What the F-1-D (Workation) Visa Requires
Korea's F-1-D visa lets remote workers and freelancers with sufficient foreign income live in Korea while working for an employer or clients outside the country. Because the whole premise of the visa is foreign income and foreign employment, nearly every core document in the application was issued abroad — and most need translation before submission.
Documents That Typically Need Translation
- Employment certificate or contract — proving your employer and role, if employed rather than self-employed
- Income proof — pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements showing you meet the income threshold
- Business registration — if self-employed or running your own company remotely
- Health insurance proof — most F-1-D applications require proof of coverage valid in Korea
- Criminal background check — commonly required, often apostilled
Income Documents Are Where Applications Usually Stall
Unlike a single-document check like a birth certificate, income proof is often a bundle — an employment letter, several months of pay stubs or bank statements, and sometimes a tax return, all needing to tell a consistent financial story once translated. Figures, employer names, and dates need to match exactly across every translated document in the bundle, since immigration reviewers are specifically checking whether foreign income clears the visa's minimum threshold.
Immigration document translation covers exactly this kind of multi-document income bundle, with cross-document consistency checked before delivery rather than after a rejection.
If You're Self-Employed or Run a Foreign Business
Freelancers and business owners applying for F-1-D often need business and corporate document translation for registration certificates or client contracts proving ongoing foreign-based work, in addition to personal income documents.
What to Prepare Before Requesting Translation
- Employer or business name spelled consistently across every document
- The specific income figures and dates immigration will be checking against the visa's threshold
- Full scans, not summaries — reviewers expect complete bank statements and contracts, not excerpts
This article is for informational purposes only. F-1-D income thresholds and required documents are updated periodically — confirm current requirements with HiKorea before applying.
