Korea's F-1-D visa: up to three years in Korea on a paycheck from home
Since June 30, 2026, the income bar depends on your age and where you'll live. Here's what Americans need, what it costs and how to apply.
The F-1-D, which Korea calls the workation visa, lets you live in South Korea while you keep working for a company outside it. It stopped being a pilot on June 30, 2026, and the longest you can stay went from two years to three. The bigger news is the income test. It now depends on your age and your address, so a 30-year-old living in Busan can qualify on half what a 40-year-old in Seoul needs.
The 2026 income floors, by age and address
₩52.4M
Age 18 to 34, living outside the capital region
about $37,000 a year (1x GNI)
₩78.6M
Age 18 to 34, living in the capital region
about $55,400 a year (1.5x GNI)
₩78.6M
Age 35 and up, living outside the capital region
about $55,400 a year (1.5x GNI)
₩104.8M
Age 35 and up, living in the capital region
about $73,900 a year (2x GNI)
Who it fits
Made for employees and owners of foreign companies
You need more than a year with a company outside Korea, or a foreign company you own, in the same line of work. Every dollar has to come from outside Korea.
The floors above are multiples of Korea's 2025 GNI per capita, ₩52.41 million, and they reset each year. The capital region means Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.
- Good fit: salaried remote employees, and owners of a U.S. company
- Unclear: freelancers with many clients (the Korean embassy in Singapore says freelancers don't qualify)
- Not a fit: retirees, or anyone hoping to work for Korean companies or clients
Your address can be worth about $18,500 a year
If you're 18 to 34, living outside the capital region or in a population-decline area drops your floor from 1.5x to 1x GNI. Even so, about 85% of current holders live in the capital region, so plenty of people pay the higher bar to be near Seoul.
How to apply
Apply from home, then register in Korea
You apply at the Korean consulate that serves the state you live in, and it won't rush your file. Seattle quotes three to four weeks, so order the FBI check first.
- Get an FBI Identity History Summary ($18). It's good for six months from the FBI's issue date, not the apostille date
- Have it apostilled by the U.S. Department of State
- Buy private insurance worth at least ₩100 million that covers hospital care and evacuation home
- Get an employment letter stating remote work from Korea, plus pay stubs, three months of bank statements and tax returns, all issued within six months
- Pay the $45 fee (a money order if you apply by mail) and submit
- Within 90 days of landing, apply for your residence card (₩30,000)
What it costs and how long it takes
$45
Visa fee for U.S. citizens
money order if mailed
$18
FBI background check
about 48 hours via a post office
3-4 weeks
Consulate processing
Seattle, no expedited option
₩30,000
Residence card fee
register within 90 days
Once you're there
Family, health coverage and taxes on an F-1-D
Your first stay is one year. You extend in person at your local immigration office, up to three years in total. After that, you leave or qualify for a different visa, such as a D-8 investor or an E-series work visa.
- Family: your legal spouse and unmarried children under 18 can come, with marriage and birth certificates
- Work: no Korean employer, no Korean clients, no income earned inside Korea
- Health: keep your private policy. Public insurance starts after six months, and unpaid premiums can block an extension
- Korean tax: for your first five years in Korea, foreign pay is taxed only if it's paid by a Korean entity or sent to Korea
- U.S. tax: you still file. The 2026 foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900, and an FBAR is due once foreign accounts pass $10,000
The rules are still settling
U.S. consulate pages still show pilot-era income figures, and Korean missions disagree on whether you can switch to the F-1-D inside Korea after a visa-free entry. Confirm both with your consulate before you book a flight. This page reflects the rules as of September 2026.
Help with the pieces around the visa
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach whose one-hour consultations build a plan for getting care in your new country.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
An international health insurance partner that can quote private coverage for a move abroad.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Online tax filing for Americans abroad, including the U.S. return and foreign-account reports.
F-1-D visa questions
How much income do I need for South Korea's digital nomad visa in 2026?
It depends on your age and where you'll live. The base is Korea's 2025 GNI per capita, ₩52.41 million (about $37,000). If you're 18 to 34, you need 1x that outside the capital region (Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province) and 1.5x inside it. If you're 35 or older, you need 1.5x outside the capital region and 2x, about ₩104.8 million (about $73,900), inside it.
Do I need an FBI background check for the F-1-D visa?
Yes. U.S. applicants need an FBI criminal history check apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, issued within six months before you apply. The six months count from the FBI's issue date, not the apostille date. If you've lived outside the U.S. for more than a year in a row in the past five years, you'll also need that country's background check.
Do I pay Korean taxes on my U.S. salary with an F-1-D visa?
Possibly not at first. Foreign residents who've lived in Korea five years or less out of the past 10 are taxed on foreign income only when it's paid by a Korean entity or sent to Korea. Guidance for nomad visa holders is still evolving, so get tax advice. You'll still file a U.S. return, and the 2026 foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900.
Can I apply for the F-1-D after entering South Korea visa-free?
Maybe, but don't count on it. Some Korean missions say visitors in B-1, B-2 or C-3 status can switch to the F-1-D at an immigration office in Korea, while the embassy in Singapore says they can't. Americans can visit for up to 90 days without a visa and don't need a K-ETA through December 31, 2026, but applying at your U.S. consulate first is the safer plan.
Can I work for Korean companies or clients on an F-1-D visa?
No. The F-1-D is for income earned outside Korea. You can't take a job with a Korean employer or earn money from Korean sources while you hold it.
What is South Korea's F-1-D visa?
The F-1-D, or workation visa, lets foreigners live in South Korea while working remotely for a company outside Korea. It became a permanent program on June 30, 2026, after a pilot that started in January 2024, and it allows stays of up to three years.
How long does the F-1-D visa take to process?
Plan on about a month at the consulate. The Korean consulate in Seattle quotes three to four weeks and doesn't offer expedited service. Getting the FBI check and its State Department apostille beforehand can add a few more weeks.
Can I bring my spouse and kids on an F-1-D visa?
Yes. Your legal spouse and unmarried children under 18 can come with you. Korean consulates in the U.S. ask for marriage and birth certificates to prove the relationship.
Is the F-1-D your best way abroad?
Take the free Expatsi Test and compare South Korea with other countries on cost, healthcare, safety and the visas you'd qualify for.
Why not you?