Last updated: 2026-05-09 | Source: 사증민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼
- For foreign nationals dispatched (파견) by an overseas employer to a Korean branch, subsidiary, or liaison office
- Salary is paid by the overseas parent company — not the Korean entity
- D-7-1: branch office (지점) or subsidiary (자회사) dispatch
- D-7-2: liaison / representative office (연락사무소) dispatch
- Requires minimum 1 year prior employment at the parent company
- No Korean language requirement
- Typical validity: 1–3 years, renewable
What Is the D-7 Visa?
The D-7 (주재) visa — officially known as the Intra-Company Transfer (주재) visa — is issued to foreign nationals who are dispatched (파견) by their overseas employer to work at a Korean branch office, liaison office, representative office, or subsidiary that belongs to the same corporate group.
The defining feature of the D-7 visa is the dispatch relationship: the employee remains on the overseas parent company's payroll. The Korean entity does not independently employ or pay the worker — instead, the parent sends (dispatches) the employee to Korea for a defined period and purpose.
D-7 is the standard visa pathway for multinational corporations entering or expanding operations in Korea. It allows established employees with institutional knowledge to represent the parent company's interests in the Korean market without requiring them to become Korean-law employees.
- No Korean language requirement: D-7 does not require TOPIK or other Korean proficiency tests
- Existing employees only: Applicants must be current, continuous employees of the parent company — typically for at least 1 year prior to dispatch
- Role level: The position in Korea must be at managerial, executive, or specialist (전문가) level — general labor does not qualify
- Duration: Typically granted for 1–3 years, renewable as long as the dispatch continues
- No investment capital requirement: Unlike D-8, D-7 does not require the applicant to invest capital — it is an employment-based dispatch visa
D-7-1 vs D-7-2: Comparison
The D-7 category is divided into two sub-categories based on the type of Korean entity receiving the dispatch:
| Feature | D-7-1 (Branch / Subsidiary) | D-7-2 (Liaison / Representative Office) |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible Korean entity types | Branch office (지점), subsidiary (자회사 / 현지법인) | Liaison office (연락사무소), representative office |
| Revenue-generating activities | Permitted — branch/subsidiary may conduct commercial operations and generate revenue in Korea | Not permitted — liaison office cannot generate revenue or conduct commercial transactions |
| Permitted work scope | Full business operations: sales, contracts, management, business development | Market research, coordination, administrative support, liaison functions only |
| Korean entity registration | Court registration (등기) required for branch; subsidiary requires full corporate incorporation | KOTRA registration required (외국기업 국내지사 설치) |
| Typical visa validity | 1–3 years per grant | 1–2 years per grant (often shorter due to liaison office activity restrictions) |
| Path to commercial presence | Already commercial; branch can evolve to subsidiary | Liaison offices can be converted to branch/subsidiary when ready for commercial operations |
Eligibility Requirements
The following requirements apply to D-7 applicants. All conditions must be met at the time of application:
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Employment tenure at parent | Minimum 1 year of continuous employment with the overseas parent company prior to dispatch. Employment must be documented with a start-date contract. |
| Dispatch relationship | Dispatched to a specific Korean entity (branch, subsidiary, or liaison office) of the same corporate group. Ad-hoc transfers or new hires do not qualify. |
| Role level | Position in Korea must be managerial, executive, or specialist level. General labor or clerical positions at the Korean entity do not qualify for D-7. |
| Korean entity registration | D-7-1: Korean entity must have valid court registration (등기부등본). D-7-2: Korean entity must have valid KOTRA liaison office registration certificate. |
| Group relationship documentation | Parent-Korean entity relationship must be provable (ownership structure chart, group certificate, or shareholding records). |
| No criminal record | Clean criminal history in home country and any country of residence. Criminal record certificate (범죄경력증명서) required, apostilled. |
| Valid passport | Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond intended stay. |
| Financial self-sufficiency | Salary paid by overseas parent must meet or exceed the minimum threshold (see Salary Requirements section below). |
| Korean language | No Korean language requirement. TOPIK not required for D-7. |
Core Document Checklist — Applicant
The following documents are required for a D-7 visa application. All foreign-issued documents must be apostilled (or notarized + consular legalized if the country is not an Apostille Convention member) and translated into Korean if not in Korean or English.
| # | Document | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visa application form (통합신청서) | Standard Ministry of Justice unified application form |
| 2 | Valid passport | Original + copy; minimum 6 months validity beyond intended stay |
| 3 | Dispatch order (파견명령서) | From parent company on official letterhead, signed by authorized representative. Must explicitly state: full name, position/title, dispatch destination (Korean entity name and address), dispatch duration (start and end dates), and salary amount. This is the single most important document — missing fields are a primary cause of rejection. |
| 4 | Employment contract from parent company | Must show start date proving 1+ year of employment. Include employment history certificate if available. |
| 5 | Korean entity registration certificate | D-7-1: 지점 등기부등본 (branch court registration extract, issued within 3 months). D-7-2: KOTRA 연락사무소 등록증 (KOTRA liaison office registration certificate). |
| 6 | Korean entity business registration certificate (사업자등록증) | Issued by the tax office; must be current |
| 7 | Parent company certificate of incorporation | Apostilled; demonstrates the parent is a legitimately registered overseas corporation |
| 8 | Proof of parent-Korean entity relationship | Ownership structure chart, group certificate, or share register showing the Korean entity is a branch/subsidiary of the overseas parent. This document is essential to prove the "same group" requirement. |
| 9 | Salary confirmation letter | On company letterhead; must state the overseas salary amount in specific figures. If paid in foreign currency, include a recent exchange rate note showing KRW equivalent. |
| 10 | Passport photos | Standard visa photo (3.5 × 4.5 cm, white background, taken within 6 months) |
| 11 | Criminal record certificate (범죄경력증명서) | From home country (and any country of 6+ months residence in the past 5 years); apostilled |
| 12 | Visa application fee | Single-entry or multiple-entry; fee varies by nationality and embassy |
Salary Requirements
The D-7 visa does not have a formally published salary table like E-7, but immigration officers assess the salary level as part of the overall application review. The following standards apply:
| Standard | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum threshold (general reference) | Typically equivalent to Korean GNI per capita level — approximately KRW 40 million/year (KRW 3.33 million/month) as a practical minimum, though no fixed statutory figure exists for D-7 specifically. |
| Currency | Salary may be paid in the parent company's local currency. Provide a recent exchange rate conversion to KRW for the application package. |
| Local allowances | Housing allowances, transportation subsidies, and other local benefits provided by the Korean entity supplement the base salary but are typically not counted as salary for visa threshold purposes. The base overseas salary is the primary figure evaluated. |
| Comparison benchmark | The salary should reflect the market rate for a comparable Korean professional at the same managerial or specialist level. Below-market salaries raise concerns about the authenticity of the dispatch arrangement. |
Family Accompanying on F-3
Spouse and minor children of D-7 holders may accompany the principal to Korea on the F-3 (Dependent Family) visa. The F-3 visa allows dependents to reside in Korea for the same duration as the D-7 holder.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Eligible dependents | Legally married spouse; unmarried minor children (under 19 or under 18 depending on immigration office interpretation) |
| Key F-3 documents | Copy of D-7 holder's visa approval letter or ARC; marriage certificate (apostilled + Korean translation); children's birth certificates (apostilled) if applicable; family relationship certificate or equivalent |
| Work rights | F-3 holders generally cannot work in Korea without a separate work visa. If the spouse wishes to work, they must apply for an appropriate work visa (e.g., E-7 if qualified). |
| School enrollment | Children on F-3 can enroll in Korean schools (elementary, middle, high school). International schools are also available. |
| Duration and renewal | F-3 is renewable alongside the principal's D-7. When D-7 is extended, F-3 dependents must also apply for extension at the local immigration office. |
Extension and Duration
D-7 status may be extended at the local immigration office in Korea. There is no absolute maximum total stay on D-7, provided the dispatch relationship remains valid and active.
| Stage | Standard |
|---|---|
| Initial validity | Typically 1–3 years depending on the Korean consulate, the nature of the dispatch, and documentation quality. Most initial grants are 1–2 years. |
| Extension application timing | Apply at the local immigration office at least 30 days before the current D-7 expiry date. Late application creates gap in legal status. |
| Extension period per application | Typically up to 2 years per extension application, subject to continued dispatch validity. |
| Maximum total stay | No strict cap — D-7 can be renewed indefinitely as long as the dispatch relationship continues and all requirements are met. |
Extension Documents (in addition to original application documents)
- Updated dispatch order — confirming extension of the dispatch period; must be re-issued by the parent company with new end date
- Updated Korean entity registration — fresh 등기부등본 (branch) or KOTRA registration (liaison office) issued within 3 months of application
- Income tax certificate (근로소득원천징수영수증) — for income received during the stay in Korea (if any Korean-source income was received); or a statement confirming all income is from the overseas parent
- Health insurance enrollment certificate — proof of National Health Insurance (건강보험) or private equivalent
- Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) — original to be stamped with new validity
- Passport — valid for duration of requested extension
Common Issues and Solutions
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch order missing key details | Parent company issues a generic reassignment letter without specifying salary, duration, or exact Korean entity address | Request the HR/legal department to reissue the dispatch order with all required fields explicitly stated: full name, position/title, Korean entity name and address, dispatch start and end date, and monthly/annual salary amount |
| Parent-Korean entity relationship not documented | Group structure is complex (e.g., multi-layer subsidiaries, joint ventures) and the connection is not obvious from publicly available documents | Prepare a group corporate structure chart showing ownership percentages at each level; supplement with shareholder certificates or group registration certificates from the parent company's home country |
| Salary below threshold | Salary in home country is below the level immigration officers consider appropriate for a managerial dispatch | Negotiate with the employer to provide housing or cost-of-living allowances for Korea that are documented separately; or clarify with an immigration advisor whether a salary threshold exception may apply based on nationality treaty or occupation type |
| Korean entity not registered or outdated registration | Branch or liaison office was set up years ago and registration certificates have not been renewed; or the entity was not formally registered in Korea | Complete or update branch court registration (등기) or KOTRA liaison office registration before submitting the D-7 application. The visa application will not be accepted without current entity registration. |
| Extension delayed — status gap risk | Applicant waited until close to expiry or missed the 30-day filing window | Apply at least 30 days before expiry. If already at risk of gap, visit the immigration office immediately and explain the situation; an emergency appointment may be granted. Retain all filing receipts. |
| D-7-2 holder performing commercial activities | Liaison office employee starts signing contracts or conducting sales without changing entity type | Stop commercial activities immediately. Consult an immigration attorney about whether to (a) restructure the Korean entity as a branch office and apply for D-7-1, or (b) transition to a different visa status. Continued violations risk deportation and re-entry ban. |
Frequently Asked Questions
The defining characteristic of D-7 dispatch is that the employee remains on the overseas payroll. If the Korean entity will be paying the salary directly, it may be more appropriate to apply for E-7 (specific activities) instead of D-7. For D-7, the salary should come from the overseas parent, even if some allowances (housing, transportation) are covered locally by the Korean entity. Having the Korean entity as the primary payroll employer weakens — and may invalidate — the dispatch relationship required for D-7.
The standard requirement is 1 year of continuous employment with the parent company prior to dispatch. This must be documented with the employment contract showing the start date, along with a certificate of employment if possible. Employees who were hired specifically for the Korea dispatch role — without prior work history at the parent — may not qualify for D-7. In such cases, alternatives like E-7 (if the Korean entity directly employs them) or working remotely from outside Korea until the 1-year mark may be options worth exploring with an advisor.
No. D-7 status authorizes you to perform work specifically within the scope of your dispatch to the designated Korean entity. Freelance work, moonlighting, or work for unrelated Korean companies is not permitted under D-7. Violations — including undeclared remote work for overseas clients that generates Korean-source income — can result in visa cancellation and deportation. If you wish to take on additional activities in Korea, consult an immigration attorney before doing so.
D-7 status is tied to the existence of the Korean entity. If the branch office dissolves or the liaison office is deregistered, your D-7 status becomes invalid. You will need to either transition to another appropriate visa (E-7 if a Korean employer hires you directly, or F-series if eligible) or depart Korea within the grace period. Notify immigration immediately if the employing entity closes — failing to report and remaining in Korea beyond the grace period constitutes overstay.
Yes. If a Korean company wants to hire you directly — rather than through a dispatch arrangement — you can apply for E-7 (specific activities) if your role qualifies under one of the 87 E-7 occupation codes. This requires the new Korean employer to sponsor you, and you would need to formally end the D-7 dispatch arrangement with your parent company. The timing of the transition is important: you should not start working for the new Korean employer before the E-7 status change is approved. Consult an immigration attorney about the transition sequence.
D-7 time does not count toward most F-5 permanent residency routes, which typically require qualifying periods in work or residence visas such as E-7 or F-2-7. However, D-7 can sometimes contribute to overall legal stay history in Korea for routes that consider total years of lawful presence. Additionally, if you later transition to E-7, the E-7 clock toward F-2-7 and F-5 begins from that point. For a definitive answer about your specific circumstances and PR pathway options, consult VISION Law Office directly.
VISION Law Office handles D-7 applications in English — dispatch order review, document preparation, entity registration checks, and full application support for branch, subsidiary, and liaison office dispatch.
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