South Korea · For your nationality or ancestry
South Korea Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa
First stay: 2 yrs
Overseas Korean visa (F-4) for former Korean nationals and their children and grandchildren
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa is a for your nationality or ancestry route for South Korea. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
Stays of up to two years are granted and extended in Korea.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Korean embassy or consulate for your place of residence.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside South Korea, not after arriving
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- You previously held Korean nationality and acquired a foreign nationality, including emigration before the Republic of Korea was founded.
- Or at least one parent or grandparent held Korean nationality before acquiring a foreign nationality.
- Men who gave up Korean nationality without completing military service cannot get the F-4 until the year they turn 41, unless they lost nationality before 1 May 2018.
Documents6
- Visa application form, a recent photo and a passport valid for more than six months.
- Korean family relation or identification certificate of you or of your parent or grandparent, with documents proving the family link.
- Applicants of Korean descent aged 14 or older submit an overseas criminal record certificate; people aged 60 or older and aged 13 or younger are exempt, as are people of national merit and their families.
- The criminal record check covers every country you lived in for at least one year in the last five years; the embassy in the United States asks for an FBI record issued within the last six months, with an apostille.
- Applicants submit proof of basic Korean: a Social Integration Programme pre-assessment score of 21 or more or completion of level 1, TOPIK level 1, or King Sejong Institute Beginner 1B. With it the stay period is two years; without it, up to one year.
- Proof of Korean is not required from people who once held Korean nationality, people aged 60 or older, people aged 13 or younger, and F-4 holders who have lived in Korea for three years or more.
Steps1
- Apply in person at the Korean embassy or consulate for your residence after booking online.
After you arrive1
- Stays over 90 days require foreigner registration and an Alien Registration Card within 90 days of entry.
What happens at day 183
How South Korea decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a continuous residence in KoreaA 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 Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Certified translation
The criminal record check covers every country you lived in for at least one year in the last five years
- Police certificate and civil documents
Applicants of Korean descent aged 14 or older submit an overseas criminal record certificate
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
The F-4 visa is a residence status, not citizenship, for people who once held Korean nationality and for people with a parent or grandparent who held Korean nationality before taking a foreign one. It is issued as a five-year multiple-entry visa with stays of up to two years; applicants who are required to show basic Korean and do not are given stays of up to one year. 1 2
Requirements
- You previously held Korean nationality and acquired a foreign nationality, including emigration before the Republic of Korea was founded. 1
- Or at least one parent or grandparent held Korean nationality before acquiring a foreign nationality. 1 2
- Men who gave up Korean nationality without completing military service cannot get the F-4 until the year they turn 41, unless they lost nationality before 1 May 2018. 2
- Visa application form, a recent photo and a passport valid for more than six months. 1 2
- Korean family relation or identification certificate of you or of your parent or grandparent, with documents proving the family link. 1 2
- Applicants of Korean descent aged 14 or older submit an overseas criminal record certificate; people aged 60 or older and aged 13 or younger are exempt, as are people of national merit and their families. 1
- The criminal record check covers every country you lived in for at least one year in the last five years; the embassy in the United States asks for an FBI record issued within the last six months, with an apostille. 1
- Applicants submit proof of basic Korean: a Social Integration Programme pre-assessment score of 21 or more or completion of level 1, TOPIK level 1, or King Sejong Institute Beginner 1B. With it the stay period is two years; without it, up to one year. 1 2
- Proof of Korean is not required from people who once held Korean nationality, people aged 60 or older, people aged 13 or younger, and F-4 holders who have lived in Korea for three years or more. 1
- Apply in person at the Korean embassy or consulate for your residence after booking online. 1
- Stays over 90 days require foreigner registration and an Alien Registration Card within 90 days of entry. 2
Stay
- Multiple-entry visa valid five years with stays of up to two years; without proof of Korean proficiency, where it is required, the stay period is up to one year. The status is extended in Korea.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
- Visa validity: 60 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Open to foreign nationals who held Korean nationality or whose parent or grandparent did.
Work
F-4 holders may work in Korea except in simple labour occupations restricted by the Ministry of Justice.
Family
A spouse or minor child who is of Korean descent applies for F-4 on their own ancestry. A spouse and minor children who are not of Korean descent can get a one-year multiple-entry family visit (F-1-9) visa.
Official sources
- Overseas Korean (F-4) Visa · Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2026-05-27
- Overseas Korean Visa (F-4) – eligibility and required documents · Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Norway (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-08-19
Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Ex-citizen descendant visa (E32B) Indonesia | Needs an investment from $30k | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Quota Immigrant (13) Philippines | – | – | – |
| K visa (Khmer origin) Cambodia | – | – | – |
| NRN visa (Nepali origin) Nepal | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa?
Multiple-entry visa valid five years with stays of up to two years; without proof of Korean proficiency, where it is required, the stay period is up to one year.
Can I work on the Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa?
Limited. F-4 holders may work in Korea except in simple labour occupations restricted by the Ministry of Justice.
Can I bring my family on the Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa?
A spouse or minor child who is of Korean descent applies for F-4 on their own ancestry.
Is there a tax break for Korean F-4 overseas Korean visa 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
Tax relief
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 Change log
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 2 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
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.
- Overseas Korean (F-4) Visa · Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) · checked 2026-10-12
- Overseas Korean Visa (F-4) – eligibility and required documents · Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Norway (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.