South Korea Work Permits & Visas: Employer Guide to Types & Sponsorship

Who Needs a Work Permit in South Korea?

Any foreign national who plans to perform paid work in South Korea must hold a status of stay that specifically authorises employment. Visa-free entry, K-ETA travel authorisation, and short-term visit visas (B-2, C-3) do not permit paid work — even remote work paid by an overseas employer is restricted in scope. The Korea Immigration Service (KIS), the agency within the Ministry of Justice that administers immigration, defines what each status allows and which workplaces are authorised for the foreign worker.

In practice, the foreign employee may work only:

• Within the activities permitted by their specific visa sub-code (for example, E-2-1 conversational language teaching);
• At the sponsoring workplace named in the CCVI application;
• For the duration authorised on the Residence Card.

Changing employer, role, or work location during the visa period usually requires reporting to and reauthorisation by KIS.

What Are the Main Types of Work Visas in South Korea?

South Korea's employer-sponsored work visas sit primarily in the E-series, with the D-series covering corporate assignments and investment, and the H-2 covering working visit (for ethnic Koreans from designated countries). The Ministry of Justice publishes the authoritative list on the Korea Visa Portal.

How Does the Work Permit Application Process Work in South Korea?

The process is employer-led from start to finish — the foreign worker can't initiate it from abroad. It hinges on the CCVI (Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance, 사증발급인정서), which the sponsoring employer obtains domestically before the employee applies for the visa stamp at a Korean mission overseas.

• Step 1: The employer defines the role and selects the right visa category and sub-code (for example, E-7-1 for white-collar professional roles, E-7-3 for skilled technicians, D-7 for intra-company transfer). The job description, salary, and qualifications must align with the rules for that sub-code, including the 2026 salary thresholds.
• Step 2: The employer gathers corporate documents; business registration certificate, tax payment certificates, financial statements, and, for visas like D-7 and D-8, evidence of paid-in capital or trading performance.
• Step 3: The employer collects the employee's supporting documents: passport copy, resume, degree certificates, professional licences, recent photo, and a criminal record certificate (apostilled or authenticated) where required by the sub-code.
• Step 4: The employer (or an authorised licensed administrative agent; 행정사) submits the CCVI application to the local immigration office in Korea via the HiKorea portal or in person. KIS reviews whether the company, role, and candidate meet the criteria.
• Step 5: KIS issues a CCVI number on approval. The employer forwards it, along with the supporting documents, to the employee.
• Step 6: The employee applies for the visa at the Korean embassy or consulate in their country of residence, using the CCVI number, passport, photos, and consular forms, and pays the visa fee. Long-term visa fees are typically charged in local currency or USD at the mission and vary by nationality and number of entries.
• Step 7: After arrival in Korea, the employee must register for a Residence Card (formerly known as the Alien Registration Card, or ARC) at the local immigration office within 90 days of entry. The Residence Card issuance fee is KRW 35,000 (in cash) as of January 1, 2025. Source: Korea Immigration Service.

Requirements and Eligibility for a Work Visa

Eligibility depends on the visa category, the employer's standing, and the foreign national's qualifications. KIS assesses whether the role and candidate genuinely match the chosen sub-code, and whether local labour rules are being followed.

Common requirements include:

• A valid job offer from a Korean sponsor: The foreign national needs a concrete offer from a locally registered company, school, or institution authorised to sponsor the relevant visa sub-code.
• Qualifications matched to the sub-code: Most E-series visas require a bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience that fits the role. E-1 requires advanced academic qualifications; E-2 requires a degree and a clean criminal record check; E-5 requires the foreign professional licence.
• A compliant sponsoring employer: The company must show proper business registration, tax compliance, and (for visas like D-8) minimum paid-in capital. KIS may reject applications from companies with overdue tax or labour-law violations.
• Salary at or above the 2026 thresholds: For E-7-1, at least KRW 31,120,000 per year; for E-7-2 and E-7-3, at least KRW 25,890,000 per year, based on the Ministry of Justice's salary framework effective February 1, 2026.
• Compliance with the Labor Standards Act: The contracted wage and working conditions must meet or exceed Korean labour law. The 2026 statutory minimum wage is KRW 10,320 per hour, set by MOEL Notice 2025-47.
• A clean immigration and criminal record: Prior overstays or serious criminal history can lead to refusal or delay.

How Long Does It Take to Process a Work Permit in South Korea?

Timelines depend on the visa category, the immigration office's workload, and how complete the application is. Seasonal peaks (especially around academic-year transitions for E-1 and E-2) and additional security checks can stretch processing time.

• E-series and D-series long-term work visas: CCVI processing in Korea typically takes 2 to 4 weeks, followed by 1 to 3 weeks for consular visa issuance abroad. Total: about 3 to 7 weeks end-to-end for a complete file.
• F-5 Permanent Residence: 6 to 12 months or longer, depending on the category and the depth of background checks.
• C-3 Short-Term Business Visa: Roughly 1 to 3 weeks at most diplomatic missions, varying by nationality.

Expected Processing Timeline: Employer vs Employee

Exact timelines vary, but the sequence of actions is consistent. This is a typical schedule for a straightforward E-7-1 case:

Who Does What During South Korea Work Permit Sponsorship?

• Employers are responsible for: Defining the role, selecting the correct visa type, preparing and submitting the CCVI application, and paying most government fees related to sponsorship. They must also maintain corporate compliance, keep records, monitor visa and ARC expiry dates, and initiate extensions or changes when needed.
• Employee is responsible for: Providing accurate personal information and supporting documents, including degrees, licenses, and criminal record certificates where required. They must also apply for the visa at the consulate, attend any interviews, register for an ARC after arrival, and comply with the specific terms of their visa, such as employer, job duties, and work location.

Work Permit Renewal Periods in South Korea

Most E-series visas are granted in 1- to 3-year increments and can be renewed as long as the employment relationship and eligibility criteria remain in place. KIS recommends starting the renewal at least 1 to 3 months before the current visa or Residence Card expires to avoid gaps in work authorisation.

Renewal requirements largely mirror the initial application: updated corporate documents, a renewed employment contract, and confirmation that wages and working conditions remain compliant with the latest framework (including the annually updated E-7 salary thresholds). Practice can vary by immigration office and sub-code, so check current guidance on the HiKorea portal or with a licensed administrative agent before each renewal cycle.

What Are the Fees for a Work Permit or Visa in South Korea?

Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes visa fees that change semi-annually based on the official exchange rate. Long-term work visa fees are denominated in local currency at each Korean diplomatic mission abroad and vary by the applicant's nationality, the number of entries, and the length of stay.

As a general guide based on representative Korean missions, long-term (over 90 days) employer-sponsored visa fees fall in the range of approximately USD 50 to USD 90 for a single-entry visa and USD 80 to USD 200 for a multiple-entry visa, depending on the applicant's nationality. UK and Australian nationals typically pay at the higher end of this range. Source: Korean Embassy fee schedules (see, for example, the Korean Embassy in Belgium fee schedule).

Mandatory post-arrival fees inside Korea include:

Visa Requirements For Digital Nomads in South Korea

South Korea introduced a Workation Visa (F-1-D) in January 2024 for foreign professionals who want to live in Korea while working remotely for an overseas employer. The visa is granted for up to 1 year and can be extended once for a further year, subject to meeting the income and insurance thresholds.

Headline requirements include:

• Income: At least double Korea's per-capita Gross National Income (GNI) for the previous year, which works out to approximately KRW 84.96 million per year (the F-1-D threshold is set at 2× the GNI per capita).
• Employment: At least one continuous year of employment with the same overseas employer or in the same industry.
• Insurance: Private medical insurance with coverage of at least KRW 100 million for the duration of stay.
• Clean record: No serious criminal convictions in Korea or in the applicant's home country.

Holders of the Workation Visa cannot be hired by a Korean company or perform any profit-making activity inside Korea during their stay. Family members of the principal holder can apply for a dependant visa (F-3) under the same scheme. Source: Ministry of Justice Workation Visa guidance.

Employer Compliance & Obligations in South Korea

Sponsoring a foreign worker comes with continuing obligations that don't stop once the visa is approved. Get these wrong and you risk visa cancellation, administrative fines, and disqualification from future sponsorship.

• Statutory wages and working time: Pay at or above the 2026 minimum wage of KRW 10,320 per hour, observe the standard 40-hour week with overtime capped at 12 hours per week, and pay overtime at 150% of the regular wage under the Labor Standards Act (LSA).
• Four mandatory insurances: Enrol the foreign worker in National Pension, National Health Insurance, Employment Insurance, and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. Some exemptions apply for short stays or specific nationalities under bilateral totalisation agreements.
• Tax registration: Register the employee with the National Tax Service (NTS) and withhold income tax through monthly payroll. Foreign nationals can elect a flat 19% income tax rate for up to 20 years under the Foreign Worker Special Taxation regime, subject to eligibility.
• Reporting changes: Notify KIS of any change in role, salary, workplace, or employment status. Failure to report can void the visa.
• Termination and exit: If the employment ends, the employer must report the departure to KIS. The worker generally has 30 days to either find a new sponsor (with KIS approval) or leave the country.

Common challenges employers run into include language and document-translation logistics for inter-agency filings, slower CCVI turnaround during peak seasons (especially February to April), and the granularity of E-7 sub-code matching, which is more strict than employers used to other jurisdictions tend to expect.

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