--- title: "South Korea F-2 Points talent requirements 2026: 5-year stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/f2-point-based-talent/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-11 --- South Korea · Work # South Korea F-2 Points talent **First stay:** 5 yrs Resident, Point-based Foreign Talent (F-2) First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 5 yrs (Up to 5 years per grant; permanent residence (F-5) can be applied for after more than 3 years as point-based F-2.) - **Renewal:** Renewable - **Who can apply:** Any passport - **Spouse work:** Limited (Spouse and minor children can be invited as F-2 only if the main holder meets the income standard (GNI or higher); otherwise they come as F-1. Your spouse or partner may work in South Korea without a separate permit only when admitted on Resident (F-2) status, which needs your income to meet the GNI standard.) - **Tax angle:** Tax relief (Korea: remittance basis for foreign-source income of foreigners with 5 years or less of residence: A foreign resident whose total period of domicile or residence in Korea is five years or less in the ten years before the end of the tax period is taxed on foreign-source income only to the extent it is paid in Korea or remitted to Korea.) ## Key facts F-2 Points talent is a work route for South Korea. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source. - **First stay:** 5 yrs ## Time and long term **Permanent residence: After 3 years of residence** Point-based F-2 holders can apply after more than 3 years in that status; completing level 5 of the Social Integration Program meets the basic-knowledge test. [Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/230/454085/download.do) **Citizenship: General rule: 5 years of residence** General naturalization needs 5 consecutive years of domicile in Korea and qualification for permanent residence, plus good conduct, self-support and basic knowledge of Korea. [Korea Legislation Research Institute](https://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawViewContent.do?hseq=61297) ## Why this route may not fit Check this before you apply. - Needs earlier residence or an existing status in South Korea - Needs a job offer from an employer in South Korea ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - The applicant belongs to one of five groups: listed-company employee, promising-industry worker, professional, international-student talent or potential top talent. - Listed-company employees work or have a confirmed job at a KOSPI or KOSDAQ company, or in a manager, professional or related occupation. - Promising-industry workers are in a high-tech field and earn at least 1.5 times prior-year GNI per capita. - Professionals have stayed lawfully 3 or more consecutive years in E-1 to E-7 (except E-6-2 and E-7-2 to E-7-4) or D-5 to D-9 status. - International-student talent holds a Korean master's or higher degree and a confirmed job within 5 years of graduation. - Potential top talent holds a master's or doctorate from a listed science and engineering institute. - The applicant scores at least 80 of 170 points on age, education, Korean ability, income and bonus items. - Disqualifiers include a prison sentence in the last 5 years, a court fine of KRW 3 million (≈ $2,250) or more in 3 years, and false documents. - Three or more Immigration Act violations in 3 years with penalty notices totalling KRW 5 million (≈ $3,750) or more also disqualify. #### What you must show - Income points use the latest National Tax Service income certificate; no income or below minimum wage scores 0. #### Steps 1. Foreign students can change directly from D-2 to point-based F-2 when the requirements are met. #### After you arrive - Permanent residence (F-5) can be applied for after more than 3 years as point-based F-2. ## What happens at day 183 How South Korea decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records. - **Stay on this route:** **Up to 5 years at first, renewable** - **Tax residence:** - **At least 183 days in a continuous residence in Korea** A person with no domicile who has a residence in Korea for 183 days or more is a resident - **Foreign-source income:** **Remittance basis (5 years)** A foreign resident whose total period of domicile or residence in Korea is five years or less in the ten years before the end of the tax period is taxed on foreign-source income only to the extent it is paid in Korea or remitted to Korea. - **Special regime:** **Remittance basis for foreign-source income of foreigners with 5 years or less of residence** · Tax relief [All tax rules for South Korea](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/tax/) Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026 **Full official text** Resident status for employees of listed companies, promising-industry workers, professionals and international-student talent who score 80 of 170 points; leads to F-5 after 3 years. (sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) #### Requirements - The applicant belongs to one of five groups: listed-company employee, promising-industry worker, professional, international-student talent or potential top talent. (source 1) - Listed-company employees work or have a confirmed job at a KOSPI or KOSDAQ company, or in a manager, professional or related occupation. (source 1) - Promising-industry workers are in a high-tech field and earn at least 1.5 times prior-year GNI per capita. (source 1) - Professionals have stayed lawfully 3 or more consecutive years in E-1 to E-7 (except E-6-2 and E-7-2 to E-7-4) or D-5 to D-9 status. (source 1) - International-student talent holds a Korean master's or higher degree and a confirmed job within 5 years of graduation. (source 1) - Potential top talent holds a master's or doctorate from a listed science and engineering institute. (source 1) - The applicant scores at least 80 of 170 points on age, education, Korean ability, income and bonus items. (sources 1, 2) - Disqualifiers include a prison sentence in the last 5 years, a court fine of KRW 3 million (≈ $2,250) or more in 3 years, and false documents. (source 1) - Three or more Immigration Act violations in 3 years with penalty notices totalling KRW 5 million (≈ $3,750) or more also disqualify. (source 1) - Income points use the latest National Tax Service income certificate; no income or below minimum wage scores 0. (source 2) - Foreign students can change directly from D-2 to point-based F-2 when the requirements are met. (source 3) - Permanent residence (F-5) can be applied for after more than 3 years as point-based F-2. (source 3) #### Stay - Up to 5 years per grant; permanent residence (F-5) can be applied for after more than 3 years as point-based F-2. - First stay: up to 60 months, decided case by case. - Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal. #### Work Resident status with broad work rights. #### Family Spouse and minor children can be invited as F-2 only if the main holder meets the income standard (GNI or higher); otherwise they come as F-1. Your spouse or partner may work in South Korea without a separate permit only when admitted on Resident (F-2) status, which needs your income to meet the GNI standard. Checked 2026-10-11 ## Official sources 1. [Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2025-408: age, education and income standards for Resident (F-2) point-based talent (effective 24 October 2025)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/admRulInfoR.do?admRulSeq=2100000266296) · Ministry of Justice (Korea), via National Law Information Center · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-10-24 2. [Annex 2 to Notice 2025-408: age, education and income evaluation items for point-based talent Resident (F-2)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/flDownload.do?flSeq=157761901&bylClsCd=200208) · Ministry of Justice (Korea), via National Law Information Center · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-10-24 3. [Visa Navigator: Customized Stay Guide for Foreign Residents](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/230/454085/download.do) · Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-12 4. [Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 23: employment by status of stay (in force 1 June 2025)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsPdfPrint.do?ancYnChk=0&lsiSeq=271319&efYd=20250601&efGubun=Y&joAllCheck=Y&joEfOutPutYn=on&mokChaChk=N&bylChaChk=N) · Ministry of Government Legislation (National Law Information Center) · checked 2026-10-12 5. [Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Annex 1-2: long-term stay statuses (amended 27 May 2025)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/flDownload.do?gubun=&flSeq=152014589&bylClsCd=110201) · National Law Information Center, Korea (law.go.kr) · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2025-05-27 6. [Visa Navigator customised stay guide for foreign residents (Korean-language edition)](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/230/454086/download.do) · Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-10 7. [Nationality Act (Articles 5 and 6, English translation)](https://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawViewContent.do?hseq=61297) · Korea Legislation Research Institute (Ministry of Government Legislation) · checked 2026-10-11 ## F-2 Points talent and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | F-2 Points talent | – | 5 yr, renewable | – | | [Job Seeker (D-10)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/d10-job-seeker/) | – | 1 yr, renewable | Limited | | [Special Occupation (E-7)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/e7-special-activity/) | Needs income from ₩25.9M a year ≈ $19k | 3 yr, renewable | Limited | | [Top-Tier · industry job](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/f2t-top-tier-talent/) | Needs income from ₩149.9M a year ≈ $112k | 5 yr | – | | [LTR · Highly Skilled](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/thailand/ltr-highly-skilled-professional/) Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – | ## Questions people ask ### How long can I stay on the F-2 Points talent? Up to 5 years per grant; permanent residence (F-5) can be applied for after more than 3 years as point-based F-2. ### Can I work on the F-2 Points talent? Resident status with broad work rights. ### Can I bring my family on the F-2 Points talent? Spouse and minor children can be invited as F-2 only if the main holder meets the income standard (GNI or higher); otherwise they come as F-1. ### Does the F-2 Points talent lead to permanent residence in South Korea? Time on the F-2 Points talent counts toward permanent residence in South Korea, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence. The general rule for citizenship is 5 years of residence. ### Is there a tax break for F-2 Points talent holders in South Korea? Korea: remittance basis for foreign-source income of foreigners with 5 years or less of residence: A foreign resident whose total period of domicile or residence in Korea is five years or less in the ten years before the end of the tax period is taxed on foreign-source income only to the extent it is paid in Korea or remitted to Korea. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions. ## Tax Special regime ### [Korea: remittance basis for foreign-source income of foreigners with 5 years or less of residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/tax/#tax-kr-foreign-source-remittance-basis) Tax relief Foreign-source income: Remittance basis (5 years) **Details** - On: Foreign-source income that is paid in Korea or remitted to Korea - Who: Foreign national (not a Korean citizen) who is a Korean tax resident A foreign resident whose total period of domicile or residence in Korea is five years or less in the ten years before the end of the tax period is taxed on foreign-source income only to the extent it is paid in Korea or remitted to Korea. #### Taxed on Foreign-source income that is paid in Korea or remitted to Korea; Korean-source income and all other income is taxed in full under the progressive income tax. #### Who it applies to - Foreign national (not a Korean citizen) who is a Korean tax resident. - Sum of periods with a domicile or residence in Korea over the 10 years before the end of the taxable period is 5 years or less. - Resident means having a domicile in Korea or a residence of 183 days or more. #### Exclusions - After more than five years of domicile or residence within the ten-year look-back, foreign-source income is taxed on a worldwide basis as for Korean residents. - Income not paid or remitted into Korea stays outside the Korean base for qualifying foreigners. #### Days in the country - At least 183 days in continuous residence in Korea · A person with no domicile who has a residence in Korea for 183 days or more is a resident #### Tax residence The five-year test is counted over the ten years before the end of the relevant taxable period; non-residents are taxed only on Korean-source income (article 3(2)). #### Visas Applies by tax residence status and nationality, not by visa category. #### Other taxes Local income tax, VAT and social insurance apply separately; see “Optional flat tax rate for foreign employees” and “Korea progressive comprehensive income tax rates” for employment tax rates. Checked against official sources on 10 Oct 2026 [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) [Full page →](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/tax/) ## More in South Korea [Top-Tier · science](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/f2t-top-tier-science/) [Working Holiday (H-1)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/working-holiday-h1/) [Workcation visa (F-1-D)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/f1d-digital-nomad/) [Startup Korea Special (D-8-4)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/d8-4s-startup/) [D-8 Tech Start-up](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/d8-tech-startup/) [D-4 language study](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/d4-language-trainee/) [Student visa (D-2)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/d2-student/) [Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/south-korea/f4-overseas-korean/) ## Work visas elsewhere [🇯🇵 Highly Skilled Professional](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/japan/highly-skilled-professional/) [🇮🇩 Special talent visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/indonesia/e33a-special-talent-sponsored/) [🇦🇪 Golden · Senior specialist](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-arab-emirates/golden-specialised-professional/) [🇸🇬 Employment Pass](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/singapore/employment-pass/) [🇲🇾 Residence Pass-Talent](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/malaysia/rp-t/) [🇹🇼 Job-seeker visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/taiwan/employment-seeking-resident-visa/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## How this was checked **Checked on 2026-10-11 against 7 official sources.** Status: verified against the official sources. Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out. 1. [Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2025-408: age, education and income standards for Resident (F-2) point-based talent (effective 24 October 2025)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/admRulInfoR.do?admRulSeq=2100000266296) · Ministry of Justice (Korea), via National Law Information Center · checked 2026-10-10 2. [Annex 2 to Notice 2025-408: age, education and income evaluation items for point-based talent Resident (F-2)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/flDownload.do?flSeq=157761901&bylClsCd=200208) · Ministry of Justice (Korea), via National Law Information Center · checked 2026-10-10 3. [Visa Navigator: Customized Stay Guide for Foreign Residents](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/230/454085/download.do) · Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-12 4. [Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 23: employment by status of stay (in force 1 June 2025)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsPdfPrint.do?ancYnChk=0&lsiSeq=271319&efYd=20250601&efGubun=Y&joAllCheck=Y&joEfOutPutYn=on&mokChaChk=N&bylChaChk=N) · Ministry of Government Legislation (National Law Information Center) · checked 2026-10-12 5. [Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Annex 1-2: long-term stay statuses (amended 27 May 2025)](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/flDownload.do?gubun=&flSeq=152014589&bylClsCd=110201) · National Law Information Center, Korea (law.go.kr) · checked 2026-10-12 6. [Visa Navigator customised stay guide for foreign residents (Korean-language edition)](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/230/454086/download.do) · Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-10 7. [Nationality Act (Articles 5 and 6, English translation)](https://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawViewContent.do?hseq=61297) · Korea Legislation Research Institute (Ministry of Government Legislation) · checked 2026-10-11 Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.