Questions by situation
Each answer starts with the conclusion, then who it applies to, the documents and the timing. Jump here from “Choose your situation” above.
I travel abroad for work a lot — does it still count as 5 years of continuous stay for Korea F-5-1 permanent residency?
Yes, if each trip lasted 90 days or less and the total days abroad in each year (counted back from the filing date in 365-day blocks) stayed within 180 days; those days abroad are then counted as time in Korea. If any one year breaks this rule, only the period after that year counts as continuous stay, so you need to stay longer to reach 5 years. A complete departure, or a switch to a status that does not qualify for F-5-1, also breaks continuity. Work out your days abroad year by year from your entry and exit records before filing.
I have been on a D-8 investor visa for over 5 years — can I change to F-5-1 permanent residency?
Yes, but there is a sales test on top of the stay. A D-8 investor needs average annual sales of KRW 1 billion or more over the two years before the application year (the previous year and the year before), and the same two years apply whether you file in January or December. Besides the sales proof, you must meet the financial test (2x GNI income or 1.5x average net assets) and the basic-knowledge requirement. If the sales test is hard to meet, compare other types such as the high-value investor type (F-5-5) depending on your investment and hiring.
How much export performance do I need to apply for F-5-1 permanent residency from a D-9 trade management visa?
On D-9 you need average annual exports of KRW 500 million or more, or average annual sales of KRW 1 billion or more, over the latest two years before the application year. People installing, operating or maintaining export equipment and those supervising shipbuilding or equipment manufacturing are exempt from this test. Submit proof of exports or sales; good conduct, financial and basic-knowledge requirements are reviewed on the same basis as for other applicants.
I have worked in Korea on an E-7 visa for 5 years but have no bachelor's degree — can I still apply for F-5-1?
Not on the E-7 route. Applicants on E-7 must hold a bachelor's degree or higher, so E-7 work alone does not meet the F-5-1 test without one. If you have a degree, submit the certificate, keep doing the work allowed on E-7 at the time of filing, and show household income of at least 2x the previous year's per-capita GNI. If you hold a bachelor's in an advanced technology field or a master's or higher from a Korean university and work for a Korean company, also compare F-5-10, where the income test is 1x GNI.
Can I apply for F-5-1 permanent residency while I am on a D-10 job-seeker visa?
D-10 is a qualifying status, but with conditions: you need a bachelor's degree or higher and a signed employment contract that meets the criteria for one of the E-1 to E-7 statuses (E-6 entertainment-venue work excluded). Submit proof of the relevant E-1 to E-7 status, your degree certificate and the employment contract. The 5 years only add up across D-7 to E-7 and F-2 periods without a complete departure, so your status history before D-10 is checked too.
To change from an F-2 residence visa to F-5 permanent residency, should I apply under F-5-1?
F-2 is a qualifying status for F-5-1, so F-2 time and earlier D-7 to E-7 time can be added together toward 5 years if there was no complete departure. However, 3+ years on points-based residence (F-2-7) leads to the separate points-based type F-5-16, and an F-2 held as the spouse of a permanent resident leads to F-5-4. The income test differs by type (2x GNI for F-5-1 and F-5-16, 1x GNI for F-5-4), so decide the type first.
Can my spouse's income count toward the 2x GNI income requirement for F-5-1?
Yes. Income of a spouse (not a de facto partner), minor children and parents (not the spouse's parents) who lived with you and shared living costs throughout the income period can be added, but your own share must be at least 50% of the threshold (unless you are raising minor children). Only income on which income tax was paid counts, and the income period is normally January to December of the year before the application year. Each earner submits an income certificate from the tax office and proof of full tax payment.
What documents do I need to apply for F-5-1 permanent residency based on assets instead of income?
The household's net assets (after debts) must be at least 1.5x the previous year's average net assets, and income and assets cannot be combined. Financial assets such as deposits, funds, insurance, shares and rental deposits, plus housing and land, are accepted if held continuously for 6 months or more up to the filing date and kept at that value until approval. Submit the real estate register, sale or lease contracts and balance certificates; debts are deducted as shown in your credit report.
I am doing a medical residency at a Korean hospital on an E-5 visa — are the F-5-1 requirements different for me?
Partly. For F-5-1 applicants completing a residency at a Korean hospital on E-5 (Professional Employment), the income test is 1x the previous year's per-capita GNI instead of 2x, and the asset test is the previous year's average net assets. Basic knowledge is treated as met with TOPIK Level 5 or higher. The 5-year continuous stay, good conduct and the common documents are the same as for other F-5-1 applicants.
Will my F-5-1 permanent residency be refused if I have unpaid taxes or health insurance premiums?
Unpaid amounts count against you. Unpaid national, local or customs taxes, health insurance premiums or administrative fines are treated as a negative impact on public finances; for the applicant this means the financial requirement is not met, and a family member with arrears is removed from the income calculation. Income from work not allowed under your status, or from entertainment or gambling businesses, is treated the same way. Check full payment with a tax payment certificate before filing.
For F-5-1, which country's criminal record certificate do I need and when should it be issued?
You need one from your country of nationality and one from any third country where you lived for 1+ year in a row within the last 5 years before filing. It must be issued within 6 months of the filing date, carry an apostille (or consular legalisation by the Korean mission in countries outside the Apostille Convention), and be submitted as the original with a notarised translation. It can be skipped if you have lived in Korea lawfully for 10+ years in a row up to the filing date, or if you already submitted your home-country record and have not stayed abroad for 6+ months in a row since.
What do I write on the 'F-5 applicant basic information' form for permanent residency?
It is a form you fill in yourself to speed up the review: personal details, the F-5 sub-type you are applying for, education, relatives up to the fourth degree, foreign countries where you stayed 6+ months, jobs, duties and average monthly pay for the last 3 years, any change of nationality, name or birth date, any penalties for breaking Korean law in the last 5 years and ongoing investigations or trials, and your reason for applying. Missing answers can slow the review, and a false entry found after approval can lead to cancellation of permanent residence. Attach supporting documents where you have them.
How do I know whether another permanent residency type suits me better than F-5-1?
Some people meet the requirements of several types, so compare first. A bachelor's in an advanced technology field or a master's or higher from a Korean university with employment at a Korean company points to F-5-10, a doctorate in an advanced field to F-5-9, and 3+ years on points-based residence (F-2-7) to F-5-16. If you meet a type that is exempt from the basic-knowledge requirement (for example F-5-9) but apply under F-5-1, the exemption still applies to you.
Will I lose my F-5-1 permanent residency if I stay outside Korea for a long time?
You lose permanent residence if you do not re-enter Korea within the re-entry permit exemption period (2 years from departure) or within your re-entry permit period. Permanent residence is also cancelled if it was obtained by false or other unlawful means, or if a sentence of 2+ years' imprisonment becomes final for certain crimes. Check your re-entry deadline before any long stay abroad.
Key terms
- General permanent resident (F-5-1, 일반 영주자)
- The permanent residence type for adults who have stayed in Korea 5+ years on D-7 to E-7 or F-2 status.
- Continuous stay (국내 계속 체류)
- The rule that trips of 90 days or less, totalling 180 days or less per year, do not break your stay and count as time in Korea.
- Financial requirement (생계유지 요건)
- The test of whether you or your household can support yourselves; for F-5-1 it is income of 2x GNI or net assets of 1.5x the average.
- Per-capita gross national income (GNI, 1인당 국민총소득)
- The benchmark for annual income, normally the figure for the year before the filing date.
- Average net assets (평균 순자산)
- The previous year's average household net assets from Statistics Korea's household finance survey, used for the asset test.
- Basic knowledge requirement (기본소양 요건)
- Korean language and society knowledge, met by completing KIIP Level 5 or scoring 60+ on the permanent residence or naturalisation evaluation.
- Overseas criminal record certificate (해외범죄경력증명서)
- An official record from your country of nationality (and qualifying third countries), submitted with an apostille or consular legalisation.
- Law-abiding citizen education (준법시민교육)
- Education required before approval for applicants with a domestic law violation in the last 10 years.
About our office
- Office
- Vision Administrative Office (비전행정사사무소 · VISAS KOREA)
- Principal
- Alex Lee (이원중), licensed administrative agent (행정사)
- Licence
- Administrative agent (행정사) — preparing immigration and residence filings and submitting them on the client’s behalf with written authorization (위임장)
- Scope
- Korean visas (visa issuance certificate, change of status, extension), permanent residency (F-5), foreign-invested company, branch and liaison office setup, immigration violation review and entry-ban response
- Languages
- Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese
- Address
- 3F Sungwoo Bldg, 324 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04614, Korea
- Hours
- Weekdays 09:30–17:30 (KST)
Who hires us for this
- Foreign CEOs who have run a D-8 company for 5+ years and need to check the sales test
- E-7 professionals with a bachelor's degree who have completed 5 years of work
- D-9 traders who have built up an export record
- F-2 residents timing their move to permanent residence
- Frequent business travellers who need their continuous stay calculated
Back to top ↑
