Thinking of becoming a digital nomad in South Korea? Here’s how
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To prove eligibility for the visa, applicants must submit documents such as an employment certificate, payslips and bank statements showing their income.
PHOTO: AFP
- South Korea’s digital nomad visa allows foreigners to live in the country while working for overseas employers, with eased income requirements and a maximum stay of three years.
- Applicants must prove overseas employment, meet income thresholds based on age and location, and cannot work for South Korean companies without additional permits.
- Visa holders must maintain private health insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and the visa can be revoked for legal violations or failure to comply with immigration rules.
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SEOUL – South Korea’s introduction of a digital nomad visa has strengthened its appeal to remote workers who want to live abroad while continuing to work for overseas employers.
Although the visa initially drew scepticism for requiring applicants to earn at least twice South Korea’s per capita gross national income (GNI) of 52.4 million won (S$44,900) annually, the Ministry of Justice said 743 people obtained the visa after its pilot launch in January 2024.
The government has since eased the income requirement for some applicants and extended the maximum period of stay to three years, allowing digital nomads to spend more time experiencing South Korean life and culture while considering the country as a longer-term base.
How is it different from other residence visas?
Unlike most long-term visas, which generally require employment in South Korea, enrolment at a South Korean educational institution, professional qualifications or family ties, the digital nomad visa allows foreign nationals to stay in South Korea without meeting those conditions.
Instead, applicants must be employed by an overseas company, earn at least the age-based income threshold for their intended place of residence, and have worked in the same industry for at least one year.
To prove eligibility, applicants must submit documents such as an employment certificate, payslips and bank statements showing their income.
Compared with other long-term residence visas, the requirements are generally considered more straightforward. Eligible visitors already staying in South Korea on a short-term visa, such as a tourist visa, may also apply to change their status if they meet the necessary conditions.
Who qualifies under the eased income requirement?
Under the revised rules, applicants aged 35 or older who plan to live in Seoul, Incheon or Gyeonggi Province must still meet the original requirement of earning at least twice South Korea’s per capita GNI.
Applicants aged 18 to 34 who intend to live outside the greater Seoul area need only meet the equivalent of one year’s per capita GNI. For all other applicants, the requirement is one and a half times the country’s per capita GNI.
Only the principal applicant must satisfy the income requirement. Applicants may include a spouse and dependent children, but family members’ income cannot be combined to meet the threshold.
Applicants seeking the reduced income requirement must also submit proof that they will reside outside the Greater Seoul area for at least one month. Acceptable documents include a housing lease agreement or reservation confirmations for approved lodging or designated facilities.
What is required to keep the visa?
The visa may be renewed annually for up to three years from the holder’s first entry into South Korea, provided the eligibility requirements continue to be met.
However, the visa does not authorise employment in South Korea. Holders may work only for overseas employers or conduct business with clients outside South Korea, unless they obtain separate work authorisation.
The visa may also be revoked if the holder commits a serious violation of South Korean law or fails to comply with lawful orders issued by immigration authorities under the Immigration Act.
Visa holders must maintain private health insurance with coverage of at least 100 million won throughout their stay.
The policy must cover medical treatment in South Korea as well as repatriation to their home country in the event of illness, injury or other emergencies. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
