Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Business visit visa / Work visa

Visa requirements to South Korea depend on a variety of factors including nationality, purpose, expected duration of stay, and occupation.

Business visitors engaging in non-profit generating activities while in South Korea typically use the C-3-4 Visa (Short-Term Business Visa), which visa nationals must obtain at a South Korean consular post. Visa-exempt nationals may enter using visa waiver status and receive a visa on arrival.

The C-4 "Short-Term Employment Visa" is suitable for foreign nationals who intend to engage in profit-generating activities such as, but not limited to installing, repairing, and maintaining imported machinery or engaging in, producing, or supervising shipbuilding and industrial facilities, at a government agency or a private company for up to 90 days.

The D-7 visa and D-8 visa are the work visas typically used by expatriates, depending on their sponsoring company’s legal structure in South Korea:

The D-7 "Intracompany Transfer Work Visa" is issued to intracompany transferees seconded to the South Korean branch or liaison office of a foreign company. The company must first obtain pre-approval of the application before the foreign national can submit the application to a consulate and enter Korea using the D-7 visa.

The D-8 "Corporate Investment Work Visa" is issued to employees seconded to an overseas company's subsidiary registered under South Korea's Foreign Investment Promotion Act. These employees can generally enter Korea on a visa waiver or business visitor status (for visa nationals) and convert to a D-8 visa while in the country.