Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa
워케이션(디지털노마드) 비자 — Long-term stay (F-1 Visiting/Joining Family category, D subtype) issued under a Ministry of Justice pilot program for remote workers employed by overseas companies.
At a glance
Foreign nationals aged 18 or older who own an overseas business or are employed by an overseas company, can perform their work remotely, and have at least 1 year of…
1 year from date of entry (granted at alien registration), extendable once for 1 additional year — maximum total stay of 2 years.
Remote work for an overseas employer or one’s own overseas business only.
Fee: Varies by nationality and reciprocity; single-entry long-stay visa is roughly USD 45 (about 60,000 KRW) at many missions. Extension of stay is processed via HiKorea/local immigration office. (unverified — exact KRW amount not confirmed on an official Korean-government fee schedule during this research)
Who can apply
- ✓Foreign nationals aged 18 or older who own an overseas business or are employed by an overseas company, can perform their work remotely, and have at least 1 year of continuous experience in the same industry.
- ✓Must prove annual income of at least 2x the prior year’s per-capita GNI (Bank of Korea standard) and hold private medical insurance covering at least 100 million KRW.
- ✓Accompanying family (spouse and unmarried children under 18) may receive F-1-D as dependents.
Documents you'll need
- Visa application form
- passport
- standard photo
- application fee
- proof of overseas employment or business ownership showing 1+ year in the same industry (employment verification / employment contract)
- income proof such as salary statements (급여명세서), bank statements and transaction records demonstrating the required income
- criminal record certificate (background check) from the home country issued within the last 6 months, apostilled or consular-authenticated
- proof of private medical insurance covering at least 100 million KRW for hospital treatment and repatriation valid for the stay
- family relationship documents (marriage/birth certificates) if bringing dependents.
How to apply
- Overseas embassy visa(사증) applied at a Korean embassy/consulate abroad; ALSO domestic change-of-status from short-term stay (B-1, B-2, C-3) where requirements are met.
- Pilot program running from 2024-01-01 until an (as-yet undetermined) termination date.
- Applied for at a Korean embassy/consulate abroad; short-term stayers already in Korea on B-1, B-2 or C-3 who meet the requirements may apply for a status change to F-1-D at a local immigration office.
- Document requirements (especially income proof and criminal record certificate) vary slightly by mission — confirm with the specific consulate before applying.
Stay & extension
1 year from date of entry (granted at alien registration), extendable once for 1 additional year — maximum total stay of 2 years.
One extension of up to 1 year is permitted at a local immigration office, for a maximum combined stay of 2 years. Applicant must continue to meet the eligibility conditions (ongoing overseas employment/income and valid medical insurance).
Working on this visa
Remote work for an overseas employer or one’s own overseas business only. Employment with a Korean company or any income-generating/profit-making activity inside Korea is strictly prohibited; violations are subject to penalties under the Immigration Act.
Working for a Korean employer requires a proper work visa (e.g., E-7).
Requirements in detail
Annual income at least 2x the prior year’s per-capita GNI announced by the Bank of Korea — 2025 basis ≈ 104.83M KRW (KRW 52,416,000 × 2). PLUS mandatory personal medical insurance of 100M KRW or more covering hospital treatment and repatriation during the stay.
Sub-types
F-1-D is itself the digital-nomad/workation subtype of the F-1 (거주 방문·동거) visa family; no further sub-classifications. Dependents receive F-1-D as accompanying family.
Dependents allowed. The visa is issued to the qualifying remote worker ‘and their family(그 가족)’; family members may apply together with the principal.
Applicable to those who complete foreigner registration (외국인등록) (stay of 1 year, extendable +1 year = max 2 years); eligible for the mobile Alien Registration Card (모바일 외국인등록증, 2025) as any registered foreigner 14+ with own smartphone.
2025–2026 policy updates
- Pilot launched 2024-01-01 (Ministry of Justice).
- Originally scheduled to run through 2025-12-31, the pilot has been EXTENDED — the Korean government (MOFA embassy notices) now states the pilot operates from 2024-01-01 through 2026-12-31 (시범운영 기한 연장).
- Income threshold tracks 2x prior-year per-capita GNI and has risen over time: reported as approx. 84.96 million KRW/year at 2024 launch (2022 GNI basis) and approx. 90 million KRW/year under the 2025-04-01 to 2026-03-31 standard.
- Not yet made permanent — still a pilot (시범운영) as of mid-2026.
- Korean press (Jan 2026) reported very low uptake, with several regional pilot areas (Jeju, Sejong, Ulsan, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk) recording zero applications, which may influence a future decision on whether to make the program permanent.
- (pilot)
Common mistakes
- Assuming F-1-D allows any work in Korea — it only permits remote work for an overseas employer; taking local Korean employment is prohibited.
- Underestimating the income bar (2x per-capita GNI, roughly 85-90 million KRW/year, which rises annually).
- Forgetting the mandatory private medical insurance of at least 100 million KRW coverage.
- Submitting a criminal record certificate older than 6 months or without apostille/authentication.
- Assuming the program is permanent — it is a time-limited pilot currently authorized through 2026-12-31.
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