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Korea's digital nomad visa changed on 30 June 2026. Most English guides still have the old rules.

2 min read3 primary sources

The pilot ended and the F-1-D became permanent: the flat income bar of twice per-capita GNI became a 1x-2x range, and the maximum stay went from two years to three.

Aerial view of Seoul, dense city blocks running up to the surrounding mountains
On this page
  1. The income bar came down for some applicants
  2. The stay cap rose to three years
  3. What the Ministry did not publish
  4. Who actually holds this visa
  5. What it does not let you do

 Korea's founder visa routes: the OASIS-4 on-ramp into D-10-2 and D-8-4, the separate D-9-1 trade and F-1-D nomad tracks, and the permanence routes whose criteria no agency page publishes

Korea's digital nomad visa stopped being a pilot on 30 June 2026. The Ministry of Justice announced the permanent programme on 8 July. Two things changed.

The income bar came down for some applicants

The pilot applied a flat requirement of twice per-capita GNI to everyone, with no distinction by age or location.

Per-capita GNI was about KRW 52.41 million on 2025 figures, so that bar sat near KRW 105 million.

The permanent rule applies a range of one to two times per-capita GNI. It eases in two situations: when the applicant is younger, and when they live outside the capital region or in a designated population-decline area.

The Ministry gave one worked example. An applicant aged 18 to 34 doing workation outside the capital region is assessed at 1x GNI.

The stay cap rose to three years

Extensions are still granted a year at a time. The pilot allowed two years in total; the permanent programme allows three.

What the Ministry did not publish

It did not publish a table mapping every age band and region to a multiplier. It published a range and that one example.

The per-case figures live in HiKorea's residence-status manual, and that is what an applicant should be assessed against.

Who actually holds this visa

The release included the pilot's numbers, which say more about whether this route suits you than the eligibility rules do.

Issued during the pilot743, January 2024 to May 2026
Registered holders, May 2026398
From OECD member states278 (70%)
Living in the capital region340 (85%)
In their thirties206 (52%)
In their forties74 (19%)

Two and a half years produced 743 visas. This is a small programme.

What it does not let you do

The F-1-D covers remote work for an employer outside Korea, or running your own overseas business.

It is not a route to working for a Korean company, and it is not a founder visa.

Frequently asked questions

When did Korea's digital nomad visa rules change?
On 30 June 2026, when the visa stopped being a pilot and became a permanent programme. The Ministry of Justice announced it on 8 July 2026.
How much do I need to earn to qualify?
Between one and two times Korea's per-capita GNI, which was about KRW 52.41 million on 2025 figures. The exact multiple depends on your age and where in Korea you intend to live. The Ministry gave one worked example: an applicant aged 18 to 34 living outside the capital region is assessed at one times GNI.
Is there a published table of income thresholds by age and region?
No. The Ministry published a range and a single worked example. Articles that print a tidy age-to-multiplier grid are not quoting the announcement. The per-case figures sit in HiKorea's residence-status manual.
How long can I stay on the F-1-D?
Up to three years, extended one year at a time. The pilot capped it at two.
Can I work for a Korean company on this visa?
No. It covers remote work for an employer outside Korea, or running your own overseas business. Employment by a Korean company is not permitted.
Is the F-1-D a startup visa?
No. If you intend to incorporate in Korea and build there, the relevant routes are D-8-4 and D-10-2, which are scored on the OASIS points matrix instead.
How many people actually hold this visa?
743 were issued across the pilot, from January 2024 to May 2026. As of May 2026 there were 398 registered holders.

Sources

Everything above is the rule as published. See how it applies to your case.

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