Permanent Residence
영주 (F-5) — Permanent residence status (indefinite stay). Not a temporary sojourn visa – it is the highest residence status short of Korean nationality.
At a glance
F-5 is an umbrella status with many sub-codes, each with its own route.
Permanent – there is no expiry on the residence status itself. However, the permanent-resident alien registration card (residence card) must be renewed every 10 years.
Free (unrestricted).
A basic Korean/social-integration standard applies to most (not all) sub-codes: completion of the Social Integration Program (KIIP / 사회통합프로그램) Level 5, OR a score of 60…
Fee: 200,000 KRW
Where this fits in your journey
Before arrival
Get admitted, prepare documents, apply.
During study
ARC, extensions, permits while in Korea.
After graduation
Job-seeking and work visas.
Settlement
Long-term residence and PR.
Who can apply
- ✓F-5 is an umbrella status with many sub-codes, each with its own route.
- ✓Main routes relevant to students and workers: (1) General 5-year residence (F-5-1): a person who has stayed in Korea for 5 or more consecutive years on an eligible long-term status (e.g., E-1~E-7 professional, D-8, F-2 residence).
- ✓(2) Degree + income tracks: holders of a Korean degree who work in Korea and meet an income threshold, and holders of an advanced degree (e.g., a Ph.D.) employed in a designated high-tech field.
- ✓(3) Points-based (F-5-16): a person who has held the points-based residence visa (F-2-7) for 3 or more years and meets a points/income standard.
- ✓(4) Investment (F-5-5): a foreign investor who has invested a qualifying amount (commonly cited as USD 500,000 or more) and employs a required number of Korean nationals.
- ✓(5) Family: spouse or minor child of a Korean national or of an existing F-5 permanent resident (F-5-2, F-5-4).
- ✓Other special sub-codes exist for overseas Koreans, special-merit persons, retirees, and science/technology talent (see subtypes_note).
Documents you'll need
- Application for permanent residence (form)
- passport and alien registration card
- documents proving the specific eligibility route (e.g., proof of continuous residence period, employment contract and degree certificate, investment/business documents, or family relationship documents)
- proof of income and/or assets meeting the required threshold (e.g., income tax records, bank/asset statements)
- proof of basic Korean/social knowledge (KIIP completion certificate or comprehensive-exam score)
- a criminal record certificate from the applicant’s home country (apostilled/legalized) for conduct screening
- proof of residence/address
- fee. Exact checklist varies by sub-code and must be confirmed on the HiKorea official manual. (unverified – confirm per sub-code on HiKorea)
How to apply
- Primarily domestic change-of-status (체류자격 변경) at the immigration office with jurisdiction over the applicant’s residence, by advance reservation via HiKorea.
- Family sub-codes (F-5-2/F-5-4) may also be obtained via overseas Korean embassy visa or a Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서).
- Applications are filed at the immigration office with jurisdiction over the applicant’s residence, and visits are generally by advance reservation booked through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr).
- Screening evaluates the eligibility route plus income/assets, Korean language/social integration, and overseas criminal record (conduct).
- Some sub-codes require a minimum recent continuous residence in Korea.
- Meeting the numeric thresholds does not guarantee approval – the immigration office exercises discretion.
Stay & extension
Permanent – there is no expiry on the residence status itself. However, the permanent-resident alien registration card (residence card) must be renewed every 10 years.
Failing to renew the card on time can lead to a fine, though the permanent status is generally retained.
No period-of-stay extension is needed because the status is indefinite. Instead, the physical residence card is re-issued every 10 years.
Permanent residence can still be revoked/lost in limited cases (e.g., certain serious crimes, long absence from Korea without a re-entry basis, or fraud in obtaining status).
Working on this visa
Free (unrestricted). F-5 permanent residents may work in any occupation or run a business without a separate work permit or employer sponsorship, similar to F-2 residence and F-4 but without the F-4 restrictions.
F-5 holders cannot vote in national elections (that requires naturalization) but may vote in some local elections after a qualifying period.
Requirements in detail
A basic Korean/social-integration standard applies to most (not all) sub-codes: completion of the Social Integration Program (KIIP / 사회통합프로그램) Level 5, OR a score of 60 or more on the permanent-residence/naturalization comprehensive evaluation. Some fast-track and high-value talent routes reduce or waive this.
Exact requirement depends on the sub-code and should be confirmed on the HiKorea manual.
Varies by route (many exact GNI multiples live in the MOJ residence manual/HWP and remain unverified). Officially confirmed: degree+income route (STEM/advanced-tech bachelor’s or higher, 3 years’ residence + 1-year full-time job) requires annual income >= prior-year per-capita GNI (1x).
Top-Tier route to F-5 (world top-100 university master’s/doctorate) requires annual work income >= 3x GNI (about KRW 150,000,000). High-value investor route: USD 500,000+ investment employing 5+ Korean nationals (no income test).
General 5-year (F-5-1) and points-based (F-5-16) exact income multiples are (unverified) – held in the MOJ residence manual (HWP).
F-5-16 (points-based permanent residence): available to a holder of the points-based F-2-7 residence visa for 3+ years who meets a points/income standard (income ~GNI 2x or ~1.5x average net assets). Exact point table per the official manual.
(unverified numeric)
Basic Korean/social-integration standard for most sub-codes = KIIP (사회통합프로그램) Level 5 completion OR 60+ on the permanent-residence/naturalization comprehensive evaluation. Top-Tier (F-2-T, effective 2025-04-02) and science/technology K-STAR fast-tracks shorten required residence to 3 years and can waive the income precondition.
A specific KIIP-based reduction of the income threshold could not be confirmed on the official 2026 manual. (unverified)
Sub-types
F-5-1general 5-year residenceF-5-2spouse/minor child of a Korean nationalF-5-4spouse/minor child of an F-5 permanent residentF-5-5foreign investor (commonly cited USD 500,000+ with Korean-national hires)F-5-9doctorate employed in a designated high-tech fieldF-5-10large-scale investorF-5-15Korean bachelor’s+ degree meeting an income thresholdF-5-16points-basedF-5-S1science/technology fast-track (from F-2-7S).Main sub-codes:
Family sub-codes let relatives obtain F-5 directly: F-5-2 (spouse or minor child of a Korean national) and F-5-4 (spouse or minor child of an existing F-5 permanent resident). No separate foreign-dependent visa is needed once the family member qualifies under these codes.
Applicable — F-5 holders carry a permanent-resident Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증, 영주증). The mobile Alien Registration Card has been issued since 2025-01-10 to all registered foreigners aged 14+ with the same legal effect as the physical card.
2025–2026 policy updates
- (1) Top-Tier (F-2-T) 3-year track: Effective 2025-04-02 the Ministry of Justice launched the Top-Tier visa, granting F-2 residence to elite advanced-tech talent and letting them apply for F-5 permanent residence after only 3 years of stay (vs the standard 5 years), and per Korea.net without the usual income precondition if they continue qualifying research.
- (2) Science/technology permanent-residence & naturalization fast-track: Operating since Jan 2023 at 5 science-and-technology institutes (KAIST, DGIST, UNIST, GIST, UST), this track gives F-2 (F-2-7S) residence on a university-president recommendation without a job offer, and shortens time to permanent residence (F-5, sub-code F-5-S1) and special naturalization from about 6 years to 3 years via a 3-step process.
- (3) K-STAR Visa Track expansion: On 2025-12-05 the Ministry of Justice designated 32 universities (the original 5 institutes plus 27 general research universities such as Seoul National, Korea, Yonsei, Sungkyunkwan, Hanyang) for the expanded ‘K-STAR’ track, effective Jan 2026, widening who can use the 3-year fast-track to F-5/naturalization.
- Effective dates above are official.
Common mistakes
- Assuming F-5 equals citizenship – it does not; F-5 holders keep their original nationality, cannot get a Korean passport, and cannot vote in national elections.
- Assuming there is no maintenance duty – the residence card must be renewed every 10 years, and long absence from Korea or serious crime can cause loss of status.
- Assuming income alone qualifies you – most routes also require the Korean/social-integration standard (KIIP L5 or 60+ exam) and a clean overseas criminal record.
- Confusing sub-codes – each F-5 sub-code has its own residence period, income multiple, and document set.
- Assuming the 3-year fast-track applies to everyone – it applies only to Top-Tier (F-2-T) and designated science/technology talent (F-2-7S / K-STAR), not to ordinary applicants who still need 5 years.
Where this leads
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