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D-9

Trade Management (Trade/Business)

무역경영 — Long-term residence (D-series). For foreign traders, sole-proprietor business operators, and management/technical personnel running or supporting a business in Korea. Legal basis: Immigration Control Act Enforcement Decree, Attached Table 1-2 (출입국관리법 시행령 별표1의2).

● Active Category D

Last updated 2026-07-04 · Official Korean government sources

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change — always confirm on the official sources for your country.

At a glance

Who it's for

A person who wants to establish and manage a company in Korea, or carry out trade or other profit-making business activities, and who is designated by the Minister of…

Length of stay

Maximum period of stay granted per issuance: 2 years (1회 부여 체류기간 상한 2년).

Can you work?

Work is limited to the trade/management/business activity authorized under the status.

Korean needed?

No Korean-language test requirement is specified for the D-9 status itself. (unverified — confirm against current manual)

Who can apply

✓A person who wants to establish and manage a company in Korea, or carry out trade or other profit-making business activities, and who is designated by the Minister of Justice.
✓People who qualify for the Corporate Investment (D-8) status are excluded.
✓In practice this covers: (1) registered traders holding a trade business number (무역업고유번호) issued by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA); (2) foreign sole proprietors (개인사업자) who run a company or profit-making business in Korea (corporations go to D-8; sole proprietors go to D-9); (3) personnel dispatched or invited to install, operate, or maintain imported industrial equipment/machinery; (4) personnel dispatched to supervise shipbuilding or industrial-equipment manufacturing.

Documents you'll need

Visa application form with a passport photo
passport and a copy of the bio page
a copy of the trade business number certificate (무역업고유번호증) from KITA (for the trade type)
business registration certificate (사업자등록증) and tax payment certificate of the Korean company
documents proving trade performance / business track record
for dispatched personnel: letter of dispatch (파견장/파송장) and invitation letter (초청장) from the Korean company, plus employment contract
for shipbuilding supervision: copy of the ship order/construction contract (선박수주계약서)
for sole-proprietor investment cases: evidence of introducing KRW 300 million or more in foreign capital (foreign-exchange purchase certificate) or a foreign-invested company registration certificate (투자기업등록증). (Exact document set varies by sub-type and by whether applying for a visa abroad vs. a status change in Korea — confirm against the current HiKorea residence-status manual or the mission’s checklist.)

How to apply

Overseas embassy visa (사증), often after the Korean inviter obtains a Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) from a local immigration office; or domestic change-of-status (체류자격 변경허가) at an immigration office. Two routes:

apply for a visa at a Korean embassy/consulate abroad, often after the Korean inviter obtains a Certificate of Visa Issuance / Confirmation (사증발급인정서) from a local immigration office;
change status from within Korea (체류자격 변경허가) at an immigration office by online reservation.
Sole proprietors are steered to D-9 rather than D-8 (a 2011 Supreme Court ruling held that non-corporate sole proprietors do not fit Corporate Investment D-8).

Stay & extension

How long you can stay

Maximum period of stay granted per issuance: 2 years (1회 부여 체류기간 상한 2년).

Extending your stay

Extension (체류기간 연장허가) is granted based on actual business/trade performance. Because the status can be misused merely as a means to stay, immigration checks real trade or sales records; without sales performance, extension is difficult.

Short bridging extensions (e.g., around 6 months) may be allowed in limited cases, but continued lack of revenue leads to refusal. Apply at an immigration office (online reservation required).

Working on this visa

Work is limited to the trade/management/business activity authorized under the status. Engaging in activities outside the granted status requires prior activity-outside-status permission (체류자격 외 활동허가); adding or changing a workplace requires workplace change/addition permission or report.

Changes to the affiliated organization must be reported to immigration within the required period.

Requirements in detail

Korean language

No Korean-language test requirement is specified for the D-9 status itself. (unverified — confirm against current manual)

Money to show

Sole-proprietor company-management sub-type: introduction of KRW 300 million or more in foreign capital (foreign-exchange purchase certificate) or a foreign-invested company registration certificate.

Points system

D-9-1 (trade) points table: mandatory + optional items (e.g., trade performance up to ~30 pts, trade-field expertise up to ~35 pts), pass threshold around 60 points. (Verify against current HiKorea manual — unverified.)

Sub-types

D-9-1 through D-9-4 (numbering disputed across sources): commonly D-9-1 = trade (KITA trade-business-number holder, 무역업고유번호), D-9-2 = company management/profit business (incl. sole-proprietor KRW 300M investment), D-9-3 = install/operate/maintain imported industrial equipment, D-9-4 = shipbuilding/equipment-manufacturing supervision. (Verify exact numbering on the HiKorea status-by-status guide manual, 체류자격별 안내매뉴얼 — unverified.)

Family

Spouse and minor children may accompany on F-3 (dependent family).

Mobile ARC

A mobile ARC (모바일 외국인등록증), introduced 2025, is available to registered ARC holders after completing foreigner registration.

2025–2026 policy updates

No specific 2025-2026 regulatory change to D-9 was confirmed from official sources during this research.
The points-based trade visa (D-9-1) framework (mandatory + optional items, e.g., trade performance up to ~30 points, trade-field expertise up to ~35 points, pass threshold around 60 points) remained in use.
Any recent change should be re-verified against the current HiKorea residence-status manual before publishing.
(unverified)

Common mistakes

Confusing D-9 with Corporate Investment (D-8).
D-8 is for foreign-invested corporations (a corporate legal entity is the investor); D-9 is for individual/sole-proprietor operators and traders.
Non-corporate sole proprietors cannot use D-8 and must use D-9 (per a 2011 Supreme Court ruling).
The investment thresholds and permanent-residence implications also differ, so applicants should not assume D-8 rules apply to D-9.

Where this leads

Alternative/counterpart to Corporate Investment (D-8): D-8 is for foreign-invested corporations (법인), while D-9 covers sole proprietors, registered traders, and dispatched technical/supervisory personnel.

Reported practice: a sole proprietor who invests KRW 300 million or more and holds D-9 may become eligible to later apply for permanent residence (F-5) if conditions are met, whereas smaller investment under D-8 may not open that path (verify current F-5 criteria).

Official source ↗ Official manual ↗

If you break the rules: Overstay: fine up to KRW 30 million plus deportation and re-entry ban; extension is refused without genuine trade/sales performance, and activity outside the granted status without permission is penalized under the Immigration Act.

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