South Korea Digital Nomad Visa (2026)

Digital nomad visa: Yes

Overall6/10Easier visas than about 55% of cities

Good to know

Good to Know

For most Western passport holders (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, NZ), you currently do not need to apply for anything in advance — no visa, no K-ETA — just show up with a valid passport and an onward ticket, good for 90 days.
This 'no K-ETA needed' grace period is temporary and currently set to expire December 31, 2026 — after that, the same nationalities will need to apply online for a K-ETA (a quick, cheap step, but don't assume it stays free forever).
Visa-free time is for tourism/business only — working remotely for a foreign employer while on this status sits in a legal gray area that Korean immigration has not clearly blessed, so long-term nomads sometimes do periodic 'visa runs,' though immigration can question frequent re-entries without a clear tourism purpose.
Only apply for K-ETA (when it applies to you) via the official k-eta.go.kr site or app — third-party sites charging inflated 'service fees' are common and are not the government's own channel.
The 90-day count is per entry, not a rolling annual allowance — check your own nationality's specific entry, since some visa-waiver countries only get 30 or 60 days rather than 90.
The income bar (~KRW 88.1 million/year, roughly twice Korea's GNI per capita) is high compared to many other countries' digital nomad visas, making this a visa for established remote professionals rather than early-career freelancers.
You can switch directly from a tourist visa or visa-free entry (B-1/B-2/C-3) to F-1-D at a local immigration office without leaving Korea, which is a convenient option if you're already there and qualify.
Whether you owe Korean tax on foreign income depends heavily on how many days you spend in Korea in a calendar year (the 183-day threshold) — staying just under that limit keeps most nomads out of Korean worldwide-income taxation.
Official Korean tax guidance specific to F-1-D holders is still developing; it's worth consulting a Korean tax professional (or the National Tax Service's English helpline) once you approach or exceed 183 days in-country.
Freelancers who are not affiliated with an established overseas company have received mixed guidance on eligibility — some sources say self-employed/business owners qualify, others state the visa is not open to independent freelancers. Confirm your specific situation with a consulate before applying.

Visa Free Entry

Summary: South Korea has a broad visa-waiver system covering roughly 110+ countries, including the US, Canada, UK, EU member states, Australia, and New Zealand — the passports most nomads reading this guide are likely to hold. For these nationalities, the default baseline is 90 days visa-free for tourism or business purposes, with no visa application needed for a short stay.
Who Qualifies: Citizens of visa-exemption-agreement countries entering for tourism or short-term business. This does NOT cover employment, teaching, study, or any stay intended to exceed 90 days — those require an appropriate visa category regardless of nationality.
Standard Duration: Most nomad-relevant nationalities (US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, and dozens of others) get 90 days per entry, visa-free. A smaller number of visa-waiver countries get shorter allowances (30 or 60 days) depending on the specific bilateral agreement, so travelers should verify their own nationality's exact allowance.
Overstay Consequences: Overstaying the 90-day (or shorter) visa-free period can lead to fines, an exit ban, detention, and being barred from re-entry; visa status cannot be changed while inside the country, so anyone wanting to stay longer or switch purpose must exit and apply for the correct visa from outside Korea, or apply for an extension/status change through the Korea Immigration Service before the stay expires.

Arrival Card

Visa fee: Free
Description: All arriving travelers (including K-ETA-exempt visa-free entrants) must submit an entry declaration, now doable online via the e-Arrival Card up to 3 days before arrival, or on paper on arrival.

ETA Requirement

Name: K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization)
Fee If Required: ₩10,000
Processing Time: Typically 24–72 hours when required; the official site recommends applying at least 72 hours before departure.
Current Exemption: South Korea has temporarily suspended the K-ETA requirement for most visa-waiver nationalities (including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, EU countries and more). This exemption was most recently extended through December 31, 2026.
After Exemption Ends: From January 1, 2027, travelers from currently-exempt countries will again need to obtain a K-ETA before flying to South Korea.
Validity When Required: A granted K-ETA is valid for 3 years (or until passport expiry, whichever is sooner) and covers multiple entries.
Description: Since September 2021, K-ETA has technically been a mandatory pre-travel screening for citizens of visa-exempt countries, done online before departure.

Official Sources

Requirements For Entry

Passport valid through the departure date from South Korea
Proof of onward or return ticket
Purpose of visit must be tourism or short-term business, not employment or study

Digital Nomad Visa And Tax

Overview: South Korea's dedicated remote-work visa, piloted in January 2024 and now a standing program, lets foreign remote workers and their dependents live in the country while working exclusively for employers or clients based outside Korea.
Visa Name: F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa
Dependents: Spouse and minor children can accompany the primary applicant under the same F-1-D status; only the primary applicant must meet the income threshold, but each dependent needs their own qualifying health insurance and is also barred from working in Korea.
Visa Ease Tier: moderate
Processing Time: Typically around 3-4 weeks, though some sources cite faster 10-15 day turnarounds; timing varies by consulate/immigration office workload and documentation completeness
Income Requirement: ₩88,102,000
Must earn more than twice South Korea's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita for the previous year, as announced by the Bank of Korea. This threshold applies only to the primary applicant, not accompanying dependents.
Visa Ease Tier Rationale: South Korea offers a generous 90-day visa-free entry for most nomad nationalities and a dedicated F-1-D digital nomad visa, but the visa has a high income threshold (~$58k), extensive documentation, no PR pathway, and evolving/ambiguous tax treatment for long-stayers.
Path To Permanent Residency: The F-1-D visa does not provide a direct pathway to permanent residency or citizenship.

Tax Notes

Other Taxes: Value-added tax (VAT) is 10%, typically already included in retail prices. An acquisition tax (~1%+) can apply to big-ticket purchases like property or vehicles.
Social Security: No US-Korea totalization agreement exists, so US freelancers/self-employed nomads may still owe US self-employment tax even while abroad.
Residency Trigger: Tax residency is triggered by having a domicile in Korea or by residing in Korea for 183 days or more within a tax year (calendar year, January-December).
Resident Taxation: Residents (183+ days) are in principle subject to Korean tax on worldwide income at progressive rates ranging from 6% to 45%.
Non Resident Taxation: Non-residents (under 183 days) are generally taxed only on Korean-sourced income, which most F-1-D holders (paid by foreign employers/clients) typically do not have.
Double Taxation Relief: Korea has tax treaties with many countries (including the US) that provide mechanisms such as foreign tax credits to prevent double taxation on the same income.
F1d Specific Ambiguity: Korean authorities have not issued clear, F-1-D-specific tax guidance; treatment of long-stay digital nomads is described by multiple sources as still evolving, with case-by-case interpretation by tax officials.
Five Year Foreign Income Exemption: Foreign nationals who are Korean tax residents for five years or less can generally limit Korean taxation to Korean-source income plus any foreign income actually remitted into Korea; foreign-source income from non-Korean payers kept abroad is exempt during this window.

Application Fee

Amount USD Approx: 45
Note: Base visa fee is roughly $45 USD for US citizens; fees vary by applicant nationality (e.g., different rates apply for other countries)

Application Paths

Apply at a South Korean diplomatic mission (embassy/consulate) in your home country before arrival
If already in Korea on a short-term visa, apply for a change of status at a local immigration office without leaving the country (available for B-1 visa-waiver entrants, B-2 tourist visa, and C-3 short-term visit visa holders)

Required Documents

Visa application form (Form No. 17)
Valid passport (6+ months validity) and recent passport photo
Proof of income: employment certificate, salary certificate, and bank transaction records
Employment contract, freelance/consulting agreement, or business registration showing overseas income source
Criminal record certificate, apostilled/consular-legalized
Private medical insurance certificate meeting the coverage minimum
Proof of family relationship if bringing a spouse or minor children

Duration And Renewal

Renewal: Extendable once for one additional year
Initial Stay: 1 year from date of entry/foreigner registration
Renewal Path: Apply for extension at a local immigration office before the initial period expires; must continue to meet income, insurance, and no-local-employment conditions
Maximum Total Stay: 2 years
Alien Registration Card: Must register for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) at a local immigration office within 90 days of entry

Eligibility Requirements

18 years of age or older
At least one year of work experience in the same industry
Must be a remote employee of a company based outside Korea, or an overseas business owner/self-employed professional earning income from abroad
Clean criminal record (in home country and Korea)
Local Korean employment or any profit-making activity inside Korea is prohibited for the whole family unit

Health Insurance Requirement

Currency Local: KRW
Minimum Coverage Amount USD: 66050
Minimum Coverage Amount Local: 100000000
Description: Mandatory private medical insurance covering hospital treatment and repatriation for the full stay.

AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026

Sources cited for this category

These are the sources cited in this visas research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.

1.k-eta.go.kr

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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.