- Legal test: fit a category in Enforcement Decree Annex 1-3, then pass three tests: good conduct, income or assets, and basic integration (Immigration Act Art. 10-3(2)).
- Income: a multiple of the previous year's per-capita GNI, or a share of average net assets, depending on the category. No fixed won figure is quoted here because the Bank of Korea figure changes every year.
- F-4 to F-5: 2 or more years of continuous F-4 stay, plus one of six qualifying options. The route (F-5-6) is exempt from the basic integration test.
- Government fees: KRW 200,000 for the change of status to F-5 and KRW 35,000 for card reissue (Enforcement Rules Art. 72, checked Sept 28, 2026).
- Card: valid for 10 years and must be renewed; status is lost if you stay out of Korea beyond the re-entry limit.
- Revision notice: the Ministry revised the F-5 stay-period counting standard and the F-5-10 work-period reading on Sept 18, 2026. This page follows the Sept 1, 2026 manual; confirm both before filing.
This guide answers the question most readers search for: what are the F-5 visa Korea requirements in 2026, and how does an overseas Korean move from F-4 to F-5? It is the requirements-and-procedure guide. If you first need to know which F-5 code fits your situation, use the F-5 permanent residency types guide; Korean readers can use the Korean F-5 guide, and the detailed document lists are on the F-5 common documents page.
1. What F-5 Permanent Residency Is
F-5 (yeongju) is the Korean residence status that has no limit on activities or on the period of stay. Article 10-3(1) of the Immigration Act says a foreigner with permanent residence status is not restricted in the scope of activities or the stay period, and the manual records the same: no upper limit on the stay period, and no permission needed for activities outside the status or for a change of workplace.
F-5 is not Korean nationality. It gives you the right to stay and work, but you keep your foreign passport and nationality, and naturalization is a separate procedure (see our naturalization guide). The manual also states two common conditions for every applicant: you must not hold Korean nationality as a dual national, and from the start of the stay period your category requires until the decision date you must have no record of working in or running entertainment-service businesses that go against good morals (work covered by a permit is accepted).
A permanent resident receives a permanent resident card (yeongjujeung) valid for 10 years (Immigration Act Art. 33(3)). Because the manual handles F-5 as a change-of-status permit, most people apply from inside Korea while holding another long-term status.
2. F-5 Visa Korea Requirements 2026 at a Glance
Permanent residence has two layers. First, you must belong to a category that the Enforcement Decree lists (Article 12-2(1) and Annex 1-3, which has 19 items). The Ministry's manual divides those items into working codes F-5-1 to F-5-29. Second, you must pass the three tests in Article 10-3(2) of the Act, which the Enforcement Rules (Article 18-4) turn into concrete standards.
| Requirement | What is checked |
|---|---|
| A qualifying category | Your situation matches an Annex item: for example 5 years in D-7 to E-7 or F-2, 2 years as a spouse of a Korean national, 3 years on F-2-7, or 2 years on F-4. |
| Good conduct | No disqualifying sentence, immigration violation or removal history within the set periods (section 4). |
| Ability to support yourself | Income at or above the previous year's per-capita GNI, or household assets at a set level, with the multiple depending on the category (section 5). |
| Basic integration | Completion of the Social Integration Program (KIIP) or a score of 60 or more out of 100 on the comprehensive assessment (section 6). |
| Relaxation or exemption | For Annex items 3, 9, 10 and 14 to 16 (investors, outstanding talent, special merit) and for cases the Minister recognizes on national-interest or humanitarian grounds, the second and third tests can be relaxed or waived. |
In practice the office first checks whether your stay has a negative effect on public finances (unpaid taxes, health insurance or fines), and only then compares your income with the GNI benchmark. These tests apply on top of the category rules, so meeting the income figure does not make you eligible if your stay period or status does not fit an Annex item.
3. Which F-5 Category Fits You
The table gives the headline route only. Every category has its own extra conditions, which are set out in the F-5 types guide. Codes and Annex item numbers are from the Sept 1, 2026 manual and the Enforcement Decree.
| If you are... | Code | Qualifying basis | Annex item |
|---|---|---|---|
| An adult on D-7 to E-7 or on F-2 | F-5-1 | 5 years or more in those statuses | 1 |
| On F-2-7 (points-based residence) | F-5-16 | 3 years or more on F-2-7. See the F-5-16 guide | 13 |
| The spouse of a Korean national on F-6 | F-5-2 | 2 years or more of continuous F-6 stay and a normal marriage | 2 |
| The spouse or minor child of an F-5 holder | F-5-4 (F-5-18 for a points-based holder's family) | 2 years or more on F-2, and the F-5 holder must have held F-5 for at least 2 years (F-5-4) | 2 |
| A foreign investor with US$500,000 and 5 Korean employees | F-5-5 | Investment under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. See the F-5-5 guide | 3 |
| A doctorate holder employed by a Korean company | F-5-9, F-5-15 | Overseas doctorate (F-5-9) or Korean doctorate (F-5-15) | 7 |
| A degree or engineer certificate holder employed in Korea | F-5-10 | 3 years or more in Korea and a wage at or above the amount the Minister sets | 8 |
| A tourism-leisure or public-benefit investor on F-2 | F-5-17, F-5-21, F-5-23 | Investment maintained for 5 years or more | 14 |
| An overseas Korean on F-4 | F-5-6 | 2 years or more of continuous F-4 stay (section 8) | 4 |
Note that F-4 is not one of the statuses listed in Annex item 1, so F-4 time is not what F-5-1 counts. Overseas Koreans use F-5-6, F-5-7 or F-5-14 instead. The manual sends F-5-2, F-5-3, F-5-6, F-5-7, F-5-14 and F-5-27 to separate guidelines for their detailed rules, which is why the overseas Korean route in section 8 is described from that guideline.
4. Test 1: Good Conduct
The manual treats you as meeting the conduct test if none of the grounds below applies to you (Enforcement Rules Art. 18-4(1) item 1; manual permanent residence section, conduct requirement). The Minister may still grant permission after weighing your social and economic ties in Korea, your contribution and how serious any violation was (Rules Art. 18-4(2)).
| Ground | Disqualifying period or amount |
|---|---|
| A sentence for a specific violent crime | Listed in the manual as a ground without a time limit |
| Prison sentence (geumgo or heavier) under the Immigration Act or another law | 5 years from the day the sentence was served or waived |
| Suspended prison sentence | 5 years from the day the judgment became final |
| Court fine | 3 years from the day the fine was paid |
| Entering in breach of the passport and visa rules (Act Art. 7(1) or (4)) or of the entry inspection rules (Act Art. 12(1) or (2)) | 5 years from the violation |
| Three or more Immigration Act violations in the last 5 years before applying | Administrative fines (gwatae-ryo) are not counted |
| Immigration Act penalty fines (beomchikgeum) | KRW 5 million or more, or KRW 7 million or more in total, within the last 3 years |
| Deportation order and departure | 7 years from the day you left |
| Departure order and departure | 5 years from the day you left |
| Deportable person allowed to stay on humanitarian grounds | 5 years from the permit decision date |
Crimes abroad: the manual asks whether you were sentenced abroad for a specific violent crime, threats, extortion, fraud, three or more drunk-driving offenses, voice phishing or drug crimes. A foreign sentence equivalent to imprisonment for another offense restricts permission for 10 years from the sentence date. The overseas criminal record certificate is covered in section 7.
Law-abiding citizen education: an applicant who is about to be approved but has a Korean law violation in the last 10 years must complete a 3-hour education course. You are excused if you completed it before without a new violation, or if you have one violation or fewer that ended in non-prosecution or a fine or penalty of KRW 1 million or less. You sign up for it when you file, or online through the Social Integration Information Network.
5. Test 2: Income or Assets
The Enforcement Rules (Article 18-4(1) item 2) set the general standard: the combined income of you and the family who live with you must be at or above the previous year's per-capita GNI announced by the Bank of Korea, or household assets must be at a median level or higher, so that your stay does not burden public finances. The manual then fixes the multiple for each category.
| Standard in the manual | Categories |
|---|---|
| Income of 2 times GNI, or net assets of 1.5 times the average | F-5-1, F-5-16, F-5-26 (an F-5-1 applicant who is a resident doctor on E-5 needs 1 times GNI) |
| Foreign pension of 2 times GNI (pension only, applicant only) | F-5-13 (age 60 or over) |
| Income of 1 times GNI, or net assets at or above the average | F-5-4, F-5-9, F-5-15, F-5-18. F-5-10 is tested on income only, and only the applicant's own income counts. |
| Income of 1 times GNI, or household net assets at or above the median | F-5-2 (spouse of a Korean national) |
| Income test waived | F-5-5, F-5-11, F-5-12, F-5-17, F-5-19, F-5-20, F-5-21, F-5-22, F-5-23, F-5-24, F-5-25 |
| Own set of options | F-5-6 for F-4 holders (section 8) |
How income is measured
- Period: the calendar year before the year you apply. Someone who applies on January 1 and someone who applies on December 31 are both measured on the same previous calendar year. If the tax office has not yet issued an income certificate for that year, the year before it is used instead.
- Benchmark: the previous year's per-capita GNI announced by the Bank of Korea, or the year before that if the previous year's figure has not been announced. The manual gives multiples, not a won amount, so check the current Bank of Korea figure. This page does not quote one because it changes every year.
- Whose income counts: you and family members who lived with you and shared living costs during the income period: a spouse (not a de facto partner), minor children and parents (not the spouse's parents). At least half of the required amount must be your own, except for a parent raising a minor child and for minor children.
- Which income counts: comprehensive income under Income Tax Act Art. 4(1), but only where income tax was actually paid. Untaxed income that should have been taxed is not counted, and assets themselves are not income. Income from work outside your status permission, or from entertainment services, is not accepted.
- Proof: the income amount certificate from the tax office, plus proof that taxes, health insurance and similar charges are fully paid.
How assets are measured
Assets must be held continuously for 6 months or more before the application and keep their value until approval. Financial assets (savings, funds, insurance, stocks, bonds and jeonse or monthly rent deposits) and real assets (housing and land, at the official price or a bank-published market price) are counted, and debts shown on your credit report are deducted. The comparison is with the household average net assets in the previous year's Household Finance and Welfare Survey by Statistics Korea (median for F-5-2). Income and assets cannot be added together to reach the threshold.
6. Test 3: Basic Integration
You meet the basic integration test by doing one of the following (Enforcement Rules Art. 18-4(1) item 3; manual):
- complete stage 5 of the Social Integration Program (KIIP), the immigration and integration course run under the Immigration Act;
- score 60 or more out of 100 on the comprehensive assessment for permanent residence (the KIPRAT) or for naturalization (the KINAT);
- or hold a TOPIK level 4 to 6 result, which the manual accepts only for people who applied by March 31, 2019.
Reviewed for F-5-1, F-5-4, F-5-16, F-5-18 and F-5-10. Exempt for F-5-5, F-5-8, F-5-9, F-5-11, F-5-12, F-5-13, F-5-15, F-5-17, F-5-19 to F-5-26, and for F-5-6 (overseas Koreans on F-4). The manual also exempts, for categories that are not otherwise exempt, minors under 15, minors aged 15 or older who attend a regular school, people who already meet an exempt category, and people who completed a Korean doctoral program.
7. Documents Every Applicant Prepares
The manual lists these documents as common to all permanent residence applications. Category-specific documents are added on top (see the common documents page and the types guide).
- Integrated application form (with the revenue stamp) and passport
- Alien registration card. If you have none, one passport photo taken within 6 months and the card issue fee
- Proof of your address: a valid lease or a full registry copy
- Overseas criminal record certificate (see below), unless exempt
- Identity sponsor letter (sinwon bojeungseo), unless you fall in an exempt group
- Livelihood documents: proof of full payment of national and local taxes, and the income amount certificate from the tax office (or asset documents if you apply on assets)
- Basic integration proof: KIPRAT or KINAT pass certificate, or a KIIP completion certificate (unless exempt)
- The permanent residence applicant information form, written by the applicant. A false entry can lead to cancellation under Act Art. 89-2(1) item 2
Overseas criminal record certificate
- Countries: your country of nationality, plus any third country where you lived continuously for a year or more within the last 5 years before applying.
- Content: an official document from the competent authority covering all criminal records in that country. A certificate issued by that country's embassy in Korea is not accepted, with exceptions the manual names for the embassies of Russia and Turkmenistan. Where a country has no central system, the manual accepts a certificate from the authority for your place of residence, and it accepts any document equivalent to a criminal record certificate from China. For the United States the FBI record is the norm, and a state certificate is accepted only if it covers records across the whole country.
- Authentication: an apostille from the issuing country if it is a party to the Apostille Convention, otherwise consular confirmation by a Korean mission there.
- Validity and format: issued within 6 months before applying; the original plus a notarized translation.
- Exempt: for example people under 14, applicants for F-5-5, F-5-9, F-5-11, F-5-12 or F-5-15, people born in Korea or who entered under 14 and have not spent 6 months or more abroad since turning 14, and people who have stayed legally in Korea for 10 years or more up to the application date.
8. F-4 to F-5: The Route for Overseas Koreans
If you hold F-4 (overseas Korean) status, the route to permanent residence is F-5-6. The Enforcement Decree describes it in Annex 1-3, item 4: a person who has stayed in Korea continuously for 2 years or more in F-4 status and whom the Minister of Justice recognizes as needing to keep living in Korea. The detailed rules are in the manual's separate guideline for overseas Koreans. If you have not yet obtained F-4, start with our F-4 eligibility and steps guide and the F-4 visa page.
The 2-year condition
You must have stayed in Korea for 2 years or more continuously in F-4 status. The manual adds that if you filed a domestic residence report (geoso singo), the period you lived abroad is also included in the 2 years of continuous stay. How stay periods are counted for F-5 was revised on September 18, 2026 and that text could not be read for this page, so confirm the counting with the immigration office before you rely on the date you become eligible.
Six ways to qualify
You must meet at least one of the following, as listed in the manual (permanent residence guideline for overseas Koreans, F-5-6):
| Option | Standard | Evidence the manual lists |
|---|---|---|
| Income | Annual income at or above the previous year's per-capita GNI. If family income is combined, your own income must be at least half of the required amount. | Income amount certificate |
| Foreign pension | Age 60 or over, with an annual foreign pension at or above the previous year's per-capita GNI | Pension certificate (copy) and the pension deposit account book |
| Property tax or net assets | Property tax paid last year of KRW 500,000 or more, or net assets in your own name (house, jeonse or monthly deposits, savings) at or above the average net assets in the Household Finance and Welfare Survey | Registry copy, sale or lease contract, property tax payment record, credit report |
| Trade with a Korean company | Annual trade of KRW 2 billion or more | Employment certificate, registry copy or business registration, export-import records, annual tax certificate |
| Investment in Korea | Investment of US$500,000 or more | Business registration or registry copy, business and home lease contracts, foreign-invested company certificate |
| Compatriot organization or company head | Head of a compatriot organization recognized by the government of the country of residence (including someone who served in the last 3 years), or head of a corporate business, recommended by the head of a Korean overseas mission | Recommendation letter from the head of the Korean mission |
The manual lists the last three options (trade, investment and organization or company head) as exempt from the general livelihood test.
Conduct, overseas records and basic integration
- Conduct: the same conduct standard as other F-5 applicants applies to overseas Koreans (section 4).
- Overseas criminal record certificate: required for everyone in this route, following attachment 1 (section 7).
- Basic integration: exempt for F-5-6, so you do not need KIIP or the comprehensive assessment.
- Fees: the same statutory fees as other F-5 applicants (section 9).
Other overseas Korean routes
- F-5-7 (Annex item 5): a compatriot with foreign nationality who meets the conditions to acquire Korean nationality under the Nationality Act. The manual lists documents by naturalization type and waives the livelihood and integration proof for people eligible for nationality restoration or special naturalization. If citizenship is your real goal, read the naturalization guide.
- F-5-14 (Annex item 12): Visiting Employment (H-2) holders who kept working at the same workplace for 4 years or more in manufacturing, agriculture and livestock, fishery, caregiving or household help (time of people who changed to F-4 is included). The manual requires a skill certificate or income of 70 percent of the previous year's GNI, counting only the applicant's own income. The manual's revision history records that the compatriot statuses, including H-2, were unified into F-4 in March 2026.
- F-5-6R (regional-specific overseas Korean): F-4-R holders who continuously lived in a recommended region for 4 years or more (2 years for those who changed to F-4-R under the existing-resident condition). Income is relaxed to 70 percent of GNI, and basic integration requires KIIP stage 5 or an equivalent result unless exempt.
9. How to Get Permanent Residency in Korea: Steps and Fees
- Find your category. Match your status and stay period to an Annex item and code (sections 3 and 8, and the types guide).
- Check the three tests. Confirm your conduct record, compare your income or assets with the multiple for your code, and prepare your integration proof or confirm your exemption.
- Clear any unpaid charges. Taxes, health insurance and fines must be fully paid before the livelihood test can be met.
- Collect the documents. Start with the overseas criminal record certificate, because issuing and authenticating it takes time (section 7).
- File a change-of-status application at the immigration office that covers your address, and pay the statutory fee.
- Review. The office reviews your records and documents and may ask for more; applicants covered by the law-abiding citizen education rule complete it before approval.
- Receive the card. Once permitted, you are issued the permanent resident card.
The statutory government fees are below (Immigration Act Enforcement Rules Article 72, in force from September 15, 2026).
| Item | Statutory fee |
|---|---|
| Change of status permit to F-5 | KRW 200,000 (KRW 100,000 for other statuses) |
| Permanent resident card reissue | KRW 35,000 |
The manual adds that an applicant with no alien registration card pays a card issue fee on top; the Rules list no separate first-issue amount, so none is quoted here. Certificates, apostilles, translations and course or exam costs are extra. There is no fixed processing period in the manual or the laws, so this page does not quote one.
10. After Approval: Card, Re-entry and Cancellation
- Card validity: the permanent resident card is valid for 10 years, and you must reissue it before it expires (Immigration Act Art. 33(3) and (4)). The reissue fee is KRW 35,000. The manual notes that late reissue leads to an administrative fine.
- Leaving and returning: F-5 holders can leave and re-enter without a re-entry permit if they return within 2 years of the departure date (Enforcement Rules Art. 44-2(1) item 1). Staying out longer requires an extension of the re-entry permit at a Korean mission before the period ends (up to 3 months in the manual).
- Loss of status: the manual lists not re-entering within the exemption period or the re-entry permit period as a ground for loss of permanent residence.
- Cancellation: the Minister must cancel status obtained by false or improper means, and may cancel it after a sentence of 2 years or more for listed crimes, prison terms totaling 3 years or more within 5 years, breach of an investment-maintenance condition, or acts against the national interest (Act Art. 89-2(1)). A person whose status is cancelled can apply for a general status if the conditions are met (Art. 89-2(2)).
- Children born in Korea: a child born in Korea to an F-5 parent is handled through a grant-of-status application, which the manual says should be filed within 90 days of birth.
11. The Sept 18, 2026 Revision and Open Points
- Dates and stay-period counting: not described beyond the Sept 1, 2026 manual.
- F-5-10 work period: the wage standard, degree list and work period should be confirmed against the revised text.
- GNI and net-asset figures: the manual gives multiples only; use the current Bank of Korea and Statistics Korea figures.
- Investor amounts set by Ministry of Justice notice can change, so confirm the current notice for investment routes.
- Processing time: not fixed in the manual or the laws.
12. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the F-5 visa Korea requirements in 2026?
Q. How do I get permanent residency in Korea as a foreigner?
Q. Can I switch from F-4 to F-5?
Q. How much income do I need for the F-5 visa?
Q. Do I need to pass a Korean language test for permanent residency?
Q. How much does the F-5 application cost in government fees?
Q. How long does F-5 processing take?
Q. Can I lose permanent residency after I get it?
Our Specialists
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13. Related Guides and Next Steps
Vision Administrative Office (VISAS KOREA) offers a consultation to check which F-5 category fits you and whether your income, records and documents are ready before you file. We are an administrative scrivener office, and this page gives procedural information rather than legal advice. Request a consultation or call +82-2-363-2251 (Mon-Fri 09:30-17:30 KST).