- The F-6-1 visa is applied for at a Korean embassy or consulate on the Korean spouse's invitation. The Korean spouse also becomes the identity guarantor (Enforcement Rules Article 9-4).
- Required papers fall into five groups: basic documents, the Korean spouse's income proof, Korean-language ability, housing, and evidence of courtship and a genuine marriage.
- The 2026 income standard for the Korean spouse is KRW 25,195,752 a year (pre-tax) for a 2-person household, rising with household size. Several couples are exempt.
- Shorter document lists apply to couples with a child, couples who are exempt from the international marriage guidance program, and returning F-6 holders with the same spouse.
- After arrival, the foreign spouse registers and applies for extension within 90 days of entry. The government fee for an F-6 extension is KRW 30,000.
F-6 visa requirements in short: the foreign spouse must be validly married to a Korean citizen and intend to live with them in Korea, and the Korean spouse issues the invitation and acts as identity guarantor. Applicants then document the Korean spouse's income, the couple's ability to communicate, housing, and how they met and why the marriage is genuine. Documents for renewing (extending) the stay after arrival are in section 9, and the F-6-1, F-6-2 and F-6-3 comparison shows how the requirements differ by sub-category.
1. What This Checklist Covers and How the Process Works
The F-6 (marriage immigration) status has three sub-categories. This page covers F-6-1, the status for a foreigner who is validly married to a Korean citizen and wants to live in Korea with them. F-6-2 (raising a child after the marriage has ended) and F-6-3 (marriage ended by the spouse's death, disappearance or another reason not attributable to the foreigner) follow different rules; see the F-6-1, F-6-2 and F-6-3 comparison and the page on F-6 after divorce.
The Ministry of Justice manual counts a de facto marriage as a marriage only where both spouses intend to be married and live a real married life together. Simple cohabitation without the intention to marry, or a bigamous relationship the law cannot protect, is not treated as a de facto marriage.
The route in four steps
- The Korean spouse invites the foreign spouse. Under Enforcement Rules Article 9-4(1), a marriage-cohabitation visa requires the spouse's invitation, and the inviting spouse becomes the foreign spouse's identity guarantor under Article 90(1) of the Immigration Act.
- Both spouses prepare the documents in the five groups below. The forms (visa application form, invitation letter and the identity guarantor's letter) are available from the embassy and the HiKorea website.
- The foreign spouse applies at the Korean embassy or consulate abroad. The manual provides for a single-entry visa valid for stays of up to 90 days (multiple-entry for US nationals).
- After entry, the foreign spouse registers as a resident and applies to extend the stay at the immigration office within 90 days.
Nationals of seven countries are covered by the international marriage guidance program: China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Uzbekistan and Mongolia. The manual keeps two document lists, one for those countries and one for all others. Their main differences are shown in section 3.
2. What the Embassy Reviews Besides the Papers
Every document in this checklist exists to let the embassy judge whether the marriage is genuine and whether a normal married life is possible. Enforcement Rules Article 9-5(1) allows the head of the mission to examine the following points:
- the history of courtship and the couple's intention to marry;
- whether the marriage is validly established under the laws of the countries concerned;
- whether the inviting spouse invited another spouse within the last 5 years;
- whether the inviting spouse meets the annual income requirement set by the Minister of Justice with reference to the standard median income under the National Basic Living Security Act;
- whether the couple's health and criminal record information has been exchanged;
- whether the foreign spouse can speak Korean at a basic level or better;
- whether the couple has a normal home in which they can live together continuously. Rooms in gosiwon-type lodging, motels and vinyl greenhouses are not treated as normal housing;
- whether 3 years have passed since the inviting spouse acquired nationality under Article 6(2)(1) or (2) of the Nationality Act, or permanent residence under item 2 of Annex 1-3 of the Enforcement Decree;
- for a Korean spouse with a record of domestic violence crimes or sex crimes against children and youth, whether the periods stated in the Rules have passed.
The Rules allow some of these checks to be waived, for example where the couple has a child. The waiver notice is why the manual contains the shorter lists in section 7.
3. Basic Documents for the F-6-1 Visa Application
| Document | Prepared by | Notes from the manual |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application form | Foreign spouse | From the embassy or HiKorea. One passport-size photo attached to the form. |
| Passport original and a copy of the personal data page | Foreign spouse | At least 6 months of remaining validity. |
| Visa application fee | Foreign spouse | Paid at the embassy. The manual gives country-specific examples only, so ask the embassy for the current amount. |
| Invitation letter (외국인 배우자 초청장) | Korean spouse | Written in Korean on the prescribed form. |
| Identity guarantor's letter (신원보증서) | Korean spouse | Written in Korean on the prescribed form. |
| Marriage background statement (결혼배경진술서) | Foreign spouse | Written in English. |
| Korean spouse's passport copy | Korean spouse | Personal data page. |
| Detailed basic certificate, detailed marriage relation certificate and detailed family relation certificate (기본증명서, 혼인관계증명서, 가족관계증명서, all 상세) | Korean spouse | Korean originals, one each, issued within 3 months. Available at a community service center or on Government24 (Minwon24). |
| Resident registration abstract (주민등록등본) | Korean spouse | Original, issued within 3 months. |
| Marriage certificate from the foreign spouse's country | Foreign spouse | Optional. Only where needed, for instance to check for an earlier marriage. Write the official name of the certificate alongside. |
| Country-specific documents | Foreign spouse | For example, the manual mentions the CFO education certificate for the Philippines. |
Where the two lists differ
| Item | Program countries (7 countries) | All other countries |
|---|---|---|
| International marriage guidance program certificate | Required from the Korean spouse, issued by the immigration office. Not needed if exempt. | Not on the list. |
| Korean spouse's health certificate | Required unless exempt. From a hospital or public health center, on the civil-service recruitment medical form, issued within 6 months of the visa application. | Same form and validity. Exempt in the cases below. |
| Foreign spouse's criminal record certificate | Required unless the Korean spouse is exempt. Issued within 3 months (example: Philippine NBI Clearance). | Same rule. |
| Foreign spouse's health certificate | Required, issued within 6 months, computer-generated, with the hospital name, address, contact and doctor's signature. It must include a tuberculosis (TB) test. | Same rule. See the exemption cases below. |
The Korean spouse's health certificate is waived in these three cases: (1) the couple can prove their courtship during a continuous stay of at least 6 months in the foreign spouse's country, or a long-term stay on a study or work visa in a third country; (2) the foreign spouse legally stayed at least 91 days in Korea on a long-term status and the couple can prove they met there; (3) pregnancy, childbirth or another humanitarian reason. When the Korean spouse is exempt, the foreign spouse's criminal record certificate and general health certificate are also waived, but a tuberculosis certificate is still required. The manual's list of 35 high-risk countries is dated 1 April 2020, so ask your embassy for its current list.
4. Income Requirement and Income Documents (2026 Standard)
The income requirement is a check on the Korean spouse, the inviting person. It is based on the past one year of annual pre-tax income. The Minister of Justice sets it every year (Enforcement Rules Article 9-5(1)(4)). For 2026 the amounts below apply, according to the stay manual.
| Household size | Minimum annual income (pre-tax) |
|---|---|
| 2 persons (the Korean spouse and the foreign spouse) | KRW 25,195,752 |
| 3 persons | KRW 32,154,216 |
| 4 persons | KRW 38,968,428 |
| 5 persons | KRW 45,340,314 |
| 6 persons | KRW 51,335,712 |
| 7 persons | KRW 57,090,900 |
| 8 persons or more | Add KRW 5,755,188 for each additional member |
According to the manual, the family members whose income or assets can make up a shortfall are direct family (parents, grandparents, children) on the same resident registration household as the Korean spouse. Siblings are not counted.
Documents to prove income
You do not need every document below. The two "common required" items are mandatory, and the rest depend on which income sources the Korean spouse relies on.
| Income source | Documents |
|---|---|
| Always required | Certificate of income amount (소득금액증명), original, from Hometax or a tax office. Credit information report (신용정보조회서) from the Korea Credit Information Services website. |
| Salary | Withholding ledger for earned income, certificate of employment (from the current or a former workplace), a copy of the business registration certificate, and supplementary proof of income if the documents above do not show the requirement is met. |
| Business income | Copy of business registration (farming, forestry and fishing are exceptions) and supplementary proof if the certificate of income amount is below the requirement. |
| Other income | For example, rental income: property register and lease contract. Interest income: bank statements. |
| Assets | Deposits, insurance, securities and bonds count only if they are KRW 1 million or more and have been held for at least 6 months. For real estate, the property register and the official price table. |
| Family income or assets | A statement of the family's income prepared on the embassy or HiKorea form, plus the proof matching each income or asset type above. |
- Who can make up a shortfall: only direct family on the same resident registration household, or the invited immigrant. Income or assets must be in Korea and from the past 1 year. Siblings cannot.
- Business income: judged by the amount on the certificate of income amount. If the real income is higher, the manual advises filing an amended return with the tax office first. For business income, the latest year on the certificate may be accepted if the Korean spouse continues the same business, and a field investigation may follow.
5. Korean-Language Communication Documents
The foreign spouse submits one of the documents below. A foreign spouse who is not exempt and cannot submit any of them is assessed by the embassy instead.
- Certificate of completing the Korean Education Center course level 2, or Sejong Institute beginner 1A plus 1B (at least 120 hours).
- TOPIK score report showing level 1 or above (including TOPIK IBT).
- Completion certificate from a designated Korean-language institution, where one is designated for your country.
- A degree in a Korean-related subject from a university or graduate school, or proof of being an overseas Korean national.
- Proof that the foreign spouse stayed continuously in Korea for at least 1 year (entry and exit record or a handwritten statement).
- Proof that the Korean spouse stayed at least 1 year in a country where the foreign spouse's language is official, or was naturalized from such a country.
- Proof that both spouses stayed at least 1 year in a country where their shared language is official.
- Other proof of communication, such as a language test score or a pass in an embassy interview in that language.
Exempt: couples with a child born to them, and a foreign spouse who previously held F-6 status (unless the spouse changed, or the marriage was ever interrupted with the same spouse).
6. Housing and Courtship Evidence
Housing documents
- Owned home: the property register.
- Rented home: the property register and a copy of the lease contract.
- The address must match the resident registration abstract submitted with the application.
- The home must be owned or leased in the name of the Korean spouse, or of the spouse's direct family, brother or sister. A home held by a third party normally does not qualify, but the manual accepts reasonable arrangements such as company-provided housing.
Evidence of courtship and a genuine marriage
The manual makes one item mandatory for everyone: documents showing how the couple met and that the marriage is genuine. Examples are courtship photographs, family photographs and messaging records, edited freely onto A4 pages, five pages or fewer. The other items depend on how the couple met:
- Through a marriage broker: copy of the broker's registration certificate, copy of the bond insurance policy, and a copy of the contract.
- Through an acquaintance: copy of the introducer's identity document.
- If these are hard to obtain, a written statement of the reason may be submitted. The introduction documents are not required where the couple has a child, or the foreign spouse previously held F-6 status with the same spouse without interruption.
7. Exemptions and Shortened Document Lists
The manual gives three shortened lists. All three still require the application form, photo, passport, fee, invitation letter, identity guarantor's letter and the Korean spouse's certificates and resident registration abstract.
| Situation | What changes |
|---|---|
| The couple has a child | Income and Korean-language documents are not required, and the list drops the program certificate and the general health and criminal record certificates. Only the tuberculosis certificate remains, for high-risk countries. Add the child's detailed family relation certificate (or the child's birth certificate if the child was born before the marriage and before naturalization). Marriage background statement, housing and courtship documents still apply. |
| Exempt from the international marriage guidance program (for instance pregnancy or the cases in section 3) | No program certificate, health certificate or criminal record certificate; only the tuberculosis certificate for high-risk countries. The income, Korean-language, housing and courtship documents still apply. |
| The foreign spouse previously held F-6 in Korea | Income, Korean-language and introduction-route documents are not required, and the marriage background statement is dropped. The tuberculosis certificate (high-risk countries), housing documents and the common courtship evidence remain. This does not apply if the spouse changed or the marriage was ever interrupted. |
| The couple lived together abroad for at least 1 year and the Korean spouse had no Korean income in the last year | Income documents are not required. Submit proof of the cohabitation. |
8. Validity Periods, Formats and Common Mistakes
- Three months: documents issued in Korea, such as the certificates and resident registration abstract, are valid for 3 months from issue unless another period is set.
- Six months: health certificates must be issued within 6 months of the visa application date.
- Prescribed forms: the manual calls the invitation letter, identity guarantor's letter and marriage background statement the most important documents and says they must be filled out completely on the prescribed form. An incomplete form is the simplest thing to avoid.
- Address match: the housing documents must show the same address as the resident registration abstract.
- Tuberculosis test: a general health check without the TB item is a common gap for the foreign spouse's certificate.
- Additional documents: the head of the mission may ask for documents beyond the list during individual review.
9. After Arrival: Registration, Extension and Government Fees
- First extension and registration: within 90 days of entering on the F-6-1 (90-day) visa, the foreign spouse applies at the immigration office for the address to extend the stay and register. The permitted stay is 1 year from the entry date. For nationals of the seven program countries who have completed the early adaptation program, the period is 2 years at registration; without it, the stay is granted in 6-month units for up to 2 years.
- Documents: application form (Annex 34), passport, one standard photo, fee, the Korean spouse's detailed marriage relation certificate and resident registration abstract, the child's family relation certificate if there is a child, the alien job report, and proof of residence such as a lease contract or utility receipt.
- Later extensions: up to 1 year per permit, or up to 3 years if the foreign spouse is raising a child born to the Korean spouse. Separation, a pending divorce suit or a spouse's disappearance have their own extension rules; see the page on the F-6 visa after divorce.
- Work and travel: F-6 holders are not restricted in employment activity (Enforcement Decree Article 23(2)(3)). A registered F-6 holder who returns within 1 year of departure (and within the remaining stay period) does not need a re-entry permit.
| Government fee (Enforcement Rules Art. 72) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Extension of stay, F-6 holder (item 6) | KRW 30,000 |
| Granting F-6 status under Act Art. 23 (item 4) | KRW 40,000 |
| Change of status (item 5) | KRW 100,000 |
| Alien registration card issuance (item 10) | KRW 35,000 |
These are the legal fees for the immigration application only. Documents, translations and the embassy visa fee are separate.
10. Applying From Inside Korea (Change of Status)
Someone who is already lawfully in Korea can apply to change to F-6-1, using the same documents as the visa application. The permitted period is up to 1 year, decided by the head of the immigration office. In principle the following people cannot change and must leave, then obtain a visa at an overseas mission:
- holders of short-term visas: visa-exempt (B-1), tourist (B-2) and C-1 to C-4 entrants;
- people staying illegally, including those who entered secretly or used forged passports;
- people who received a departure-purpose extension of stay;
- people with a general criminal record (fines alone are excluded);
- people who obtained G-1 status while in one of the statuses above.
Exceptions are made after review where a change is unavoidable, for instance because of pregnancy, childbirth or raising a child born to the couple. Holders of working-holiday (H-1) status cannot change to F-6, and the manual makes a special case for German nationals who entered visa-free. Fee: KRW 100,000 for a change of status (section 9). See the residence status change guide for the general procedure.
FAQ
Q. Where do we submit the F-6 marriage visa documents?
A. The visa application is filed at the Korean embassy or consulate that covers the foreign spouse's country. The Korean spouse must invite the foreign spouse and becomes the identity guarantor (Enforcement Rules Article 9-4(1)). The immigration office in Korea is involved only after arrival, for alien registration and extension of stay, or when someone already lawfully in Korea applies for a change of status.
Q. Do we need a marriage certificate from the foreign spouse's home country?
A. The manual lists the foreign spouse's home-country marriage certificate (with its official name written alongside) as optional. It is needed only where the embassy has to confirm points such as an earlier marriage in the home country. The Korean spouse's detailed marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서, 상세) is always on the list.
Q. How much income does the Korean spouse need in 2026?
A. The manual states the 2026 standard as the inviting person's pre-tax income over the past year: KRW 25,195,752 for a 2-person household, 32,154,216 for 3, 38,968,428 for 4, 45,340,314 for 5, 51,335,712 for 6 and 57,090,900 for 7, plus KRW 5,755,188 for each additional member from the 8th. Couples with a child born to them, couples who lived together abroad for a year or more (with no Korean income in the last year), and a foreign spouse who previously held F-6 status with the same spouse are exempt.
Q. How old can the documents be?
A. Unless a document has its own rule, papers issued in Korea, such as the detailed certificates and the resident registration abstract, must be issued within 3 months. Health certificates must be issued within 6 months of the visa application date, and the foreign spouse's criminal record certificate within 3 months.
Q. What government fees apply after the visa is issued?
A. Under Enforcement Rules Article 72 (in force 15 September 2026), an extension of stay for an F-6 holder costs KRW 30,000, and alien registration card issuance costs KRW 35,000. Granting F-6 status under Article 23 of the Act costs KRW 40,000, while a change of status costs KRW 100,000. The visa fee paid at the embassy differs by country, so ask the embassy for its current fee.
Q. Can I switch to F-6 while in Korea on a tourist stay?
A. In principle no. The stay manual says holders of short-term visas, including visa-exempt (B-1) and tourist (B-2) entrants, must leave and obtain a visa from an overseas mission. Exceptions are considered where a change is unavoidable, for example because of pregnancy, childbirth or raising a child born to the couple, and the manual makes a special case for German nationals who entered visa-free.
Q. How long does the visa take to be issued?
A. The manual does not state a standard processing period, so we do not quote one. The embassy may ask for extra documents or hold an interview, and processing time varies by mission. Check with the embassy that will receive your application.
Q. What are the F-6 visa requirements for 2026?
A. The foreign spouse must be validly married to a Korean citizen and want to live with them in Korea. The Korean spouse invites the foreign spouse and becomes the identity guarantor (Enforcement Rules Article 9-4(1)). Embassies review the Korean spouse's income against the 2026 standard (KRW 25,195,752 a year for a 2-person household), Korean-language communication between the couple, housing, and evidence of courtship and a genuine marriage, with exemptions for some couples (see the income and exemption sections above). Embassies may add or drop documents at review.
Q. What documents do I need to renew (extend) an F-6 visa?
A. For the first extension and registration within 90 days of entering on the F-6-1 (90-day) visa, the manual lists the application form (Annex 34), passport, one standard photo, fee, the Korean spouse's detailed marriage relation certificate and resident registration abstract, the child's family relation certificate if there is a child, the alien job report, and proof of residence such as a lease contract or utility receipt. For later F-6-1 extensions the manual lists the same set without the photo, and the office may ask for other documents it considers necessary. The government fee for an F-6 extension is KRW 30,000 (Enforcement Rules Art. 72). Separation, a pending divorce suit or a spouse's disappearance follow separate rules.
VISAS KOREA (Vision Administrative Office) is an administrative agent office. We check document lists and help prepare immigration applications; the embassy or immigration office makes the decision. Consultations are available in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.
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