Originally written by David Carruth, with illustrations by James Tucker. Fully revised and updated for 2026
Unless you somehow slipped into Korea on a raft, or made the very long swim from Tsushima, you have probably met the country’s immigration system. Today, however, the alphabet soup includes far more than student visas and English-teaching contracts: Korea now has routes for remote workers, startup founders, skilled technicians, researchers, international graduates, and professionals hoping to turn a work visa into long-term residence.
The good news is that the system is more digital than it used to be. The less-good news is that visa rules still change frequently, eligibility depends on the exact subcategory, and yesterday’s expat-forum wisdom can become tomorrow’s rejected application. HiKorea itself warns that its manuals may lag behind policy changes and recommends confirming current rules through the 1345 Immigration Contact Center or the immigration office with jurisdiction over your address.
Despite the uncertainty, 10 Magazine has gone through the trouble of answering your questions and satisfying your curiosity about the different types of Korean Visas.
Full List of Korean Visas
South Korea uses status-of-stay codes to define why you may remain in the country and what activities you may perform. A visa issued abroad gets you to the border; after entry, your authorized status of stay controls your residence, work, study, and extension conditions.
With more than 92 different categories of Korean Visas, we’re going to give you the important details you need to know, along with the F-2-7 points overview. Stick to the end, and you can be the go-to guy or gal when your friends start getting their visas mixed up.
Short-Term and Official Status: A, B and C
Strictly speaking, the A series is not a short-term visitor category: it covers diplomats, foreign government officials, and certain agreement-based personnel. It appears here with B and C only to keep the alphabet manageable; B and C are the categories most ordinary short-term visitors encounter.
| Code | Main purpose | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| A-1 / A-2 / A-3 | Diplomats, foreign government or international-organization officials, and agreement-based personnel | Specialized status tied to official duties or an international agreement—not a tourist shortcut. |
| B-1 | Visa-exempt entry | Available to nationals covered by a visa-waiver arrangement; admission period and permitted activities depend on the applicable rule. |
| B-2 | Tourist or transit entry without a visa | Used for designated visa-free tourism or transit, including a separate Jeju category in the Visa Portal. |
| C-1 | Short-term news coverage | For temporary journalism or reporting activities. |
| C-3 | Short-term visit | Covers tourism, business visits, family visits, medical tourism, and other short stays through multiple subcategories. |
| C-4 | Short-term paid work | Required for qualifying short-term employment or profit-making activities such as certain performances, lectures, or research assignments. |
Do not work on a tourist status. “It was only one paid shoot” or “I only answered emails for a Korean client” is not a legal category. Match the activity to an authorized status before accepting payment.
Study, Training and Startups: D Series
The D series covers formal study, language training, corporate transfers, investment, trade, journalism, religion, and job seeking. It is also the starting point for many domestic status changes: the Immigration Service’s own pathway guide maps qualifying students from D-2/D-4 to E-series work, F-2 residence, D-10 job seeking, or D-8 startup status, depending on the applicant and activity.
| Code | Best known for | 2026 practical note |
|---|---|---|
| D-2 | Degree study and exchange programs | Includes associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, research, and exchange-student subcategories. Paid part-time work generally requires advance authorization and remains limited by study status and other conditions. |
| D-4 | Korean-language and general training | Common for university language institutes and other approved training. It is not a general work visa; authorized part-time work requires separate approval. |
| D-7 | Intra-company transfer | For essential staff assigned from a foreign company to a Korean branch, affiliate, or qualifying domestic company |
| D-8 | Corporate investment or technology startup | Includes incorporated investment, venture, unincorporated investment, and technology-startup routes. Eligibility depends on the exact subcategory, investment structure, ownership, business substance, and supporting evidence. |
| D-9 | International trade and business management | Covers specified trade, machinery, shipbuilding, and individual-business activities. |
| D-10-1 | Job seeking | For qualifying applicants seeking E-1 through E-7 work or undertaking authorized internships; points or graduate exceptions may apply. |
| D-10-2 | Startup preparation | For applicants preparing a qualifying technology startup before changing to an appropriate D-8 category. |
Employment and Teaching: E Series
An E-series visa does not simply mean “employed.” Each code limits the holder to a defined professional, teaching, artistic, technical, seasonal, non-professional, or maritime activity. Working outside that scope, or adding another workplace without the required permission or report, can trigger penalties and damage future F-2 or F-5 applications.
| Code | Who it covers | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Professors | Teaching or research at qualifying higher-education institutions. |
| E-2 | Foreign-language instructors and teaching assistants | Common for academy, school, and government-program language teachers. The “E” still does not stand for English. |
| E-3 / E-4 / E-5 | Researchers, technical instructors, and licensed professionals | Each route has activity-specific education, licensing, experience, and employer requirements. |
| E-6 | Artists, performers, athletes, and certain entertainment workers | Split into art/performance, hotel or adult-entertainment, and athlete categories; rights and safeguards differ sharply by subcategory. |
| E-7-1 | Professional workers in designated occupations | Employer-sponsored route for qualifying professionals whose education or experience fits an eligible occupation. The 2026 general wage floor is ₩31.12 million annually, unless an occupation-specific or exempt rule applies. |
| E-7-2 / E-7-3 | Semi-professional and general skilled workers | Separate designated occupations with a 2026 general wage floor of ₩25.89 million annually, subject to occupation-specific rules. |
| E-7-4 | K-Point skilled workers | Points-based conversion route mainly for experienced E-9, E-10, and H-2 workers; it is not the same pathway as professional E-7-1. |
| E-8 / E-9 / E-10 | Seasonal workers, non-professional employees, and ship crew | Sector- and employer-regulated categories with restricted mobility and separate employment systems. |
E-7-1 Vs. E-7-4
These two visas share an E-7 label but serve different labor markets.
| Issue | E-7-1 Professional | E-7-4 K-Point Skilled Worker |
|---|---|---|
| Typical applicant | Engineer, developer, designer, translator, researcher, or other worker in an approved professional occupation | Experienced E-9, E-10, or H-2 worker converting from a non-professional or work-and-visit route |
| Core test | Eligible occupation, relevant qualifications or experience, sponsoring employer, contract, and salary | Prior legal work history, current employer recommendation, multi-year contract, salary, Korean ability, and K-Point score |
| 2026 general wage floor | ₩31.12 million annually, unless a different occupation-specific rule applies | ₩26 million annually; special sector rules may differ |
| Points system | Not generally the K-Point E-7-4 table | At least 200 points, with income and Korean-language sections normally requiring at least 50 points each |
| Prior Korean status | May be obtained abroad or through a permitted domestic change | Generally requires at least four years under E-9, E-10, or H-2 during the previous ten years under the current K-Point framework |
| Employer relationship | Sponsor and occupation must remain compliant | Recommendation from an employer where the applicant has worked for at least one year, plus a contract to remain for at least two further years |
For 2026, the K-Point route temporarily permits certain otherwise-qualified applicants to defer the Korean-language condition until the first extension, through December 31, 2026. This is a limited concession, not a permanent abolition of the language requirement.
Residence and Permanent Status: F Series
The F series is where Korea’s system moves from sponsor-specific activity toward family residence, flexible residence, overseas-Korean status, marriage migration, and permanent residence. Spouses of Korean nationals are generally under F-6, while F-2 contains several residence subcategories, including the points-based F-2-7 route.
| Code | Main purpose | Work position |
|---|---|---|
| F-1-D | Digital Nomad / Workation | Remote work for an overseas employer or overseas-owned business; local employment and Korean profit-making activity are restricted. |
| F-2-7 | Points-based residence for qualifying talent | Broad residence status for applicants who meet an eligible route, the score threshold, and conduct requirements. |
| F-3 | Dependent family | Normally for spouses and minor children of qualifying D-1 through E-7 holders; employment is generally prohibited without a specific exception and advance permission. |
| F-4 | Overseas Korean | For qualifying foreign nationals of Korean heritage; some simple-labor work remains restricted. |
| F-5 | Permanent residence | Indefinite status with no visa-category employment restriction; the residence card itself must be renewed every ten years. |
| F-6 | Marriage migrant | Primarily spouses of Korean nationals, plus specified child-raising and marriage-breakdown cases; employment is generally unrestricted. |
K-Digital Nomad Visa South Korea
The F-1-D Digital Nomad or Workation Visa was piloted from 2024 and became a formal program on June 30, 2026. It is aimed at adults who have worked for an overseas company—or operated an overseas business—for at least one year and can perform that work remotely from Korea; it does not authorize employment by a Korean company.
Current F-1-D Income Rules
The original pilot required income above two times the previous year’s Korean per-capita GNI for all principal applicants. From June 30, 2026, Korea introduced lower thresholds based on age and intended residence location, while increasing the maximum stay from two years to three.
Working Holiday: H Series
The H-1 Working Holiday Visa lets eligible young people travel in Korea while using short-term work to supplement their trip. Korea had arrangements with 30 countries or regions as of May 2026; the general age range is 18–30, but bilateral agreements create exceptions, including higher upper limits for some nationalities.
H-2 Work and Visit is a different category for qualifying overseas Koreans from designated countries. It should not be confused with the backpack-and-barista H-1 route.
F-2-7 Points System
The F-2-7 is Korea’s points-based residence status for several classes of talent. Under Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2025-408, effective October 24, 2025, applicants must first fit an eligible route and then score at least 80 points; the maximum recognized score is 170, consisting of 130 common points and up to 40 bonus points, before deductions.
Who Can Apply
The current notice lists five routes:
Listed-company worker: Employed, or confirmed for employment, at a KOSPI- or KOSDAQ-listed company in a managerial, professional, or related occupation.
Promising-industry worker: Employed or confirmed in a designated advanced-technology field and earning at least 1.5 times the relevant previous-year per-capita GNI.
Professional worker: Holding an eligible E-1 through E-7 or D-5 through D-9 status and continuously residing under those statuses for at least three years; E-6-2 and E-7-2 through E-7-4 are excluded.
International graduate talent: A lawful resident who earned a regular Korean master’s degree or higher, applies within five years of graduation, and has confirmed employment in an eligible professional field; a separate recommendation route exists for Korean War allied-country talent with a Korean bachelor’s degree or higher.
Potential exceptional talent: A foreign master’s or doctoral graduate of a designated Korean science-and-engineering university or research institution.
F-2-7 Points Overview
| Component | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Age | 25 |
| Education | 25 |
| TOPIK or KIIP | 20 |
| Annual taxable income | 60 |
| Common-point subtotal | 130 |
| Bonus points | 40 |
| Maximum recognized score | 170 |
| Deductions | Up to −70 |
| Passing score | 80 |
The figures below reproduce the current scoring schedule in the Ministry of Justice notice.
Age Points
| Age on application date | Points |
|---|---|
| 18–24 | 23 |
| 25–29 | 25 |
| 30–34 | 23 |
| 35–39 | 20 |
| 40–44 | 12 |
| 45–50 | 8 |
| 51+ | 3 |
Age is calculated from the birth date shown in the passport on the filing date.
Education Points
| Highest qualifying degree | Field or degree condition | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate | STEM or two or more doctorates | 25 |
| Doctorate | Non-STEM | 20 |
| Master’s | STEM or two or more master’s degrees | 20 |
| Master’s | Non-STEM | 17 |
| Bachelor’s | STEM or two or more bachelor’s degrees | 17 |
| Bachelor’s | Non-STEM | 15 |
| Associate degree | STEM | 15 |
| Associate degree | Non-STEM | 10 |
Only an awarded and verifiable degree counts; course completion without degree conferral does not.
Korean-Language Points
| TOPIK | KIIP completion | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Level 5 or 6 | Stage 5 | 20 |
| Level 4 | Stage 4 | 15 |
| Level 3 | Stage 3 | 10 |
| Level 2 | Stage 2 | 5 |
| Level 1 | Stage 1 | 3 |
| No recognized evidence | No recognized stage | 0 |
TOPIK and KIIP occupy the same 20-point common category, so they are alternatives rather than stackable scores. KIIP Stage 5 completion also earns a separate 10-point bonus, giving it greater strategic value for applicants who may later pursue F-5 permanent residence.
Income Points
| Most recent annual taxable income | Points |
|---|---|
| ₩100 million+ | 60 |
| ₩90 million–under ₩100 million | 58 |
| ₩80 million–under ₩90 million | 56 |
| ₩70 million–under ₩80 million | 53 |
| ₩60 million–under ₩70 million | 50 |
| ₩50 million–under ₩60 million | 45 |
| ₩40 million–under ₩50 million | 40 |
| ₩30 million–under ₩40 million | 30 |
| Statutory minimum wage–under ₩30 million | 10 |
| Below minimum wage, unemployed, or no accepted income evidence | 0 |
Immigration scores the latest available Income Amount Certificate (소득금액증명) from the Korean tax authority, not the headline salary in an employment contract. Tax-exempt allowances may therefore leave the scored figure lower than an applicant expects.
Bonus Points
Bonus points are capped at 40, even when the raw total of applicable items is higher.
| Bonus category | Points |
|---|---|
| Korean War allied-country exceptional talent recommendation | 20 |
| Recommendation from a central administrative agency | 20 |
| KIIP Stage 5 completion | 10 |
| Doctorate from a qualifying top-ranked university | 30 |
| Doctorate from a Korean university | 10 |
| Master’s from a qualifying top-ranked university | 20 |
| Master’s from a Korean university | 7 |
| Bachelor’s from a qualifying top-ranked university | 15 |
| Bachelor’s from a Korean university | 5 |
| Volunteer service: 3+ years, 18+ sessions and 150+ hours | 7 |
| Volunteer service: 2–under 3 years, 12+ sessions and 100+ hours | 5 |
| Volunteer service: 1–under 2 years, 6+ sessions and 50+ hours | 1 |
For this bonus, a qualifying top-ranked university means one appearing within the previous five years in the QS World University Rankings top 500 or Times Higher Education World University Rankings top 200.
Deductions and Bars
| Record | Deduction |
|---|---|
| Immigration violation of ₩3 million+, departure order, or deportation | −30 |
| Immigration violation of ₩1 million–under ₩3 million | −20 |
| Immigration violation of ₩500,000–under ₩1 million | −10 |
| Criminal fine of ₩3 million+ or a more serious sentence, once more than three years have passed | −40 |
| Criminal fine of ₩2 million–under ₩3 million | −30 |
| Criminal fine under ₩2 million | −20 |
Some conduct causes outright ineligibility instead of a point deduction, including specified recent custodial sentences, serious recent fines, repeated Immigration Act violations, false documents, entry-ban grounds, and designated serious overseas crimes. A sparkling points score does not erase a statutory bar.
KIIP and the PR Test
For routes that require proof of basic integration, the accepted standard is generally completion of KIIP Stage 5 or a passing score of at least 60 on the Permanent Residency Comprehensive Evaluation (영주용 종합평가). TOPIK by itself should not be presented as a substitute for this F-5 requirement, although it can score language points for F-2-7 and may help with KIIP placement.
Some specialist F-5 subcategories are exempt from the basic-integration requirement, so check the exact code before enrolling in hundreds of hours of classes. For most mainstream general and points-based routes, however, starting KIIP early is sensible because Stage 5 can support both the F-2-7 score and the later F-5 requirement.
Becoming a “Lifer” in Korea
On average, foreigners in Korea don’t plan on making a life of it here. Whether it’s a few weeks backpacking through, a year chasing kids around a classroom, or a few years managing a branch office, there’s usually an end point in sight.
But some expats who become comfortable with life here decide they would like to settle down. The problem is that the restrictions on your visa make it hard to control your career, and you can only be sure of one year at a time.
Plus, there are the frustrations of mobile phone and internet companies that often can’t or won’t let you sign a contract with a short-term visa. Aren’t there any permanent residence options for responsible, hard-working, law-abiding folks who just love Korea too much to want to leave?
Well, there are.
F-5 Visa
If you’re planning on remaining in Korea for a long time, you may want to start looking into the F-5 visa. A variety of people can apply for it, including spouses of Korean citizens (F-2), ethnic Koreans (F-4), and those employed under the E series of Korean Visas.
The benefits are significant, essentially freeing you from the limitations of your previous visa. With an F-5, you can stay in Korea even if you get divorced (unlike F-2), you can work where you want without worrying about visa sponsorship (unlike an E-series visa), and you don’t have to reapply every year (unlike an F-4). After two years on the visa, you can even vote in some elections!
So how do you get it? Recent changes in the laws mean that both F-2 and F-4 visa holders can apply after two years on those visas. Certain professionals in the E series are eligible after three years, while teachers and professors have their shot after five consecutive years in Korea on the same visa.
The visa regulations also include a financial condition. You have to make twice the Korean GNI per capita (currently near $20,000 US). In a hurry? You can also nab an F-5 with no delay by investing $500,000 US in Korea and putting at least five Koreans to work, but we kind of doubt most of you are up for that.
Do not quote “the F-5 income requirement” without naming the subtype. A general F-5-1 applicant, an F-2-7 holder seeking F-5-16, an F-6 spouse, an F-4 overseas Korean, and a specialist degree holder may face different multipliers, income-combination rules, residence periods, and exemptions.
Helpful Tips About Your Korean Visa
1. Make a reservation at hikorea.go.kr before showing up at the immigration office.
2. If you need to call immigration, do it shortly after they open at 9 AM to guarantee you get through (You can also call from the International line if you call from outside of Korea).
3. It is, in fact, possible to get legal work in addition to your primary job, but you’ll need the approval of your boss. Note that the final approval rests, as always, with immigration.
4. Register within the first 90 days from your arrival.
Korea’s Immigration – Information
When you have a visa question that isn’t covered here, your first step is to drop by immigration’s home on “HiKorea” the website of the immigration in Korea. Next, you can call the immigration hotline at 02-1345, and finally, you can visit your local immigration office in person.
See below or refer to the immigration website for a complete list of locations:
Seoul (Notice that Seoul has multiple locations; you might want to check which one you should go to, based on the area you live in):
319-2 Sinjeong 6 (yuk)-dong, Yangcheon-gu.
Take exit 7 from Omokgyo Stn and walk straight for about 10 minutes.
Busan
17-26, 4-ga, Juang-dong, Jung-gu.
Hop out of Juang-dong Station (Line 1, ex. 10 or 12) and walk for 10 minutes on foot.
Daegu
1012-1, Geomsa-dong, Dong-gu.
200m away from Dongchon Stn. (Line 1, ex. 1)
Daejeon
16-8, Jungchon-dong, Jung-gu.
Located across from Sun Hospital, a bus ride away from Oryong Stn.
Gwangju
366-1, Hwajeong 3 dong, Seo-gu.
About 500m away from ex. 1 of Ssangchon Stn.
Jeju
673-8, Geonip-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju
Get off the bus at Jeju Girls’ Commercial High School and walk for about 5 minutes.
12 comments
SRH
nice article, very comprehensive.. might want to note that E-7 is most common visa for foreigners working in business (who aren’t working at a branch office)
but WTF is “other things better left unsaid” under E-6 supposed to mean???? -.-
David Carruth
The E-7 is a slippery fish. That’s what I’m on…I guess I should have added “other professionals” to the description.
And as for “other things better left unsaid,” I was trying to hint at the seedy nature of some of the activities that fall under the rubric of “entertainment.” We’re trying to keep it clean here, so I didn’t want to go into the details. See this article if you’re curious: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2884565
EPIK Teacher
I’ve been in Korea three years and this is my second in EPIK. I got my current visa in 2009 and renewed it in 2010. I believe after two years, I need a new visa, but that I can go to Japan to get it. But now I’m not sure what documents I will need. Will I a need a new background check, for example?
SRH
Oh, wow, I had no idea the E-6 was used like that. My experience with it is that it’s what MBC, Arirang, KBS, etc give you if you do TV shows, and you can get it from professional agencies for freelance advertisement “token foreigner” modeling. sorry, i thought you were taking a shot at foreigners who do the TV stuff. no idea the majority of people on it were forced into sex work 🙁 that’s pretty awful
Gina
Thanks…very comprehensive.
oryong
Very useful 🙂 I am still confused about the Korean visa regulations but thanks God the Immigration Officers are not, haha…
Shawn
I just did a visa run to Tokyo. If you go there, give yourself three days (ie, drop off stuff on Monday, pick it up on Wednesday). The Tokyo consulate stops accepting applications at noon (it doesn’t matter if you are in the room and waiting in the queue, they stop working at 12 pm) and hands out passports with visa stamps only in the afternoon so book your flight back to Korea in the evening. Tokyo has way more to do than Fukuoka, but it’s much quicker and easier to get a visa in Fukuoka.
Tom
Really useful. I’d love to know why we’re required to leave the country to get our E-2 VISAs. I heard that for public school jobs this isn’t the case. Why the discrepancy?
Stephen Revere
The reason – at least in theory – is that you can enter the country one reason and one reason only. If you change that condition for entry (체류조건) then you need to leave the country to get a new visa and then re-enter under that condition for entry.
Not sure about that discrepancy, but if that is the case, it obviously exists to help governmental agencies – a common practice and attitude in Korea.
rafikul
How can i get E-7 visa?
bong can
what kind of article departed 46-1 visa illegal immigrant korea visa visitor ?
DK
Posted and not updated since 2010?!
Wow, for visas etc?
Way behind the times, page should be taken down if you are just going to ignore it. Seriously – remove this page!
Recommend nobody pay attention to this page, after all, it’s not important right? JUST YOUR VISA!
Things change fast in Korea in 10 years… tic tock.