South KoreaResidence permit (points-based)

Residence permit for depopulating regions in South Korea

A South Korean residence permit for foreign nationals selected under their own quotas by municipalities in the country's depopulating regions. The holder is free to choose an employer within the assigned district, while the quota and the selection conditions are set by the particular municipality under its own business plan.

Visa term

Residence visa for 2-3 years, renewable

Threshold

Stable income above the minimum and housing; the amounts depend on the region

Processing time

Usually 2-4 weeks

Work

Free to work for any employer or to be self-employed

Source: immigration.go.kr — operation plan for the regional visa (F-2-R) of the Korean Ministry of Justice

Who can obtain one

Two routes in: a change of status inside Korea on the recommendation of a municipality, or a transfer from a regional work visa after several years of residence in the region.

Change of status on a municipality's recommendation

The foreign national is already in Korea on the status of technical trainee (D-3), general trainee (D-4), worker in the hospitality and entertainment sector (E-6-2), seasonal worker (E-8), non-professional worker (E-9), seafarer (E-10), G-1 status or a working holiday visa (H-1)
A municipality in a depopulating region taking part in the programme has issued them a recommendation letter within its quota
The applicant does not fall into the categories barred by law from changing the status of stay
A vocational qualification at college level or above obtained in Korea, or income for the previous year of at least 70% of gross national income per capita
Korean language at level 4 or above of the social integration programme (KIIP) or TOPIK level 4

Transfer from the E-7-4R regional work visa

Holder of the E-7-4R visa for skilled regional workers
At least 3 years of continuous residence in a depopulating district or a district of demographic concern
After that period the status may be changed to F-2-R in a depopulating district

What it costs

Change of the status of stay to F-2-R	100 000 KRW
Issue or reissue of the alien registration card	+35 000 KRW

Documents to gather

The programme does not separately publish the general package for a change of the status of stay (application form, photograph, copy of the passport); below are the requirements named expressly in the Ministry of Justice plan.

A recommendation letter (추천서) from a municipality in a depopulating region taking part in the programme
A vocational qualification at college level or above obtained in Korea, or an income certificate for the previous year showing at least 70% of gross national income per capita
A Korean language certificate — level 4 of the social integration programme (KIIP) or TOPIK level 4

How the process runs

Based on the official Korean Ministry of Justice plan for 2025-2026.

1
The municipality joins the programme
The local administration of a depopulating region submits a business plan and a report on the previous year's programme results to the Ministry of Justice; there is no longer an open competition between regions, and quotas are granted on the basis of those documents.
2
The municipality selects a candidate
From among foreign nationals already living in the region on one of the permitted statuses, the municipality selects a candidate within its quota and issues them a recommendation letter.
3
The candidate proves education, income and language
The applicant provides a qualification at college level or above, or an income certificate showing at least 70% of GNI per capita for the previous year, together with a Korean language certificate at KIIP level 4 or TOPIK level 4 or above.
4
Change of status to F-2-R
With the municipality's recommendation and the supporting documents, the foreign national changes their current status of stay to the F-2-R residence permit.

Who you can bring with you

The right of a spouse to accompany the holder and to work applied to F-2-R even before the plan was updated for 2025.

Spouse and minor children

Permitted to accompany the holder of an F-2-R visa

Spouse

Permitted to work in simple labour (단순노무) within the region covered by the recommendation

Children

Schooling — within the municipality that issued the recommendation letter

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Residence in the designated region

The residence restriction for F-2-R lasts 5 years. After 2 years a move to another depopulating district is allowed, but only within the same upper-level region (a province or a city of special status) that issued the recommendation.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Residence permit for depopulating regions	visa for remote workers	Work visa for specialists
Visa term	Residence visa for 2-3 years, renewable	Around 1 year (one renewal possible); the rules are still taking shape	1-2 years initially, renewable
Grounds	Residence in the provinces	Remote income	Shortage occupations
Money	Stable income above the minimum and housing; the amounts depend on the region	Proof of stable income above the threshold and of savings	No personal funds required; the employer pays the minimum salary under the standard
Work	Free to work for any employer or to be self-employed	Remote work only for a foreign employer; local work is prohibited	Work for the sponsor; a change requires approval
Residence	Residence in the designated region	Stay within the permitted period; it does not count towards permanent residence	Mainly residence; absences are restricted for permanent residence

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

With continuous residence — an application for F-5

Route to citizenship

After F-5 and 5+ years plus language — citizenship

Frequently asked questions about Residence permit for depopulating regions

Who can obtain F-2-R?

A foreign national already living in Korea on the status of technical trainee (D-3), general trainee (D-4), worker in the hospitality and entertainment sector (E-6-2), seasonal worker (E-8), non-professional worker (E-9), seafarer (E-10), G-1 status or a working holiday visa (H-1), where a municipality in a depopulating region has issued them a recommendation letter. In addition, a qualification at college level or above (or income for the previous year of at least 70% of GNI per capita) and Korean language at level 4 or above are required.

What level of Korean is needed for F-2-R?

Level 4 or above of the social integration programme (KIIP) or TOPIK level 4. That threshold was raised from level 3 with the 2025 plan, so that better-prepared people settle in the regions.

Where can you work on an F-2-R visa?

There is no restriction on the field of activity, apart from gambling and occupations contrary to public morals. But you may work only for employers within the municipality that issued the recommendation; after 2 years — in any other depopulating district in the same upper-level region.

Can you move to another region on an F-2-R visa?

Only after 2 years of residence and only to another depopulating district within the same upper-level region (a province or a city of special status) that issued the recommendation. The territorial restriction lasts 5 years in total.

Can the family work on F-2-R?

Yes. A spouse and minor children accompany the visa holder; the spouse may work in simple labour within the region covered by the recommendation; the children attend school within the municipality that issued the recommendation letter.

How many people receive F-2-R under the 2025-2026 plan?

The programme runs for 2025-2026 (2 years) with 85 basic municipalities taking part. For 2025 it is planned to issue 5,072 recommendations out of the 5,156 requested by the regions — 98.3% of the request.

How does F-2-R differ from the E-7-4R regional work visa?

F-2-R is a residence permit for candidates with education or income above the threshold and Korean at level 4 or above, valid only in depopulating districts. E-7-4R is a work visa for E-9/E-10/H-2 holders converted to skilled worker status; it also applies in districts of demographic concern and requires a salary of at least 26 million won a year with a contract of 2 years or more. An E-7-4R holder may move to F-2-R after 3 years in a depopulating district.

Other ways to move to South Korea

Every route in one list — migration programmes: South Korea.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 8 August 2026.