How much does the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D) cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $90 (US$90 basic fee for a multiple-entry visa (US$45 flat for US citizens; CAD 121.50 at the embassy in Ottawa; PHP 4,500 in Manila)); Korea's basic visa fees are US$40 for a single entry up to 90 days, US$60 for a single entry of 91 days or more, US$70 double entry and US$90 multiple entry; the F-1-D is issued as a one-year multiple-entry visa. Fees follow reciprocity by passport, so some nationalities pay more (UK passports US$250 for multiple entry) and some are exempt. Each mission charges the equivalent in local currency, cash or money order; it is not refunded if the visa is refused. Processing time: 10 days to 4 weeks. The embassy in Canada quotes about 10 business days; the consulate in Seattle quotes three to four weeks with no expedited service. Appointment slots, apostilles on police certificates and employer letters that must be dated within two weeks of filing add to the real timeline.

Can I apply for the Korea workcation visa while I am in Korea as a tourist?

Yes. The Ministry of Justice allows people in Korea on a short-term tourist stay (B-1, B-2 or C-3) who meet the employment, income and insurance requirements to change status to F-1-D at the local immigration office; everyone else applies at a Korean embassy or consulate abroad.

How much do I need to earn for the Korea digital nomad visa in 2026?

It depends on your age and where you will live. On the 2025 GNI per capita of about KRW 52.41 million, applicants aged 35 or over in the Seoul capital area need twice that (KRW 104.83 million a year), under-35s in the capital area or over-35s elsewhere need 1.5 times (KRW 78.62 million), and under-35s outside the capital area need 1 times (KRW 52.41 million). Bringing family raises it to 2× in the capital area and 1.5× elsewhere.

Can I work for Korean clients on the F-1-D visa?

No. Employment and profit-making activities in Korea are restricted on the F-1-D; you must keep working for your overseas employer or company. Taking a Korean job or Korean clients requires a separate work visa and breaching the rule is punishable under the Immigration Act.

Digital nomad visa · Asia

South Korea workcation visa 2026: requirements and cost

South Korea's F-1-D workcation visa, made permanent on 30 June 2026, is for people employed by a company abroad for at least a year who can work remotely. You need 1 to 2 times Korea's GNI per capita (KRW 52 to 105 million a year by age and region) and KRW 100 million of medical cover. It gives one year, extendable a year at a time to three; apply at a Korean mission or switch from a tourist stay.

Official name: 디지털노마드(워케이션) 비자 (F-1-D). Facts updated 2026-10-13 · Not yet reviewed by a person · Dataset 2026.10.7.

Who can apply: Any nationality; Any nationality. You must be 18 or over, employed by (or owner of) a company outside Korea, have at least one year in the same line of work, be able to do the job remotely and have no criminal record. Employment or any profit-making activity inside Korea is barred; working for a Korean employer needs a separate work visa.
Minimum income: $6,512/month; 2× GNI per capita, KRW 104.83 million a year (about KRW 8.74 million a month), for applicants aged 35 or over living in the Seoul capital area; 1.5× (KRW 78.62 million) for 18–34 in the capital area or 35+ elsewhere; 1× (KRW 52.41 million) for 18–34 outside the capital area (2025 GNI of KRW 52.41 million)
Fee: about $90; US$90 basic fee for a multiple-entry visa (US$45 flat for US citizens; CAD 121.50 at the embassy in Ottawa; PHP 4,500 in Manila)
Processing time: 10 days to 4 weeks
Initial stay: 1 year, renewable up to 3 years
Where to apply: Consulate, then in the country; A Korean embassy or consulate abroad, in person, usually the one covering your place of residence (Canada requires non-Canadians to have lived there two years). If you are already in Korea on a B-1, B-2 or C-3 tourist stay and meet the requirements, you can instead apply to change status at the local immigration office (immigration contact centre 1345).

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Compiled from the official pages listed below, last read on 2026-10-13. A named person has not yet re-checked it; treat it as a starting point and confirm with the source before you apply.

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Who can apply

Any nationality. You must be 18 or over, employed by (or owner of) a company outside Korea, have at least one year in the same line of work, be able to do the job remotely and have no criminal record. Employment or any profit-making activity inside Korea is barred; working for a Korean employer needs a separate work visa.

What you need

Visa application form (Form No. 17), completed online at visa.go.kr and printed, with one passport photo (35 × 45 mm, taken within six months)
Passport valid for more than six months, original and copy of the bio page
Certificate of employment (or proof of owning the foreign company) showing position, hire date and pay, issued within two weeks to three months depending on the mission, apostilled or notarised where asked
Proof of income for the last three to six months: payslips, bank statements with the bank's stamp, and your most recent tax return
Criminal-record certificate from your country of nationality, issued within six months, with apostille or Korean consular legalisation (plus one from any country you lived in for over a year in the past five years)
Certificate of private medical insurance covering at least KRW 100 million for hospital treatment and repatriation for the full stay
For family: marriage certificate for a spouse and birth certificates for minor children
If claiming the lower non-capital-area threshold: a lease of one month or more or a booking at a workcation facility or lodging outside the Seoul capital area
Where the mission requires it: proof of residence in its jurisdiction (visa, residence permit, driver's licence or utility bill) and a tuberculosis screening certificate for nationals of the 35 listed countries
Visa fee in local currency (cash or money order)

Income proof: Since 30 June 2026 the threshold is a multiple of the previous year's GNI per capita published by the Bank of Korea (about KRW 52.41 million for 2025), graded by age and by whether you will live in the Seoul capital area or in a non-capital or population-decline area. Bringing a spouse or children raises it to 2× in the capital area and 1.5× elsewhere regardless of age. Consulates ask for three to six months of payslips, bank statements and tax returns; Seattle measures income after tax. The US$6,512 figure is the 2× tier (KRW 104.83 million / 12) converted at KRW 1,341.45 per US dollar, from the ECB euro reference rates of 2026-10-13 (US$1.1188 and KRW 1,500.81 per euro); the 1.5× tier is about US$4,884 a month and the 1× tier about US$3,256.

Family: Your spouse and minor children can be included in the application with marriage and birth certificates (apostilled or notarised where the mission asks). Children are exempt from the 18-plus rule. Bringing family raises your income requirement to 2× GNI per capita (KRW 104.83 million) if you live in the Seoul capital area, or 1.5× (KRW 78.62 million) outside it, whatever your age.

Cost and timeline

Minimum income	$6,512/month2× GNI per capita, KRW 104.83 million a year (about KRW 8.74 million a month), for applicants aged 35 or over living in the Seoul capital area; 1.5× (KRW 78.62 million) for 18–34 in the capital area or 35+ elsewhere; 1× (KRW 52.41 million) for 18–34 outside the capital area (2025 GNI of KRW 52.41 million)
Fee	about $90Korea's basic visa fees are US$40 for a single entry up to 90 days, US$60 for a single entry of 91 days or more, US$70 double entry and US$90 multiple entry; the F-1-D is issued as a one-year multiple-entry visa. Fees follow reciprocity by passport, so some nationalities pay more (UK passports US$250 for multiple entry) and some are exempt. Each mission charges the equivalent in local currency, cash or money order; it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Processing time	10 days to 4 weeksThe embassy in Canada quotes about 10 business days; the consulate in Seattle quotes three to four weeks with no expedited service. Appointment slots, apostilles on police certificates and employer letters that must be dated within two weeks of filing add to the real timeline.
Stay	1 year, renewable up to 3 years

How to apply

Consulate, then in the country. A Korean embassy or consulate abroad, in person, usually the one covering your place of residence (Canada requires non-Canadians to have lived there two years). If you are already in Korea on a B-1, B-2 or C-3 tourist stay and meet the requirements, you can instead apply to change status at the local immigration office (immigration contact centre 1345).

Check your tier: work out whether you will live in the Seoul capital area or elsewhere and whether you are under 35, then confirm your annual income meets the matching multiple of GNI per capita (KRW 52.41, 78.62 or 104.83 million).
Get an employer letter issued within the last two weeks confirming your role, at least one year of employment and that the work can be done remotely from Korea, plus three to six months of payslips, bank statements and your latest tax return.
Obtain a criminal-record certificate from your country of nationality (and any country you lived in for over a year in the last five) with an apostille, and buy private medical insurance covering at least KRW 100 million for treatment and repatriation for the whole stay.
Fill in the visa application form (Form No. 17, which most missions want completed online at visa.go.kr and printed), book an appointment and submit passport, photo, documents and the fee; add a lease of one month or more or a workcation-facility booking if you are claiming the lower non-capital threshold.
Collect the one-year multiple-entry visa, enter Korea, register as a foreigner at the local immigration office within 90 days of arrival, and apply there for one-year extensions before each expiry, up to three years.

After you arrive

Renewal: The visa is issued as a one-year multiple-entry visa. When you register as a foreigner you are granted one year from the date of entry; a local immigration office can extend it one year at a time up to three years in total (the 2024 to mid-2026 pilot capped it at two).

Residence: The official pages say nothing about permanent residence. F-1-D is a sub-category of the F-1 visiting status, is capped at three years and is not among the statuses that lead to the F-5 permanent-residence permit, so treat it as a temporary stay; settling long-term means switching to a work, investment or family visa.

Taxes

Under Korea's Income Tax Act (art. 1-2) you become a tax resident once you have a domicile in Korea or keep a place of residence there for 183 days or more; residents are taxed on worldwide income and non-residents only on Korean-source income (art. 3). A foreign resident who has had a domicile or residence in Korea for five years or less of the past ten is taxed on foreign-source income only to the extent it is paid in or remitted to Korea, which matters because F-1-D income must come from abroad. Check your home country's treaty with Korea; consulates say they cannot answer tax questions.

In practice

The visa ran as a pilot from 1 January 2024 to May 2026 (743 issued, about 85% of holders in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon) and became a permanent category on 30 June 2026 with lower income tiers for under-35s and for people living outside the capital area, and a three-year cap instead of two.
The non-capital tiers only apply if you prove you will live there: a lease of at least one month or a confirmed booking at a workcation facility or lodging outside the Seoul capital area.
Consulate practice varies: Seattle and Houston want an FBI check with apostille, Ottawa an RCMP fingerprint check plus a home-country check, and Manila an NBI clearance, tax return and TB screening; employer letters must often be dated within two weeks of filing.
If you stay longer than 90 days you must register as a foreigner within 90 days of entry and report address changes within 14 days; working for a Korean employer or client on this visa is punishable under the Immigration Act.
For short visits most Western and many Asian passports enter visa-free for up to 90 days, and the K-ETA (KRW 10,000) is temporarily waived for the currently exempt countries until 31 December 2026; you can switch to the F-1-D from such a stay at an immigration office if you qualify.

For your passport

Choose your passport in the ranker and the notes that apply to you move to the top.

US:Visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism or business under US Visa Waiver reciprocity, no extension, and currently exempt from K-ETA until 31 December 2026. The F-1-D fee is a flat US$45; consulates want an FBI identity-history check with a State Department apostille and quote about three to four weeks.
CA:The embassy in Ottawa charges CAD 121.50, quotes about 10 business days and wants an RCMP fingerprint check apostilled by Global Affairs Canada plus a home-country check; you must apply in person in its jurisdiction.
PH:Philippine passports need a visa for any stay. The embassy in Manila charges PHP 4,500 and requires NBI clearance, an ITR or Form 2316, a bank certificate with six-month average balance and a TB screening certificate from a designated hospital.
EU, GB, AU, NZ, JP:These passports enter visa-free for short tourist stays (typically 90 days, not extendable); check on k-eta.go.kr whether your nationality is on the K-ETA list that is waived until 31 December 2026. UK passports pay US$250 for a multiple-entry visa under reciprocity; others pay the US$90 basic fee. You can switch to the F-1-D at an immigration office from a tourist stay if you qualify.
All other passports:If your passport is not visa-exempt you need a visa for any entry: apply for the F-1-D at the Korean mission for your country of residence, where the income tiers and KRW 100 million insurance rule are the same for everyone and the fee follows reciprocity (US$90 basic multiple-entry). Nationals of the 35 countries on Korea's TB list also need a screening certificate.

Cities in South Korea on Nostos

Incheon
Balanced score 68 · $1,605/month
Seoul
Balanced score 67 · $2,022/month
Busan
Balanced score 67 · $1,582/month
Daejeon
Balanced score 67 · $2,305/month
Jeonju
Balanced score 66 · $2,250/month
Gangneung
Balanced score 66 · $2,250/month
Daegu
Balanced score 65 · $2,250/month
Gwangju
Balanced score 65 · $2,250/month
Jeju City
Balanced score 65 · $2,250/month

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Frequently asked

Who can apply for the South Korea workcation visa?: Any nationality. You must be 18 or over, employed by (or owner of) a company outside Korea, have at least one year in the same line of work, be able to do the job remotely and have no criminal record. Employment or any profit-making activity inside Korea is barred; working for a Korean employer needs a separate work visa. South Korea's F-1-D workcation visa, made permanent on 30 June 2026, is for people employed by a company abroad for at least a year who can work remotely. You need 1 to 2 times Korea's GNI per capita (KRW 52 to 105 million a year by age and region) and KRW 100 million of medical cover. It gives one year, extendable a year at a time to three; apply at a Korean mission or switch from a tourist stay.
How much income do you need for the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D)?: About $6,512 per month (2× GNI per capita, KRW 104.83 million a year (about KRW 8.74 million a month), for applicants aged 35 or over living in the Seoul capital area; 1.5× (KRW 78.62 million) for 18–34 in the capital area or 35+ elsewhere; 1× (KRW 52.41 million) for 18–34 outside the capital area (2025 GNI of KRW 52.41 million)). Since 30 June 2026 the threshold is a multiple of the previous year's GNI per capita published by the Bank of Korea (about KRW 52.41 million for 2025), graded by age and by whether you will live in the Seoul capital area or in a non-capital or population-decline area. Bringing a spouse or children raises it to 2× in the capital area and 1.5× elsewhere regardless of age. Consulates ask for three to six months of payslips, bank statements and tax returns; Seattle measures income after tax. The US$6,512 figure is the 2× tier (KRW 104.83 million / 12) converted at KRW 1,341.45 per US dollar, from the ECB euro reference rates of 2026-10-13 (US$1.1188 and KRW 1,500.81 per euro); the 1.5× tier is about US$4,884 a month and the 1× tier about US$3,256.
How much does the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D) cost and how long does it take?: The fee is about $90 (US$90 basic fee for a multiple-entry visa (US$45 flat for US citizens; CAD 121.50 at the embassy in Ottawa; PHP 4,500 in Manila)); Korea's basic visa fees are US$40 for a single entry up to 90 days, US$60 for a single entry of 91 days or more, US$70 double entry and US$90 multiple entry; the F-1-D is issued as a one-year multiple-entry visa. Fees follow reciprocity by passport, so some nationalities pay more (UK passports US$250 for multiple entry) and some are exempt. Each mission charges the equivalent in local currency, cash or money order; it is not refunded if the visa is refused. Processing time: 10 days to 4 weeks. The embassy in Canada quotes about 10 business days; the consulate in Seattle quotes three to four weeks with no expedited service. Appointment slots, apostilles on police certificates and employer letters that must be dated within two weeks of filing add to the real timeline.
How long can you stay in South Korea on the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D), and can it be renewed?: 1 year, renewable up to 3 years. The visa is issued as a one-year multiple-entry visa. When you register as a foreigner you are granted one year from the date of entry; a local immigration office can extend it one year at a time up to three years in total (the 2024 to mid-2026 pilot capped it at two).
Does the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D) lead to permanent residence in South Korea?: Not by itself. The official pages say nothing about permanent residence. F-1-D is a sub-category of the F-1 visiting status, is capped at three years and is not among the statuses that lead to the F-5 permanent-residence permit, so treat it as a temporary stay; settling long-term means switching to a work, investment or family visa.
Can family members come with you on the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D)?: Your spouse and minor children can be included in the application with marriage and birth certificates (apostilled or notarised where the mission asks). Children are exempt from the 18-plus rule. Bringing family raises your income requirement to 2× GNI per capita (KRW 104.83 million) if you live in the Seoul capital area, or 1.5× (KRW 78.62 million) outside it, whatever your age.
Do you pay tax in South Korea on the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D)?: Under Korea's Income Tax Act (art. 1-2) you become a tax resident once you have a domicile in Korea or keep a place of residence there for 183 days or more; residents are taxed on worldwide income and non-residents only on Korean-source income (art. 3). A foreign resident who has had a domicile or residence in Korea for five years or less of the past ten is taxed on foreign-source income only to the extent it is paid in or remitted to Korea, which matters because F-1-D income must come from abroad. Check your home country's treaty with Korea; consulates say they cannot answer tax questions.
Where do you apply for the Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D)?: Consulate, then in the country: A Korean embassy or consulate abroad, in person, usually the one covering your place of residence (Canada requires non-Canadians to have lived there two years). If you are already in Korea on a B-1, B-2 or C-3 tourist stay and meet the requirements, you can instead apply to change status at the local immigration office (immigration contact centre 1345).
Can I apply for the Korea workcation visa while I am in Korea as a tourist?: Yes. The Ministry of Justice allows people in Korea on a short-term tourist stay (B-1, B-2 or C-3) who meet the employment, income and insurance requirements to change status to F-1-D at the local immigration office; everyone else applies at a Korean embassy or consulate abroad.
How much do I need to earn for the Korea digital nomad visa in 2026?: It depends on your age and where you will live. On the 2025 GNI per capita of about KRW 52.41 million, applicants aged 35 or over in the Seoul capital area need twice that (KRW 104.83 million a year), under-35s in the capital area or over-35s elsewhere need 1.5 times (KRW 78.62 million), and under-35s outside the capital area need 1 times (KRW 52.41 million). Bringing family raises it to 2× in the capital area and 1.5× elsewhere.
Can I work for Korean clients on the F-1-D visa?: No. Employment and profit-making activities in Korea are restricted on the F-1-D; you must keep working for your overseas employer or company. Taking a Korean job or Korean clients requires a separate work visa and breaching the rule is punishable under the Immigration Act.

Sources

‘연봉 1억’ 문턱은 낮추고 체류기간은 최대 3년으로… 디지털노마드 비자로 ‘지역 활성화’에 기여한다 (press release of 7 July 2026 with F-1-D scheme annex), Ministry of Justice, Korea Immigration Service (immigration.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Permanent operation from 30 June 2026; income tiers by age and region on the 2025 GNI of KRW 52.41 million; one year at a time up to three years; KRW 100 million insurance; documents; change of status from B-1, B-2, C-3; pilot statistics
‘연봉 1억’ 문턱 낮추고 체류는 3년으로…디지털노마드 비자 ‘지방 소멸’ 해결사 된다, Ministry of Justice (moj.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Ministry copy of the same 7 July 2026 press release
디지털노마드(워케이션) 비자 제도 안내 (with English PDF 'Digital Nomad (Workcation) Visa'), Ministry of Justice, Korea Immigration Service (immigration.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Pilot-era guide of 22 February 2024: eligibility, one year in the same industry, age 18, Form No. 17, apostilled criminal record, insurance, one-year stay extendable to two, employment restricted, change of status allowed
법무부, 디지털 노마드(워케이션) 비자 시범운영 실시, Ministry of Justice (moj.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Press release of 29 December 2023: pilot from 1 January 2024, 2× GNI (KRW 84.96 million on 2022 GNI), application at missions abroad, family can apply, no work in Korea
F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Canada (overseas.mofa.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · 2025 GNI per capita KRW 52,416,000; CAD 121.50 fee; about 10 business days; RCMP and home-country checks with apostille; one-year multiple-entry visa extendable in Korea; foreigner registration within 90 days
F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle (overseas.mofa.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · US$45 fee for US citizens; three to four weeks; FBI check with apostille; employer letter within two weeks; income measured after tax
Workation Digital Nomad (F-1-D) Visa, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines (mofa.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Updated 9 July 2026 with the age and region income tiers; PHP 4,500 fee; NBI clearance, ITR, bank certificate, TB screening for 35 nationalities
Workation/Digital Nomad Visa (F-1-D), Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago (overseas.mofa.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Six months of income proof; 1.5× tier for ages 18–34; change of status from B-1, B-2, C-3 via immigration office 1345; employment certificate within three months
비자발급신청에 따른 기본 수수료 (basic visa fees), Korea Visa Portal, Ministry of Justice (visa.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · US$40 single entry up to 90 days, US$60 single entry 91 days or more, US$70 double, US$90 multiple; reciprocity adjustments and exemptions
Visa fees, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA (overseas.mofa.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Fee table of 30 July 2025: US$45 flat for US passports; adjusted fees by nationality (UK US$250 multiple entry) and exempt countries
대한민국 전자여행허가제(K-ETA) 한시 면제 기간 연장 알림, K-ETA Centre, Ministry of Justice (k-eta.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · K-ETA temporary exemption extended to 31 December 2026 for the currently exempt countries; optional paid K-ETA still available
General visa information, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Honolulu (overseas.mofa.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · US citizens may visit visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism, business, conferences or family visits; no extension; work requires a visa
소득세법 제1조의2 (Income Tax Act, art. 1-2, definitions of resident and non-resident), Korean Law Information Center, Ministry of Government Legislation (law.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Resident: domicile in Korea or place of residence for 183 days or more (version in force 1 January 2026)
소득세법 제3조 (Income Tax Act, art. 3, scope of taxable income), Korean Law Information Center, Ministry of Government Legislation (law.go.kr) · retrieved 2026-10-13 · Residents taxed on all income; foreign residents with five years or less in the past ten taxed on foreign-source income only when paid in or remitted to Korea; non-residents on Korean-source income

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