Korea Visa & Residency Guides (2026)

Plain-English, no-hype guides to the visas and residency steps foreigners most often ask about in Korea — written to be honest about what's uncertain, and to send you to official sources for the final word.

⚠️ Everything here is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Visa rules change often and depend on your nationality and situation. Always verify the current requirements on the official Korea Immigration Service site hikorea.go.kr and with your nearest Korean embassy or consulate before acting.

Visit & tourism

K-ETA

Tourist Visa & K-ETA Guide

The 2026 visa-free exemption (through Dec 31), who needs a C-3 tourist visa, the K-ETA, and how long you can stay.

Study

D-2

D-2 Student Visa Guide

For degree-seeking students: documents, the CCVI process, part-time work hours by TOPIK level, and next steps.

Work

E-7

E-7 Work Visa Requirements (2026)

The four E-7 sub-types, 2026 salary standards, employer sponsorship, and the points-based E-7-4 route.

 F-1-D

Digital Nomad (Workation) Visa 2026

The F-1-D for remote workers: income threshold, insurance, background check, duration, and the remote-only rule.

 D-10

D-10 Job Seeker Visa Guide

For graduates job-hunting in Korea: the points system, the new-graduate exemption, funds proof, and extensions.

 D-8

D-8 Business Investor Visa Guide

The corporate investor visa: KRW 100M threshold, foreign-fund rule, active-management requirement, and D-8-4 startup track.

Residency

F-2-7

F-2-7 Long-Term Residency Visa

The points-based residency visa: the 80-point threshold, scoring categories, and the income-based residence waiver.

 ARC

Residence Card (ARC) Registration

The 90-day deadline, HiKorea booking, documents, medical exam, fee, and processing time after you arrive.

 F-4

F-4 Overseas Korean Visa Guide

For overseas Koreans: heritage eligibility, the 2026 relaxed work rules, the military-service caveat, and how to apply.

 F-6

F-6 Marriage Visa Guide

The spouse-of-a-Korean visa: 2026 income standard, Korean language requirement, the genuineness interview, and child exemptions.

Extending your stay

Extend

Visa Extension Guide

When to apply (up to ~4 months early), the HiKorea e-Application steps, fees, documents, and the cost of filing late.

Travel & working holiday

H-1

Working Holiday (H-1) Visa Guide

Age limits that vary by country, eligible countries, duration, quotas, and work-hour limits for young travelers.

About these guides

We aim to be accurate and honest: where a figure or rule is uncertain or changes year to year, we say so and tell you to check the official source rather than guess. Visa decisions are made by Korean Immigration and your embassy — never by any website. Some pages contain affiliate links to travel services (such as eSIMs); these don't affect the information and never cost you extra.