Korea D-9 Trade Management Visa — Trade Business Number and Eligibility

Overview

D-9 (Trade Management) covers company management, trade and profit-making business, installation/operation/maintenance of export equipment, and supervision of shipbuilding and industrial plant fabrication.

For traders, the requirement is expressly to be a trader assigned a trade business number by the Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association.

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Company management, trade and profit-making business
• Installation, operation and maintenance of export equipment (machinery)
• Shipbuilding and supervision of industrial plant fabrication

Who Qualifies

• Traders assigned a trade business number by the Chairman of KITA under the Foreign Trade Act and its management regulations
• Persons dispatched to or invited by a company importing industrial equipment (machinery) to provide installation, operation and maintenance technology
• Essential professional personnel dispatched to take part in shipbuilding or industrial plant fabrication (executives, senior managers or specialist engineers dispatched by the ordering company or a specialist service company it designates)

Required Documents

• Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34), passport and ARC, fee
• Certificate of trade business number (for traders)
• Copy of business registration certificate and corporate registry extract
• Dispatch order or contract (for equipment or shipbuilding cases)
• Evidence of office premises and business performance
• Proof of residence

Application Process

1. Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
2. Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
3. Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
4. File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
5. Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
6. Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.

Key Points

• For D-5, D-6, D-7, D-8 and D-9 holders, a change in the name of the affiliated institution or organisation is handled as an alien registration change report.
• Separate rules govern movement within the same corporate group for D-7 to D-9 holders.
• Lawful residents registered under D-5 to D-9 may give conversation instruction to colleagues within their own workplace without a separate permit.
• Documents issued in Korea must normally be dated within 3 months unless another validity period applies.
• Documents already on file in your alien registration record need not be resubmitted.
• Health certificates, drug test results and pre-employment medical reports must be submitted sealed by the issuing hospital (do not open).
• You must be in Korea when applying; leaving the country after filing may result in refusal.
• Screening fees are non-refundable once the application is accepted.
• The head of the Immigration Office may add or waive documents where necessary for review.

Frequently Asked Questions

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