🇰🇷 South Korea Digital nomad visa

All requirements in detail

Official name

F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa

Visa type

Digital nomad visa

Status

Active

Income requirement (original currency)

7,080,000 KRW / month

Income basis

Mixed (salary, freelance or savings)

Legal basis

Required income is at least twice (2x) Korea's GNI per capita of the previous year as announced by the Bank of Korea, assessed after tax deduction (MOFA / Korea Immigration Service F-1-D notices). The official Korea Immigration Service (Ministry of Justice) guidance document and the Philippines embassy extension notice both publish this as 2x the GNI per capita as of 2022 (KRW 42.48 million per capita) = KRW 84.96 million/year, i.e. KRW 7.08 million/month. EUR converted at ~1,756.5 KRW/EUR (June 2026): KRW 84.96M/yr -> EUR ~48,370/year, i.e. EUR ~4,030/month. Note: the Seattle consulate page phrases the current threshold using a more recent GNI base as approximately USD 65,800/year (~USD 5,483/month after tax, based on 2024 GNI per capita), while LA / Philippines pages still cite the older USD 66,000 / KRW 84.96M figure. The won amount is recalculated each year when the Bank of Korea publishes new GNI per capita, so the published won figure varies by announcement year; the underlying 2x-GNI formula is consistent. Income is proven by income documents (employment/salary certificates, bank transaction certificate, tax records) issued within 6 months; applicant must have 1+ year of work experience in the same industry and work remotely for a foreign (non-Korean) employer or own a foreign business.

Family surcharges

No additional income multiplier is published for accompanying family. Per the Korea Immigration Service guidance and consulate notices, the primary applicant's income threshold covers the family: a legal spouse and unmarried children (the LA consulate specifies children under 18) may apply for F-1-D at the same time and do not need to independently meet the income threshold. Each accompanying family member must, however, hold their own qualifying private health insurance (separate insurance documentation required per dependent).

Working for local clients

Not allowed

Path to citizenship

No

Where to apply

Embassy / consulate, In country

Processing time

3–4 weeks

Tax residency trigger

183 days

Insurance requirement, verbatim intent: Mandatory: the Korea Immigration Service guidance and the Philippines embassy notice require individual private medical insurance covering at least KRW 100 million for medical treatment and repatriation or evacuation to the home country, valid for the entire 1-year stay in Korea (and renewed for the extension). The Seattle consulate publishes this requirement directly as coverage of EUR 70,000 for medical treatment and emergency return home. KRW 100 million converts to about EUR 56,900 at roughly 1,756.5 KRW/EUR in June 2026, but the officially published EUR figure on the consulate page is EUR 70,000, which is the amount we use. Each accompanying family member needs their own qualifying policy. Separately, foreigners residing in Korea for more than 6 months are generally enrolled in the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) and pay a monthly premium; how the NHIS interacts with this visa is not addressed in the official F-1-D notices.

Tax notes: Tax liability follows residency, not visa type. Under Korean law an individual is a resident if they have a domicile (family or economic ties) in Korea, or a place of residence for 183 days or more, generally assessed over the tax year. Residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates (commonly cited as roughly 6-45%, plus the 10% local income surtax). Double-tax treaties generally provide relief on foreign-source remote-work income, but Korea publishes no F-1-D-specific tax regime or exemption, so official guidance on how this visa is taxed is thin and professional advice is advisable. There is no special low-tax or foreign-income-exemption regime tied to this visa. The 183-day threshold mentioned above is the general Korean residency test, not an F-1-D-specific rule.

Beyond the visa

South Korea — the rest of the move

The visa is step one. Here is the rest of what it takes to live here — each researched and sourced.