South Korea has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the last few years. Traveling through South Korea, you will encounter five thousand years of history and culture and see beautiful mountains and tranquil bays. However, South Korea is not only popular to visit. With its high quality of life, reasonable cost of living, and generous salaries, the country is the best place for expats to move to.
Suppose you are considering relocating to South Korea but need help figuring out where to start. In that case, this article provides an overview of how to move to South Korea.
1. Do I Need a Visa to Move to South Korea?
Anyone wishing to move to South Korea and stay for a period longer than three months (90 days) needs a visa to move to South Korea. Depending on the purpose of your travel and how long you wish to stay in South Korea, you can choose which type of visa suits you best.
2. How to Move to South Korea?
To move to South Korea, you must hold a long-term visa. And, to legally reside for a period longer than three months, you must register your stay and apply for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) at the nearest Immigration Office in South Korea.
To move for over three months, you can choose from one of the following routes:
– Moving to South Korea to work.
– Moving to South Korea to study.
– Moving to South Korea to join a family member.
Moving to South Korea for Work
To move to South Korea for work, you need to obtain a work visa and a work permit. What type of work visa and permit you hold depends on your job position and how long you wish to stay in South Korea. The following visas allow you to work longer than 90 days:
– E-1 professor visa.
– E-2 foreign language instructor.
– E-3 research.
– E-4 technological guidance.
– E-5 special profession.
– E-6 culture and art.
– E-7 specially designed activities.
– D-5 long-term new coverage.
– D-8-4 technology and business start-up visa.
– D-10-2 business start-up visa.
– D-8-1 investment visa.
Upon entering the country, you have to register your stay at a local Immigration Office in South Korea. In addition, you must also get your Alien Registration Card (ARC) at the Immigration Office.
Nevertheless, you must hold an F-5 permanent residence visa to become a permanent resident in South Korea. To be eligible for the visa, you must hold an F-2-7 or F-2-99 visa.
– F-2-7 visa. If you hold an E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, D-2, D-5, D-6, D-7, D-8, D-9, and D-10 visa after working for a year in South Korea, you can apply for an F-2-7 visa. The F-2-7 visa is valid for three years.
– F-2-99 visa. If you do not meet the requirements for an F-2-7 visa, you can try applying for an F-2-99 visa. The visa is valid for one to three years. You can apply for the visa if:
– You hold a D-1, D-5, D-6, D-7, D-8, D-9, E-6-1, E-6-3, F-1, and F-3 for seven or more consecutive years.
– You hold an E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, and E-7 for five or more consecutive years in South Korea.
Moving to South Korea to Study
The first thing you must do in order to study in South Korea is apply for a university there. Then get accepted and get a “Certificate of Admission”. Lastly, apply for a student visa (D-2 visa)*. Depending on what you will study, you can choose from the following visas:
– D-2-1 associate degree visa.
– D-2-2 bachelor’s degree visa.
– D-2-3 master’s degree visa.
– D-2-4 doctoral degree visa.
– D-2-5 research visa.
– D-2-6 exchange visa.
Within 90 days of your arrival in South Korea, you must apply for an Alien Registration Card (ARC). To obtain permanent residency as a student in South Korea, you must hold an F-5 permanent resident visa. In addition, you must get a degree from a South Korean university to be eligible for the visa.
* There is also a D-4 visa general trainee, with which you can study in a non-degree course or engage in research. But the D-4 visa does not lead to permanent residency because you must obtain a degree to be eligible for an F-5 permanent resident visa.
Moving to South Korea for Family Reunification
You can move to South Korea for family reunification if you apply got a long-term family visit visa. You are eligible to apply if:
– You are the spouse of a South Korean citizen.
– You are the spouse or the child (under the age of 20) of a South Korean temporary or permanent resident.
In addition, after entering South Korea, you must register your stay and apply for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) at the nearest Immigration Office.
3. Can I Move to South Korea Without a Job?
If you have not found a job, you can still move to South Korea. But first, you have to apply for a D-10 Job Seeker visa. To be eligible for the visa, you must meet the following requirements:
– Your previous employer has been featured in the Fortune 500 list (no later than the last three years).
– You have graduated from a university listed on the Times Higher World University Rankings.
– You are a recent graduate of a Korean community college or university.
– Within the past three years, you completed a research program at a Korean research institution with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
– The head of a diplomatic mission recognizes you.
4. How Can I Get Permanent Residency in South Korea?
You can get permanent residency in South Korea after holding one of the F-type long-term residency visas. The most popular ones are the F-2-7 and F-2-99. After holding one of the visas, you must apply for the F-5 visa, which is a permanent residence visa for South Korea.
To be eligible for the visa, you must meet the following requirements:
– You invest nearly ₩600 million (approx. $500,000) or more in a Korean business and hire five or more locals.
– You marry a Korean citizen or an F-5 holder.
– You obtain a degree in South Korea.
– You obtain a doctorate degree and get a job in the field of high technology.
– You run a business under a D-8-4 start-up visa for at least three years; you make ₩300 million (approx. $256,100) and hire at least two Korean employees for no less than six months.
– You get recognized by the Ministry of Justice for your exceptional talent in Science, Education, Culture, Arts, Sports, or Management.
– You hold an F-2 visa for at least five years and can support yourself financially.
– You hold an F-4 Overseas Korean visa for at least two years.
5. How Can I Obtain South Korean Citizenship?
You can obtain South Korean citizenship through the following routes:
– Citizenship by naturalization. You can become a South Korean citizen by naturalization if you meet the following requirements:
– You have lived in South Korea for over five consecutive years with permanent residency status.
– You are a legal adult, according to Korean Civil Law.
– You have good conduct defined by the Ministry of Justice decree.
– You can financially support yourself.
– You know the Korean language, customs, and culture.
– The Minister of Justice acknowledges your Korean citizenship.
– Citizenship by paternity. You can obtain South Korean citizenship by paternity if:
– At least one of your parents is a South Korean citizen at the time of your birth. *
– You are a minor, according to Korean Civil Law.
– Citizenship by marriage. You can become a South Korean citizen if you marry a South Korean citizen and maintain your marriage for at least two years. You also must meet the requirements that citizenship by naturalization.
– Re-acquisition of citizenship. If you have lost your South Korean citizenship, you can obtain it by declaring citizenship re-acquisition. You must give up your foreign citizenship within one year of losing your South Korean citizenship.
* Minors born between unmarried parents (a South Korean citizen and a foreigner) can acquire South Korean citizenship when the South Korean parent files a recognition application after putting their name under his/her family register.
6. Does South Korea Allow Dual Citizenship?
South Korea does not allow dual citizenship. Therefore, if you acquire Korean citizenship, you must renounce your home country’s citizenship within one year. At the same time, South Korean nationals will lose their Korean citizenship if they acquire a foreign one.
7. How Can I Relocate My Household to South Korea?
You can relocate your household to South Korea by plane or cargo ship. It is up to you and your needs to decide which is right for you. Shipping via air can be more expensive, but it will also be faster. You might even receive your items the same day as you do when you ship by air. You can also send your items via cargo ship, it is cheaper, but it will take a few months to get there.
South Korea has a few customs regulations you must follow:
– Your household items must be used to be allied duty-free.
– Your household items must arrive within six months of your entry.
– Large amounts of any items with be inspected.
– You must have an itemized list and record what is in the boxes.
– To claim any expensive item, you must provide your passport.
Prohibited items in South Korea include:
– Drugs and narcotics.
– Plants and plant products (you must provide a phytosanitary certificate issued by the plant quarantine office of your country).
– Beef and pork (declared to Customs agents).
– Subversive, harmful items to national security or public interests.
– Products from communist countries.
– Foreign currency above $10.000.
Restricted items include:
– Weapons and ammunition.
– Recreational drugs (opium, marijuana, cocaine, etc).
– Precious metals.
– Goods that may be a threat to the quality of water sources and the growth of saplings.
– Imported wildlife that is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
– Products made from animals under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Can I Bring My Car to South Korea?
You can bring your car to South Korea. But first, you must prove that you intend to live there for at least one year. Then, the car must be in your possession for at least three months, and if it arrives within six months of your arrival will not be subject to duty tax.
When you claim your car, you must present a few documents:
– Original registration certificate.
– Proof of purchase.
– Your passport.
– Proof of vehicle insurance.
– A completed customs declaration form.
– A work permit or employment contract.