Visiting / Joining Family (Visit and Cohabitation)
방문동거 — Long-term residence status (family / cohabitation). Foreigner registration required for stays over 90 days.
At a glance
People coming to visit relatives or live together with a family member in Korea, plus certain household/domestic staff.
Maximum period of stay per grant is up to 2 years (per Enforcement Rule attached Table 1 (별표1)); the period actually granted is often shorter and depends on the…
Employment is in principle not allowed.
Fee: Domestic immigration civil-service fees apply and vary by application type, e.g. extension of stay about 60,000 KRW and change of status about 100,000 KRW; alien registration about 30,000 KRW. Overseas visa-issuance fees vary by nationality and single/multiple entry. Confirm current amounts on HiKorea.
Who can apply
People coming to visit relatives or live together with a family member in Korea, plus certain household/domestic staff. Main groups defined by the Immigration Control Act Enforcement Decree (별표1): (1) relatives visiting or cohabiting with a family member who lives in Korea; (2) domestic helpers of diplomats/consular officers or of a foreign investor who has invested USD 500,000 or more; (3) dependent family members accompanying an A-1, A-2 or A-3 status holder who are not themselves eligible for their own status; and other family/cohabitation cases handled through sub-codes (parents and family of a marriage immigrant, family of overseas-Korean (F-4) or H-2 holders, family of a recognized refugee, adopted minors, etc.).
Documents you'll need
- Application form with photo
- passport
- alien registration card (for those already registered)
- documents proving the family/kinship relationship (e.g. birth certificate, marriage certificate, family relation certificate, apostille/consular-legalized as required)
- documents proving the inviter’s status and identity in Korea
- proof of ability to support (financial capacity of the inviter/applicant)
- proof of accommodation. Exact document set depends on the specific sub-code and is listed on HiKorea under ‘Requirements / Procedure / Required Documents’ (요건/절차/구비서류). (Confirm the current checklist on HiKorea before applying.)
How to apply
- Overseas embassy visa (사증) at a Korean mission abroad AND domestic change-of-status (체류자격 변경) for those already in Korea; certificate for visa issuance (사증발급인정서) commonly used when a resident in Korea invites the family member.
- This is an umbrella status covering many family/cohabitation situations, each with its own sub-code (약호) and its own eligibility and document requirements.
- Applicants should identify the correct sub-code first.
- Documents issued abroad generally need apostille or consular legalization plus Korean translation.
Stay & extension
Maximum period of stay per grant is up to 2 years (per Enforcement Rule attached Table 1 (별표1)); the period actually granted is often shorter and depends on the sub-code and the inviter’s status.
Extendable before the current period expires by applying for an extension of stay (체류기간연장허가) at the local immigration office or via HiKorea e-application. For F-1, HiKorea e-application generally requires the applicant’s registered address to match the inviting family member’s address.
Continued eligibility (ongoing family relationship, support ability) must still be met.
Working on this visa
Employment is in principle not allowed. F-1 holders may work only after obtaining separate permission to engage in activities outside their status (체류자격 외 활동허가), or under specific programs such as seasonal work (계절근로) when they meet the requirements.
Requirements in detail
No fixed statutory income cap. The inviting/supporting party (초청인·부양자) must demonstrate financial capacity to support the applicant — typically a guarantee (신원보증서), proof of income/employment and family relationship.
Specific KRW amount not published (varies by sub-code and office).
Sub-types
F-1-1relative visit / family cohabitation / dependency / settling household affairs (친척방문·가족동거·피부양·가사정리)F-1-5parents/family of a settled marriage-migrant (결혼이민자의 부모 등 가족)F-1-9spouse and children of an H-2 holder (H-2 소지자의 배우자·자녀). Other administrative sub-codes exist (e.g. F-1-11 foreign child born in Korea (국내 출생 외국인 아동)) (unverified). NOTE: F-1-D workation/digital-nomad (워케이션/디지털노마드) is administered separately as a pilot and is not a general visiting/joining family sub-code.F-1-DHas its own full guideRead the F-1-D guide →Visiting/joining family (방문동거) F-1 sub-codes under the Immigration Control Act Enforcement Decree attached Table 1 (출입국관리법 시행령 별표1):
F-1 is itself a family/dependent-based status (visiting or joining relatives). Dependents of the F-1 holder are not separately accompanied; each family member qualifies on their own F-1 sub-code basis.
Applicable. Since 2025-01-10 registered foreigners aged 14+ with a smartphone in their own name can issue a mobile Alien Registration Card (모바일 외국인등록증) via the mobile ID app, with the same legal effect as the physical card. F-1 holders who complete foreigner registration (외국인등록) are eligible.
2025–2026 policy updates
- Seasonal-work (계절근로) participation: F-1 (방문동거) holders are among the statuses eligible to take part in seasonal agricultural/fishery work when requirements are met (alongside D-1, D-2, D-4, D-10, F-3).
- From 2026 the scope of family relationship that can sponsor a seasonal-work participant is being narrowed from within the 4th degree to within the 2nd degree of kinship.
- (Aug 2025) A Ministry of Justice special legalization notice for overseas Koreans referenced F-1 family sub-codes (incl.
- F-1-9, F-1-11) and clarified that minor children of overseas Koreans under the ‘overseas-Korean family visit/cohabitation (F-1)’ route qualify only if under 25 years of age.
- Re-verify all figures on official sources before relying on them.
Common mistakes
- Assuming F-1 allows free employment — it does not without separate permission.
- Applying under the wrong sub-code (each has different eligibility/documents).
- Submitting foreign-issued relationship documents without apostille/legalization or Korean translation.
- For extension e-applications, having a registered address different from the inviting family member’s address.
- Confusing family-cohabitation F-1 with the separate F-1-D workation visa.
Where this leads
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