South Korea Immigration Services

Working in South Korea

The country of origin, duration of stay, and type of work being done determines the type of visa needed to travel to and work in South Korea.

Foreign nationals who hold an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card (ABTC) are allowed to enter South Korea without a visa for business or personal travel for up to 90 days. For most other business trips, foreign nationals will need to apply for a C Visa for short-term visits or a D or E visa, depending on type of business being done. For long-term residency, F visas need to be applied for and secured.

Employers and employees need to make sure they apply for the correct visa and provide the necessary documentation when applying for a South Korea work authorization. There are a variety of different types and sub-categories of visas for South Kore, but we’ve listed the most common ones below.

Types of Visas

• C Visas

            – Short-Term Business Visa (C-2)

            – Short-Term Visit Visa (C-3)

            – Short-Term Employee Visa (C-4)

• D Visas

            – Supervisor (D-7)

            – Intra-Company Transfer (D-7-1)

            – Corporate Investor (D-8)

            – International trade (D-9)

• E Visas

            – Professional employment (E-5)

            – Non-professional employment (E-9)

• F-Visas

Processes and requirements vary by type of visa and on a case-by-case basis. For help figuring out which type of visa your company needs for employees to work in South Korea, click below to download our South Korea Information Sheet or click here to set up a consultation.