Immigration · Guide
Korea Digital Nomad Visa (F-1-D): Requirements, Income Tiers and How to Apply (2026)
F-1-D income tiers, overseas business owners, the one-year industry requirement and changing status inside Korea, explained by a Korean attorney.
Who is the F-1-D for?
The F-1-D workation visa is intended for eligible remote workers attached to an overseas company or running an overseas business. Overseas clients and sufficient income alone do not establish eligibility. Work structure, experience, documents and the proposed activity in Korea need to be checked together.
The Ministry of Justice announced regular operation from 30 June 2026, with a maximum stay of three years through extensions and income tiers linked to age, accompanying family and place of residence. A visa and each extension remain subject to examination.
Self-employed applicants and business owners
The Philippine embassy’s July 2026 notice includes overseas company owners, and current Singapore consular guidance accepts business-owner evidence while excluding freelancers. These notices support reviewing an owner’s application; they do not make every contractor, sole proprietor or person with foreign customers eligible. Confirm the legal form, actual operations and receiving office’s requirements.
For an individual assessment, assemble business registration, evidence of current operations, your role, contracts and income records. These are review materials, not a promise that they replace an employment certificate. The legal form of the business and the immigration office’s document requirements matter.
One year in the same industry
The July 2026 Ministry of Justice overview requires current work and at least one year in the same industry. Earlier Norwegian consular guidance expressly distinguished industry experience from time with one company, while current Singapore guidance refers to one year with the current Singapore-based company. If you changed employers, confirm how the receiving office applies the requirement and what evidence it accepts.
Prepare a dated work history showing roles, actual duties, employers or businesses, and any gaps. Prior employment certificates, contracts and business records help identify what still needs to be proved. Describe overlapping or changing work accurately; company registration dates alone may not explain your personal experience.
2026 income screening tiers
The table reproduces the rounded won amounts printed in the Ministry of Justice’s 7 July 2026 annex, which refers to approximately ₩52,410,000 in 2025 GNI. The Bank of Korea’s 9 June 2026 release reports ₩52,570,000 for the same year. Its 1×, 1.5× and 2× multiples are ₩52,570,000, ₩78,855,000 and ₩105,140,000; these statistical comparisons are not confirmed visa thresholds. The calculator flags income between the two references for review. Confirm the exact amount applied by the receiving authority for your application date.
The capital region is Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon. The regional tier covers areas outside it and designated depopulation or depopulation-watch areas, including designated areas within the capital region. Confirm your address’s current designation and residence evidence before using the lower tier.
| Applicant | Capital tier · July annex | Regional tier · July annex |
|---|---|---|
| Age 18–34, no dependents | 1.5× · ₩78,620,000 | 1× · ₩52,410,000 |
| Age 35+, no dependents | 2× · ₩104,830,000 | 1.5× · ₩78,620,000 |
| With spouse / minor children | 2× · ₩104,830,000 | 1.5× · ₩78,620,000 |
Documents to prepare
Document lists differ between receiving offices. Earlier consular guidance describes pre-tax income and application-date currency conversion; confirm the currently accepted income period, gross/net basis, exchange rate, authentication and translation requirements before ordering documents.
- Passport, application form and photograph; confirm the current list with the office that will receive the application.
- Evidence of overseas employment or an operating overseas business, remote work, industry experience and pre-tax income. Currency conversion and acceptable evidence must be confirmed for the application date.
- Criminal record certificates: current consular guidance calls for the country of nationality and third countries where you stayed for more than one year in the last five years. Confirm the required countries, six-month validity, apostille or consular legalisation and any translation requirements with the receiving office. Foreign family records may also require authentication.
- Private insurance meeting the treatment and repatriation cover requirement of at least ₩100,000,000. Accompanying family members need coverage too.
- Family relationship records for accompanying dependents and evidence of the intended residence, particularly when relying on a regional tier.
Changing status inside Korea
B-1, B-2 and C-3 holders may seek a change to F-1-D if they satisfy the requirements. This is not automatic permission to remain or to start new work. First check the exact current status, permitted-stay expiry date, application venue and required records.
Plan the work-history and income review before ordering time-sensitive certificates. Check appointment availability and the filing timetable with immigration, especially close to expiry. An appointment or an inquiry to this office does not extend your stay.
For an F-1-D entry, the 2026 annex states that registration grants one year from entry. That overview does not specify the starting date for an in-country change of status. Confirm the period actually granted by immigration rather than assuming it starts when a residence card arrives.
Other issues to review
- The visa does not authorise unrestricted work or business activity in Korea. Review any Korean client, employer or local commercial activity separately.
- Immigration status does not decide tax residence or tax liability. Residence, income source, remittances and treaty rules can require a separate review; a simple 183-day calculation is not a complete tax answer.
- Confirm residence and regional-tier conditions before signing a lease or moving. A reduced income calculation is not a substitute for the relevant residence evidence.
Frequently asked questions
I was a salaried software developer for several years and now take development contracts through my own registered overseas company. Does the employment period count toward the one year?
The Ministry of Justice overview describes at least one year of experience in the same industry, but consular notices differ materially: one current notice specifies one year with the current company, while earlier pilot-period guidance distinguished industry experience from employer tenure. Document the employment period and the current business, show that both are in the same field, and state the continuity in a dated work-history statement. Confirm how the authority receiving your application applies the requirement; acceptance is decided at examination.
I have several income-producing activities, for example translation work for overseas clients, a subscription newsletter and an online course. Which one is examined?
Identify the overseas employment or business you rely on and explain how your experience relates to its industry. Disclose all relevant activities and income sources accurately. The cited guidance does not establish a general rule restricting qualifying income to one selected activity, but it also does not establish that all disclosed income qualifies, so confirm how each source will be treated. The office classifies an activity by what you actually do rather than by its label.
Does income paid through a platform, such as a marketplace, an app store or a subscription platform, count?
Platform payout statements may be useful supporting material; confirm whether the receiving authority accepts them and what prescribed income evidence must accompany them. Whether the activity behind them qualifies depends on your work arrangement: the notices recognise an overseas-business-owner route, and current Singapore guidance states that freelancers are ineligible. A company registration or a payment channel alone does not establish eligibility; the actual arrangement must satisfy the requirements.
My company was registered only a few months ago. Can my earlier personal records substitute for company tax history?
Earlier personal records may help demonstrate experience in the industry. Confirm whether the receiving authority accepts them as supplementary evidence; the cited notices do not establish that they replace required employment, business-ownership or company-history evidence. Depending on the applicable checklist, consider providing the company evidence and the older personal records with an explanation of their connection.
I entered Korea as a short-term visitor. How long do I have to apply for a change of status?
Your permitted-stay expiry date sets the deadline; the application must be filed before it, and an inquiry or appointment does not extend it. Holders of B-1, B-2 and C-3 status may apply if they meet the requirements. Check the exact expiry date and appointment availability on Hi Korea first, then order time-sensitive certificates.
What does the initial legal review include, and how are further questions handled?
The proposal you receive by email states what the initial review covers, typically a review of the documents you send, a call, and a written summary of the issues and next steps. It also states how questions beyond that scope are quoted, so you can decide before sending documents whether to proceed and how to group your questions.
How the initial review works
- Send a short description, your current country and time zone, and any deadline. Please wait for document-transfer instructions before sending identity documents.
- The attorney checks the requested scope and any conflict of interest, then proposes the review, fee and expected delivery date by email. A video consultation in English can be arranged by appointment.
- The agreed initial review includes an English summary of the issues, missing documents and recommended next steps. Depending on the scope, it may also include a document checklist or a list of steps to take with each authority.
- Fees depend on the records and questions to be reviewed. Any filing, translation, certification, government charges or continuing work is identified separately in the proposal. Sending an inquiry does not start a paid engagement.
Scope and sources
The July 2026 Ministry of Justice announcement is the source for the tier structure and maximum stay. Current consular notices help explain evidence and business-owner applications; their wording can differ by jurisdiction. The Bank of Korea release is a statistical source, not confirmation of the amount a particular immigration office applies. Older pilot-period income and stay figures should not be used as the current rules. Confirm application-specific requirements with the receiving authority.
This guide provides general Korean-law information. It does not establish eligibility or guarantee approval. Filing or representation arrangements require a separate agreed scope.
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General information on Korean law. Advice for a particular matter requires a separate review and agreed engagement.