE in London, UK.
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1st Application – Seoul, Korea
My first try was in January 2025, in my home country. I didn’t prepare much in advance, and luckily, as a Korean national, I didn’t need to pay the visa fee.
A few weeks later, the embassy contacted me asking for additional documents. That’s when I realized it might be tricky to get approved as a remote worker.
I’m a self-employed writer with book-based contracts through Korean publishing companies. That setup didn’t quite match the document requirements they were asking for (which seemed more geared toward traditional remote jobs), so I decided not to pursue it further.
I left the application untouched. Eventually, it changed to “Finished” in April — exactly three months later. It wasn’t cancelled or rejected, just silently closed.
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2nd Application – London, UK (Muay Thai Route)
I moved to London shortly after and submitted a new application at the RTE in London, this time under the Muay Thai soft power route.
As a non-UK citizen, in addition to the usual documents, I had to provide:
• UK residence permit
• UK bank statement
• Proof of address
No visa fee again.
I submitted all supporting documents, including my flight ticket, by March 19. The status changed to “Pending Approval” on March 20, and I received approval on April 18.
I’m not exactly sure why it took a month, but during the wait, I visited the RTE in person to ask about the delay. They asked for my flight schedule — I had a June departure — and told me it would probably be approved by May. Luckily, it came through earlier!
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A Few Extra Notes:
• They asked me to submit a letter explaining what I do for work while in the UK.
I clarified that I’m self-employed, don’t work for a UK employer, and that the same would apply in Thailand.
• I included a description of my income sources, along with two Korean business certificates (translated into English): one for my writing business and one for my real estate rental income.
• I accidentally entered an intended stay of over 1,800 days in the form — but it didn’t seem to matter at all!
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Thanks again, super group!
Wishing everyone smooth applications — and I hope to see some of you in Thailand soon!
