- Investment test: at least KRW 100 million per investor, plus 10% or more of the voting shares or total capital, or a shareholding combined with sending or appointing an officer (Enforcement Decree Article 2(2)).
- Who applies: the investor, or an essential specialist dispatched by the overseas parent, working in management, production or technology at a fully established Korean corporation (D-8-1); a similar route exists for a Korean individual's business (D-8-3).
- Order of steps: investment report, funds brought in, company established, foreign-invested enterprise registration (within 60 days of the trigger), then the visa or status-change application.
- Stay ceiling per grant: 5 years for D-8-1 and D-8-3, 2 years for D-8-2 and D-8-4. Individual investors below KRW 300 million face closer review and extra documents.
1. Who the D-8 Investor Visa Is For
A D-8 visa in Korea (the Corporate Investment status) is for foreigners who put capital into a Korean business under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, and for founders of certain venture and technology companies. The investor can be an individual or a foreign corporation. When the investor is a company abroad, the person who actually holds the visa is the essential specialist that company sends to run or manage the Korean business. D-8 is divided into four sub-types.
| Sub-type | Who it covers | Ceiling per grant |
|---|---|---|
| D-8-1 Investment in a corporation | Essential specialist in management, production or technology at a foreign-invested Korean corporation (fully established corporations only; people hired locally in Korea are excluded) | 5 years |
| D-8-2 Venture investment | Representative of a company confirmed as a venture company under the Special Act on the Promotion of Venture Businesses, or assessed as technologically excellent | 2 years |
| D-8-3 Investment in an individual business | Essential specialist at a foreign-invested business run by a Korean national (individual) | 5 years |
| D-8-4 Technology startup | Founder of a Korean corporation holding intellectual property or comparable technology, with a qualifying degree or ministry recommendation | 2 years |
This page focuses on D-8-1 and D-8-3, the two routes built directly on the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. For the tech-startup route see the D-8-4 guide. For capital planning and company set-up see the D-8 capital and company establishment guide, and for renewal papers see D-8 extension documents. The same topic is also covered in Korean (D-8 기업투자비자 발급요건과 신청서류) and Chinese (D-8投资签证).
2. What Counts as Foreign Investment
D-8-1 and D-8-3 both rely on the statutory definition of foreign investment. The Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act sets it out in Article 2(2) and (3):
| Element | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Who is a foreigner | An individual with foreign nationality, a corporation established under foreign law, and certain international economic cooperation bodies. |
| Minimum amount | Investment amount of KRW 100 million or more. |
| Stake test (either one) | (1) Owning 10% or more of the voting shares or total capital of the Korean company or enterprise (a company being established is included); or (2) owning shares and sending or appointing an officer, meaning a director, representative director, unlimited-liability partner running the business, auditor or equivalent with power to take part in key management decisions. |
| How the amount is counted | The amount paid to acquire shares. When two or more foreigners invest together, the test is applied per person. |
| Later reductions | Once the company has been registered as a foreign-invested enterprise, a later partial share transfer or capital reduction that takes it under the threshold does not by itself remove foreign-investment status. |
The same yardstick applies to D-8-1 (KRW 100 million or more and 10% or more of the voting shares, or shares plus an officer dispatch or appointment contract) and to D-8-3 (KRW 100 million or more and 10% or more of the total contribution). The Korean corporation must also already be fully established.
3. Choosing a Structure: Individual, Overseas Parent or Korean Partner
The same statutory test can be met in three common ways. Which one applies decides who signs the papers and which supporting documents are needed.
| Structure | Investment target | Who holds the D-8 | Eligibility criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual investor (D-8-1) | A Korean corporation | The investor working in management, production or technology | KRW 100 million or more and 10% or more of voting shares, or shares plus officer appointment; funds in the investor's own name in principle |
| Overseas parent investor (D-8-1, posting) | A Korean corporation in which the foreign company holds shares | The essential specialist the parent sends. A dispatch order stating the dispatch period, and a certificate of employment, are required | The Korean company must meet the same investment test; dispatch orders from the parent's branch in a third country are also accepted |
| Investment in a Korean individual's business (D-8-3) | A business run by a Korean national | The foreign essential specialist | KRW 100 million or more, 10% or more of the total contribution, listed on the business registration as co-representative with the Korean, and the Korean partner's business funds of at least KRW 100 million |
People recruited locally by the company are excluded. A shortcut some investors ask about is registering a non-investor as an officer and then applying for D-8. Such a person is treated as directly hired by the foreign-invested company, not as an investor or as someone dispatched from the parent, and the E-7 status applies instead. See the E-7 requirements page for that route.
4. Filing Sequence From Investment Report to Visa
Immigration looks at documents that only exist once the investment steps are complete, so the order matters.
- Confirm the business is open to foreign investment. Foreigners may invest without restriction except where the investment endangers national security or public order, harms public health or the environment, or breaks Korean law (Act Article 4(2)). Restricted sectors and permitted ratios are set under Decree Article 5.
- File the foreign investment report before investing. The Act requires the report to be made in advance, with limited exceptions such as buying shares of a listed company, which may be reported within 60 days afterwards (Article 5(1) and (2)). KOTRA and foreign exchange banks receive the report and hand over the certificate on behalf of the ministry (Decree Article 40(2)); the certificate of report must be issued without delay (Act Article 5(4)).
- Bring in the funds or contribute in kind. Keep the remittance records. For capital goods contributed in kind, the Korea Customs Service issues a completion certificate that replaces the inspector's report under the Commercial Act (Act Article 30(3)).
- Complete the company and its business registration. Only fully established corporations count for D-8-1.
- Register as a foreign-invested enterprise within 60 days of the trigger, such as payment of the contribution or completion of the share acquisition (Act Article 21(1); Decree Article 27(1)). Early registration is possible if the amount is KRW 100 million or more and the stake is 10% or more (Act Article 21(2); Decree Article 27(2)). The registration certificate is one of the core immigration documents.
- Apply to immigration. There are three routes: a visa directly at the Korean mission in the applicant's home country; a visa issuance certificate applied for by the inviting company at the local immigration office, which the applicant then uses to obtain the visa abroad; or, for someone already in Korea, a change of status at the immigration office. Visits are booked through HiKorea (see also the Korea Immigration Service).
Filing false documents in connection with a foreign investment report is a criminal offense, punishable by up to 3 years of imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 30 million (Act Article 34). Accurate, traceable records are the safest position.
5. Source of Funds and the KRW 300 Million Line
Two rules shape how much proof you should prepare.
- Name on the funds. The investment funds should in principle be the investor's own. Remittances in the name of a spouse or minor child are accepted as an exception. For investors who put in KRW 300 million or more, remittances in the names of parents or the spouse's parents can also be recognized.
- Individual investors below KRW 300 million. Officers screen these applicants closely. Additional documents are requested: proof of how the capital was spent (purchase receipts, office fit-out costs, Korean bank account statements), proof that the business premises exist (lease, photographs of the exterior, workspace and signage), and, where needed, records of business experience in the relevant field from the applicant's home country.
- Changing status from inside Korea. If the applicant's current status is not one permitted to switch to D-8, the general rule is that a change is not allowed. The head of the immigration office may still allow it after close review where there are special reasons such as an investment of KRW 300 million or more or a substantial business record. Small investors below KRW 300 million are, where possible, guided to leave and apply for a visa abroad.
6. Documents by Application Route
The table summarizes the basic D-8-1 documents. Mission and immigration officers may add or omit documents where needed to judge the genuineness of the investment, so treat this as a working checklist, not a final list.
| Document | Visa abroad or visa issuance certificate | Status change or extension in Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Application form, passport, standard photo, prescribed fee | Required | Required, with the alien registration card (application form no. 34) |
| Copy of the foreign-invested enterprise registration certificate | Required | Required |
| Copy of business registration; certified corporate registry; original shareholder change statement | Required | Required |
| Dispatch order stating the dispatch period, and certificate of employment | Only for posted personnel | Only for posted personnel |
| Proof of funds brought in (cash: export permit or report from home customs or bank where applicable, plus remittance confirmation, foreign exchange purchase certificate or customs declaration; in kind: customs completion certificate and import declaration) | Required | Required |
| Proof of business performance (for example export and import records) | Not listed | Required |
| Proof of residence in Korea (for example a lease) | Not listed | Required |
| Proof that the business premises exist (office lease; photographs of exterior, workspace and signage) | Listed among the extra documents for investors below KRW 300 million | Required |
| Proof of personal tax payment or VAT tax base certificate | Not listed | Extension |
| Capital usage records; home-country business experience records (where requested) | Investors below KRW 300 million | Investors below KRW 300 million |
7. Stay Period, Registration and Family
- Stay ceiling per grant. 5 years for D-8-1 and D-8-3, and 2 years for D-8-2 and D-8-4. The period actually granted is a decision of the immigration office.
- Alien registration. A foreigner who intends to stay more than 90 days from the date of entry must register within 90 days of entry with the immigration office covering the place of residence (Immigration Act Article 31(1)). A person who received the D-8 visa directly from a mission submits the same documents as for a status change (persons whose visa came through a visa issuance certificate are excluded from that rule).
- No workplace change permission. D-8 is not subject to workplace change or addition permission or report. Changes in registered particulars are handled as an alien registration change report.
- Tax proof at extension. Even where a salary is paid by an overseas head office, a Class B earned-income tax obligation can arise unless a tax treaty provides otherwise, and the extension asks for personal tax payment proof: a withholding receipt from a Class B tax association, or an income amount certificate from the local tax office if you filed comprehensive income tax yourself.
- Family. F-3 covers the spouse and unmarried minor children of holders of statuses from D-1 to E-7, F-2, F-4 or H-2.
8. Keeping the Investment Registration in Good Standing
D-8 rests on the foreign-invested enterprise registration, so the immigration review looks at whether that registration is still valid. Immigration offices can look up whether a foreign-invested enterprise registration has been cancelled in the KOTRA registration information system and use that information in visa, stay and investigation reviews.
- Change registration. Registration must be amended when, for example, the foreign investment ratio or the company name changes, or when shares are transferred or capital is reduced (Act Article 21(3)).
- Cancellation triggers. The Minister may cancel the registration if the company files a closure report under the VAT Act, and must cancel it if the foreign investor transfers all of his or her shares to Korean nationals or companies or all of them disappear through a capital reduction, or if payment of the contribution was faked (Act Article 21(4)).
- Use of funds. Investment funds must not be used for a purpose other than the reported one, and the registration certificate must not be assigned or lent to another person (Act Article 21(6)).
- Restricted sectors. Apart from the exceptions in Decree Article 28(4), a registered foreign-invested enterprise must not operate a restricted sector beyond its permitted limit (Act Article 21(5)).
9. D-8 or D-7: Which One Fits Your Company
Both statuses involve sending a person from a foreign company to Korea, so they are often confused. They are separated by the legal form of the Korean entity and by whether the investment test is met.
| Point | D-8-1 (investment) | D-7 (dispatch) |
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | The Korean corporation is a foreign-invested company that meets the investment test | A person with 1 year or more of service at a foreign organization or company is sent to its Korean affiliate, subsidiary, branch or office |
| Typical company-side proof | Foreign-invested enterprise registration certificate, business registration, corporate registry, shareholder change statement | Dispatch order from the foreign head office, proof of the branch or office in Korea, and the office lease |
| Overlap rule | Applies to those who qualify for D-8 | The D-7 definition excludes people who qualify for D-8 |
| Ceiling per grant | 5 years | 3 years |
A D-8 holder working as an essential specialist at a foreign-invested company who is ordered to move to a branch, subsidiary, representative office or designated affiliate set up by the same foreign group can apply to change to D-7. The application calls for a statement of reasons, the dispatch order or a certificate of expected employment, the branch or liaison office establishment permit, proof of the same group, and the office lease. For the dispatch route see D-7 dispatch visa and setting up a liaison office.
10. Beyond D-8: Long-Term Residence Options
There is a status-change route to F-2 for high-value foreign investors under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. Under Annex 1-2 of the Immigration Act Enforcement Decree, the qualifying groups are:
- a foreigner who invested USD 500,000 or more and has stayed continuously in D-8 status for 3 years or more;
- an employee or officer sent to a Korean foreign-invested company by a foreign corporation that invested USD 500,000 or more, with 3 years or more of continuous stay;
- a person who invested USD 300,000 or more and employs 2 or more Korean nationals.
F-5 permanent residence also has investor-related categories, for example the technology-startup investor (F-5-24) and the research and development specialist at a foreign-invested company (F-5-26). The Ministry of Justice revised its F-5 rules on how domestic stay is counted on 18 September 2026, so please check the F-5 guide and F-5 for high-value investors for the latest F-5 stay-period conditions.
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a D-8 visa in Korea, and who can get it?
A. The D-8 (Corporate Investment) status is for foreigners who invest in a Korean business under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, and for founders of certain venture and technology companies. It is divided into four sub-types: D-8-1 (investment in a corporation), D-8-2 (venture investment), D-8-3 (investment in an individual business) and D-8-4 (technology startup). When the investor is a company abroad, the person who holds the visa is the essential specialist it sends to Korea. The requirements and document checklist are on this page, and the D-8 documents page lists papers by case.
Q. What is the minimum investment for a D-8 visa in Korea?
A. The legal test is a per-investor amount of at least KRW 100 million, together with either 10% or more of the voting shares (or total capital) of the Korean company, or a shareholding combined with sending or appointing an officer (Foreign Investment Promotion Act Enforcement Decree Article 2(2) and (3)). The same figures apply to D-8-1 and D-8-3. The law is written in won, so any dollar figure you see elsewhere is a conversion at some exchange rate. Individual investors putting in less than KRW 300 million are screened more closely and must add documents.
Q. Can I apply for the D-8 visa before the Korean company is established?
A. For D-8-1 only a fully established Korean corporation counts, so the company must exist before the filing. The usual order is investment report, funds brought in, company established, foreign-invested enterprise registration, and then the immigration application. D-8-4 tech startups have a narrow exception that is covered on the D-8-4 page.
Q. Does the investment have to be a bank transfer in foreign currency?
A. No. The Act lists several forms of contribution, including foreign payment means, capital goods, industrial property rights and profits earned on shares already held (Act Article 2(1)(8)). For the visa, you need proof of how the funds came in: for cash, a remittance confirmation, foreign exchange purchase certificate or customs declaration; for in-kind contributions, the Korea Customs Service completion certificate and the customs import declaration.
Q. How long can I stay on a D-8 visa?
A. The ceiling per grant is 5 years for D-8-1 and D-8-3 and 2 years for D-8-2 and D-8-4. The period actually given is decided by the immigration office in each case, and an extension requires the business and the investment registration to be in good order.
Q. Can my family join me in Korea?
A. The F-3 (accompanying family) status is available to the spouse and unmarried minor children of people holding statuses from D-1 to E-7 (which includes D-8), F-2, F-4 or H-2. The family document list is set by the separate F-3 guideline, which this page does not reproduce, so ask the mission or immigration office for the current list.
Q. What is the difference between D-8 and D-7?
A. D-7 is for a person with at least one year of service at a foreign parent or branch who is sent to its Korean affiliate, subsidiary, branch or office as an essential specialist, and the D-7 definition expressly excludes people who qualify for D-8. Where the Korean company is a foreign-invested corporation that meets the investment test, the dispatched specialist is therefore a D-8-1 case. A D-8 holder later transferred to a same-group Korean branch or office can apply to change to D-7.
Q. Which businesses are restricted for D-8 investors?
A. Foreign investment is limited only where it endangers national security or public order, harms public health or the environment, or violates Korean law (Act Article 4(2)), and the restricted sectors and limits are set under Decree Article 5. D-8 status is also discouraged for businesses where foreign investment is restricted under Article 4 of the Act and for businesses the Minister of Justice restricts on visa and stay policy grounds, with examples such as gambling-type businesses under the Act on Special Cases concerning Regulation and Punishment of Speculative Activities and karaoke-bar and entertainment-bar businesses under the Food Sanitation Act.
Q. Who can help me get a D-8 investor visa in Korea?
A. A licensed administrative agent can handle the immigration side of a D-8 case. VISAS KOREA (Vision Administrative Office) reviews a planned or existing investment against the criteria on this page, prepares the immigration filing and document list, and accompanies the immigration procedure, with consultations in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. Company registration, tax and legal disputes are matters for the relevant licensed professionals, and the immigration office makes the final decision on every application.
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VISAS KOREA (Vision Administrative Office) is an administrative agency office. We review a planned or existing investment against the criteria above, prepare the immigration filing and document list, and accompany the immigration procedure. Company registration, tax and legal disputes are matters for the relevant licensed professionals. You can start with the consultation form.