South KoreaAncestry visa

F-4 for overseas Koreans in South Korea

The visa for ethnic Koreans is a status of stay for people who once held Korean citizenship themselves, or whose parents or grandparents held it, and who then acquired the citizenship of another country. The programme gives the right to live freely in Korea and to work in almost any position without a sponsoring employer — apart from certain kinds of simple manual labour and work that the Ministry of Justice restricts on separate grounds.

Source: Republic of Korea visa portal (visa.go.kr), list of visa types

Who can obtain F-4 status

The official visa portal identifies 12 sub-categories; here are the main groups.

By descent

Held Korean citizenship personally and later acquired the citizenship of another country (F-4-11)
A parent, grandfather or grandmother held Korean citizenship, and the applicant acquired the citizenship of another country (F-4-12)

By status and profile abroad

Has already lived in Korea for 6 months or more on a D-1, D-5, D-6, D-7, D-8, D-9 or E-1 to E-7 visa (F-4-13)
A college diploma or above, or a scholarship from the National Institute for International Education (F-4-14)
Permanent resident of an OECD country (F-4-15)
Aged 60 and above (F-4-25)

By business and professional standing

Director, board member or head of a company (F-4-16)
Sole trader whose company generated at least 100,000 US dollars in the previous year (F-4-17)
Employee of an international corporation, lawyer, accountant, doctor, R&D researcher or technical specialist in shipbuilding/aviation (F-4-18)
President or vice-president of a cultural organisation or an association of overseas Koreans (F-4-19)

What it costs

Single-entry visa for up to 90 days	40 USD
Single-entry visa for 91 days or more	+60 USD
Two-entry visa	+70 USD
Multiple-entry visa	+90 USD

Documents to gather

The list depends on the sub-category; the general and most common documents are:

F-4 visa application form and passport
For those who were themselves Korean citizens — a document proving the former citizenship (a family register entry, an extract from the closed register and the like)
For descendants of a former Korean citizen — a document proving the relationship to that person (a birth certificate and similar documents) and proof that the ancestor was a Korean citizen
A document showing the reason for and the date of acquiring the current foreign citizenship
For nationals of the 21 countries on the Ministry of Justice's list with a high level of illegal stay (Ghana, Nigeria, Nepal, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Iran, Egypt, India, Indonesia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines) — an income or tax payment certificate confirming that the applicant will not engage in prohibited work

How the process runs

The general procedure for obtaining F-4 status:

1
File the F-4 visa application
The documents are filed at the Korean consulate for your place of residence or through the visa portal visa.go.kr
2
Enter Korea on the F-4 visa
The visa is valid until the date stated as the final day of entry
3
File the notification of place of residence
90 days
For a stay of more than 91 days you must, within 90 days of entry, file a notification of place of residence at the immigration office for your place of residence and obtain an overseas Korean card — instead of the ordinary alien registration card

Timelines and rights

Work

Work is allowed, but simple unskilled labour is prohibited. The list of prohibited occupations is set by the Ministry of Justice in a separate notice (법무부고시 제2026-65호). Employment and any change of job or annual income must be reported within 15 days.

Who you can bring with you

The conditions for the family members of an F-4 holder:

Spouse and minor children of an F-4 holder

They receive a separate F-1-9 visa (accompanying family), not F-4 status

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Instead of alien registration, an F-4 holder files a notification of place of residence (거소신고). Leaving and returning within the period of stay does not require re-entry permission.

F-4 status is granted for no more than 3 years at a time. To stay longer, a renewal application is filed before the current period expires at the immigration office for your place of residence — with the passport, the overseas Korean card and proof of the place of residence. Renewal is refused where the applicant is a Korean who acquired foreign citizenship to evade military service and lost Korean citizenship as a result; where they pose a threat to Korea's security, order or interests; where they have twice breached the act on the status of overseas Koreans or the immigration act (apart from a single case with a fine paid); or where they have been sentenced to imprisonment or a heavier penalty.

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.

	F-4 for overseas Koreans	visa for remote workers	Work visa for specialists
Visa term	The maximum period of stay is 3 years, renewable	Around 1 year (one renewal possible); the rules are still taking shape	1-2 years initially, renewable
Grounds	Former Korean citizenship, or Korean citizenship held by at least one parent, grandfather or grandmother	Remote income	Shortage occupations
Work	Work is allowed, but simple unskilled labour is prohibited	Remote work only for a foreign employer; local work is prohibited	Work for the sponsor; a change requires approval
Residence	Instead of alien registration, an F-4 holder files a notification of place of residence (거소신고)	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

Ethnic Koreans with foreign citizenship who meet the requirements for admission to Korean citizenship are granted permanent resident status F-5 by the Ministry of Justice under a simplified procedure.

Frequently asked questions about F-4 for overseas Koreans

Who can obtain an F-4 visa?

The main route is a former Korean citizen who acquired the citizenship of another country, or their descendant (child, grandchild). Additional routes are open to those with a college diploma or above, those who previously lived in Korea on a D or E visa, permanent residents of an OECD country, those heading a company or running a business with revenue of at least 100,000 US dollars, and people aged 60 and above.

How much does an F-4 visa cost?

The visa itself costs between 40 and 90 US dollars depending on the type of entry: a single-entry visa for up to 90 days costs 40 dollars, a single-entry visa for longer 60, a two-entry visa 70, and a multiple-entry visa 90. Subsequent procedures inside Korea — extending the period of stay, changing status, issuing the card — are paid for separately in won at the immigration service.

Can you work on an F-4 visa?

Yes, F-4 status does not restrict the type of activity, apart from simple unskilled labour, work in fields that breach public order (gambling businesses, certain entertainment establishments) and occupations closed off by a separate Ministry of Justice notice (notice No. 2018-70 of 26 March 2018).

What happens to the family of an F-4 visa holder?

The spouse and minor children receive a separate F-1-9 visa — it is not the same as the F-4 status of the overseas Korean themselves.

For how long is F-4 granted and how is it renewed?

The status is granted for no more than 3 years at a time. It can be renewed by filing an application before the current period expires at the immigration office — with the passport, the overseas Korean card and proof of the place of residence. Renewal is refused where the applicant evaded military service by renouncing citizenship, poses a threat to Korea's interests, has twice breached the immigration act or has been sentenced to imprisonment.

How does F-4 differ from a work visa such as E-7?

Work visas such as E-7 tie the foreign national to a sponsoring employer and a specific position. F-4 does not restrict the type of activity under the status of stay — the holder works for any employer or runs a business themselves, apart from certain prohibited kinds of labour.

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: 7 August 2026.