South Korea has officially launched its permanent F-1-D digital nomad visa after a two-year pilot programme
The visa allows eligible foreign remote workers to stay for up to three years with multiple entries
Young applicants planning to live outside the Seoul region benefit from lower income requirements under the new rules
South Korea's F-1-D workation visa has officially launched as a permanent programme since June 30, after a pilot that ran from January 2024 to May 2026.
The visa comes with extended stay limits, lower income requirements for some applicants and a deliberate push to attract remote workers to regions outside the Greater Seoul area.
The visa allows foreign nationals employed by overseas companies or who own foreign businesses to live in South Korea while working remotely.
4 July 2026
Get the latest issue of Outlook Business
However, it does not permit any employment with Korean companies or profit-generating work for businesses based in South Korea.
What Changed?
Meanwhile, the most significant update concerns income requirements. During the pilot, most applicants had to demonstrate earnings of at least twice South Korea's previous year's gross national income per capita.
However, the fresh rules reduce this threshold for applicants aged 18 to 34 who intend to live outside Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province**; they** now only need to show income equivalent to one year's GNI per capita rather than double. South Korea's GNI per capita stood at $36,963 in 2025.
Additionally, the maximum permitted stay was also extended from two years to three, and several entries were allowed during that period.
Who Can Apply and What is Required?
The candidates must be at least 18 years old and have worked for a foreign employer or owned a foreign company for more than one year. They must prove that their work can be carried out from a remote location in South Korea, meet the applicable income threshold, have clean criminal records and have medical insurance covering at least $75,000 for treatment and repatriation.
Spouses and dependent children can accompany the primary applicant.
Additionally, the documents required include a completed visa form, a passport valid for more than six months, an employment verification letter, criminal record certificates from eligible countries of residence, a medical insurance certificate, tax documents, and bank statements.
However, additional documents may be requested depending on nationality and residence.
How to Apply?
The applicants must book an appointment at a South Korean embassy or consulate in their country of residence, and standard processing takes between 10 business days and three to four weeks depending on the consulate, with no expedited option available.
Visa fees vary by country — approximately $45 for US citizens and around CAD 121.50 for Canadian applicants.
For South Korea, the digital nomad visa represents more than just an initiative to attract remote workers, it is a component of a larger strategy aimed at decentralizing economic activity and enhancing growth in various regions.
If implemented effectively, this program could serve as a model for how nations leverage immigration policies to draw in global talent while upholding local economies in an ever more borderless work environment.
