Religious Affairs Visa
종교 — Long-term non-professional residence status for religious/social-welfare activity
At a glance
Foreign clergy, missionaries, monks, nuns, and religious/social-welfare workers who carry out religious or social-welfare activity in Korea.
Maximum period of stay granted per issuance (1회 부여 체류기간 상한): 2 years. The first grant may be shorter and is extended on renewal.
Limited to the religious or social-welfare activity that is the basis of the status; it is not a general work visa.
No Korean-language (TOPIK/KIIP) requirement to obtain or hold D-6.
Fee: Single-entry visa issued overseas: about US$60 (KRW equivalent). Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서): about 30,000 KRW when a visa is then issued on it. Extension of stay (체류기간 연장): 60,000 KRW. Foreigner registration: no fee. (Confirm current amounts on hikorea.go.kr — unverified) · Time: Varies by mission and office; Confirmation-of-Visa-Issuance review commonly takes a few…
Who can apply
- ✓Foreign clergy, missionaries, monks, nuns, and religious/social-welfare workers who carry out religious or social-welfare activity in Korea.
- ✓Per the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act (Attached Table 1, religious-affairs category, 종교 D-6), it covers: (1) a person dispatched by a foreign religious organization or social-welfare organization to work at that organization’s registered Korean branch; (2) a person dispatched by a foreign religious/social-welfare organization to do religious activity at a related Korean religious organization; (3) a person invited by a medical, educational, or relief body operated by their religious organization to engage in missionary or social-welfare work (excluding a person who receives pay/remuneration from the serving institution); (4) a person recommended by a Korean religious organization to do ascetic practice, spiritual training, or research at that organization; and (5) a person invited by a Korean religious or social-welfare organization to engage solely in social-welfare activity.
- ✓Low relevance to students.
Documents you'll need
- Visa application form (attached Form No. 17, 별지 제17호 서식) or Confirmation of Visa Issuance application (attached Form No. 34, 별지 제34호 서식), passport, standard photo, and fee
- letter of invitation from the Korean religious/social-welfare organization
- dispatch order / letter of appointment from the sending foreign organization
- a copy of the religious organization’s or social-welfare organization’s establishment permit (설립허가서) or registration
- the organization’s unique/business number certificate
- and documents showing how living/travel expenses will be covered (재정 입증 / 체재비 부담 서류). Exact document set varies by activity type and by the issuing office/consulate
- confirm on HiKorea before filing. (Full itemized list unverified)
How to apply
- Overseas embassy visa (사증).
- Religious-activity cases normally require the Korean sponsoring organization to obtain a Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) at a domestic immigration office first; social-welfare-only cases may be applied for directly at an overseas Korean mission.
- Where the purpose is religious activity, the Korean sponsoring organization normally applies first for a Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) at a domestic immigration office, and the applicant then obtains the visa at an overseas Korean mission.
- Social-welfare-only cases may be applied for directly at an overseas mission.
- A stay of 90 days or less falls under C-3 (short-term visit), not D-6.
- Foreigners staying 91+ days must complete alien (foreigner) registration at the immigration office within 90 days of entry.
Stay & extension
Maximum period of stay granted per issuance (1회 부여 체류기간 상한): 2 years. The first grant may be shorter and is extended on renewal.
Extension of stay (체류기간 연장허가) is applied for at the immigration office before the permitted stay expires, with proof that the applicant continues the same religious/social-welfare activity and that the sponsoring organization continues to support them. Typical documents: application form (별지 제34호), passport, alien registration card, proof of the ongoing activity/appointment, and proof of residence.
(Detailed renewal document list unverified)
Working on this visa
- Limited to the religious or social-welfare activity that is the basis of the status; it is not a general work visa.
- A person who would receive pay/remuneration from the serving institution is generally excluded from category (3) above (missionaries are expected to be supported by their sending organization rather than locally salaried).
- Any activity outside the granted scope, or paid employment elsewhere, requires separate permission.
- (Nuance on permissible support vs. salary unverified)
Requirements in detail
No Korean-language (TOPIK/KIIP) requirement to obtain or hold D-6.
Sub-types
No numbered sub-codes in the Enforcement Decree; administered as two activity streams — religious activity (clergy/missionaries dispatched by or affiliated with a religious organization) and social-welfare activity (workers invited by a Korean religious/social-welfare organization).
Spouse and minor children may accompany on F-3 (dependent family).
A mobile ARC (모바일 외국인등록증), introduced 2025, is available to registered ARC holders after completing foreigner registration.
2025–2026 policy updates
- No D-6-specific amendment with a confirmed 2025-2026 effective date was found in official sources during this research.
- The eligibility scope and the 2-year maximum per-grant stay remain as set in the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act (Attached Table 1) and the Visa Issuance Guide manual.
- Re-verify effective dates on hikorea.go.kr / immigration.go.kr before relying on them.
Common mistakes
- Assuming D-6 allows general paid employment — it is tied to religious/social-welfare activity and a person paid by the serving institution can be excluded.
- Applying for D-6 for a stay of 90 days or less (that is C-3 short-term visit).
- Missing the establishment permit of the religious/social-welfare organization, which is a core document.
- Not going through the Korean sponsoring organization’s Confirmation-of-Visa-Issuance step for religious-activity cases.
- Confusing the sending-organization support model with a local salary.
Where this leads
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