GUIDEAI NETWORK KRPractical country guides · Independently published

THE COMPLETE STARTER LIBRARY

South Korea guides

Clear starting points for travel and everyday life. Read the guidance, follow the source links, and verify rules that apply to your nationality and situation.

Entry & residency

07

Remote professional working on a laptop in a café, illustrating the overseas-employment context of Korea's F-1-D workation visa

Long staysSouth Korea's Remote-Work Visa: Income and Family Rules (F-1-D)

Use Korea's revised workation income table to compare a solo or family move, understand regional evidence, and separate the three-year ceiling from each grant of stay.

Professional working on a laptop, illustrative of preparing a professional job application, not an identified Korean E-7 visa holder

Work & long staysChanging from a Job-Seeker Visa to a Work Visa in Korea (D-10 to E-7)

Understand the D-10 job-seeking and internship boundaries, 2026 E-7 wage bands, employer evidence and when you must receive a status change before starting.

Person working with a laptop, illustrating professional residence paperwork, not an applicant approved for Korean F-2 or F-5 status

Family & residenceSouth Korea's Points-Based Residence and Permanent Residence (F-2-7, F-5)

F-2-7 requires an eligible applicant category and at least 80 officially assessed points; F-5 permanent residence is a later, separate decision with residence, livelihood, conduct and integration tests—not an automatic promotion.

Couple reviewing documents with an adviser, illustrating marriage-residence paperwork, not an actual Korean consular application

Family & residenceSouth Korea Spouse Visa: Income and Documents (F-6)

An F-6 marriage residence application needs a legally recognized relationship, the Korean spouse's 2026 household-income evidence, home and relationship documentation; marriage alone isn't approval.

Passengers at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, illustrating arrival before a first foreign-resident registration, not an actual immigration-card issuance counter

Residence & registrationKorea Residence Card: Register Within 90 Days and Report Address Changes

After arriving on a long-stay visa, book your immigration appointment, prepare identity and housing proof, register within 90 days and report moving or passport changes on the correct clock.

Real market vendor preparing food in Seoul, South Korea, illustrating everyday shopping rather than a stocked emergency shelf or an active flood

Safety & emergenciesThree Days of Emergency Food and Water for a South Korean Apartment

Safety Korea recommends keeping at least three days of food, water and basic supplies for outages. See 1-, 2- and 4-person no-cook meal counts, water-shopping examples and when a flooded home must be evacuated.

Passengers and wayfinding signs in the terminal at Incheon International Airport in South Korea

Entry & visasSouth Korea Entry Requirements: Visas, Travel Approval and Arrival Cards (K-ETA)

Check your passport's visa route, the temporary K-ETA exemption, the official free e-Arrival Card and which document to show when you travel.

Getting around

01

Korail commuter train on rails beside a lit station platform in Seoul, South Korea at night

TransportWhich Seoul Transit Card Should You Buy?

Choose between T-money, a short-term Climate Card and WOWPASS with real Seoul ride calculations, airport limits and 2026 card changes.

Homes & property

01

Sunlit Seoul skyline and residential apartment districts seen from above, South Korea

HousingRenting in South Korea: Deposits and Monthly Rent (Jeonse, Wolse)

Compare Korean jeonse and wolse, verify title and landlord, report the lease, obtain a fixed date, and check deposit-return guarantees before transferring funds.

Money & costs

01

Seoul apartment buildings and city skyline, showing the housing context of the documented living-cost figures

Living costsMoving to South Korea: what rent and daily travel really cost

A March 2026 Seoul one-room rent benchmark was ₩710,000 at a standardized ₩10 million deposit. See actual Seoul and Busan fares and a sourced grocery basket.

Health & insurance

01

Doctor talking with patient at an illustrative clinic consultation; not a particular Korean hospital

Healthcare and insuranceHow Does Health Insurance Work for Foreigners in South Korea?

Find the right Korean insurance route for visitors, employees, long-stay residents and family; confirm the six-month rule, NHIS proof and treatment costs.

Work & daily life

04

Couple reviewing household documents, illustrative of family residence preparation and not evidence of an issued F-3 visa

Family & residenceBringing a Spouse or Child to South Korea: Residence and Work Rules (F-3)

For eligible foreign D-2/E-7 and other principal visa holders, F-3 may cover a legally married spouse or unmarried minor child. Check housing, income, 90-day registration and strict work limits.

Food-stall worker preparing meals at a Korean market, illustrating the kinds of local restaurant work some students may request permission for, not proof the pictured worker is a student or authorised

Study & residenceSouth Korea Student Visas: University, Language School and Work (D-2, D-4)

Degree students and language-school trainees have different Korean stay statuses and part-time work eligibility. Learn the D-4 six-month rule, student adviser approval and programme-specific hours.

Person checking a smartphone in the Seoul subway, illustrating mobile identity verification

Work & daily lifeKorean Tourist SIM Cards: Why a Phone Number May Not Verify Your Identity

LG U+ vs KT tourist eSIM: data-only versus voice/SMS, required airport passport checks and why a 010 number won't pass resident identity verification.

Food stall worker preparing dishes at a market with Korean-language signs in Seoul, South Korea

Long staysWorking in South Korea: Work Visas, Employers and Registration

Understand Korea's specialist E-series work, E-9 Employment Permit System, student restrictions, 90-day foreign registration and changing jobs.