What Is the F-1-D Visa?
The F-1-D (디지털노마드 / 워케이션) status lets a person who works remotely for an overseas company, or who owns an overseas business, live in Korea while keeping that work. It does not allow you to work for a Korean company.
Key facts from the current stay manual:
- Length: granted for 1 year. It can be extended 1 year at a time, up to 3 years in total.
- Who: the owner of an overseas business, or an employee of an overseas company who can work remotely, with at least 1 year of work in the same industry. Family members can accompany.
- Age: 18 or older. Accompanying children are exempt from the age rule.
Income Requirement
The income bar is no longer one figure for everyone. It is a multiple of the previous year's per-capita gross national income (GNI) announced by the Bank of Korea, and it depends on your age and where in Korea you will stay:
| Age | Capital region (Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi) | Outside the capital region, and depopulation areas |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 34 | 1.5× GNI | 1× GNI |
| 35 and older | 2× GNI | 1.5× GNI |
If you bring a spouse or minor children, the requirement is 2× GNI in the capital region and 1.5× GNI outside it, whatever your age.
To use the lower rate you must show you will stay outside the capital region: a lease of 1 month or longer, a contract with a designated workation facility, or an accommodation booking. If you later move to the capital region within the permitted period, you are given 6 months on condition that you either meet the capital-region income level or move back.
Other Requirements
- Health insurance: private medical insurance covering at least ₩100 million for hospital treatment and repatriation to your home country.
- Criminal record certificate: from your country of nationality, and from a third country only if you lived there continuously for 1 year or more within the last 5 years. It must be apostilled, or confirmed by a Korean consulate where the country is not in the Apostille Convention.
Documents
- Application form, passport, photo and fee
- Certificate of employment showing 1 year or more in the same industry
- Proof of income such as pay statements or a balance certificate
- Criminal record certificate and proof of medical insurance
- Family relationship documents, if family members accompany you
- If claiming the lower income rate: proof of your stay outside the capital region
Where to Apply
You can apply for the visa at a Korean embassy or consulate. You can also apply inside Korea: the stay manual allows a change of status to F-1-D for people staying on short-term status (B-1, B-2 or C-3), and for holders of other statuses who meet the requirements. A change of status costs ₩100,000 and an extension ₩60,000.
What You Can and Cannot Do
You can keep working for your overseas employer or run your overseas business from anywhere in Korea. You cannot be employed by a Korean company. That needs a work status such as E-7.
F-1-D does not lead directly to permanent residency. It is a temporary stay under the F-1 category.
The F-1-D visa page has the full requirement list and the exemptions for the criminal record certificate.
Sources: Ministry of Justice stay manual (September 2026 edition), F-1-D sections; Immigration Act Enforcement Rules, Article 72 (fees) | Last checked against these sources: October 2026
This article is for informational purposes only. Immigration rules change. Consult a qualified immigration specialist about your own case.