South Korea residence and citizenship
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in South Korea is $700,000, for the Real estate investment immigration (F-2, IFEZ). Ordinary naturalisation in South Korea needs 5 years of legal residence.
Partly checked — So far the automated review covers special-occupation E-7 visa only (sources read 10 November 2026). Everything else on this page is provisional.
Residence routes in South Korea
Investment, own-income, remote-work and permanent routes. Scroll across the table to see every column.
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate investment immigration (F-2, IFEZ)* | Golden visa | $700,000 | — | — |
| Public interest project investment immigration (F-2)* | Residence by investment | $1,050,000 | — | — |
| Workation visa (F-1-D)* | Remote work | income $37,000/yr | — | — |
"Minimum" is a cited investment threshold in its stated currency. A USD figure appears only when a supported conversion is on file; "—" means no supported amount is on file, not that it is free. "To citizenship" counts the years of residence before a naturalisation application. A zero-year entry states no residence wait; citizenship still needs a separate decision.
Work, family, study and other routes (1)
| Route | Kind | Minimum | Processing | To citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Occupation E-7 visa | Work | — | — | — |
* Provisional — not yet verified by the automated source check. Real estate investment immigration (F-2, IFEZ): from Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, read 10 November 2026. KRW 1 billion+ per the source, in designated resort property in Songdo, Yeongjong or Cheongna. F-5 after 5 years. Programme runs to 31 Dec 2027. Public interest project investment immigration (F-2): from Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, read 10 November 2026. KRW 1.5 billion+ per the source, in designated public interest funds (sold by Woori Bank). F-5 after keeping the investment 5 years. Workation visa (F-1-D): from Embassy of the Republic of Korea (Philippines), read 10 November 2026. Income 1x to 2x GNI per capita (KRW 52.41M as of 2025) by age and region. Remote work for a foreign employer. 1-year visa. Years to naturalisation: from Korea Legislation Research Institute, read 10 November 2026. Article 5: 5 consecutive years of domicile and permanent residence (F-5) status. Spouses of Koreans: 2 years (Article 6). Years to permanent residence: from Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, read 10 November 2026. Investor route: F-5 after holding F-2 and keeping the investment for 5 years. Other F-5 routes have their own rules. Dual citizenship: from Korea Legislation Research Institute, read 10 November 2026. Article 10: renounce the foreign nationality within 1 year, or, for some groups, pledge not to exercise it in Korea. Citizenship by investment: from Korea Legislation Research Institute, read 10 November 2026. No citizenship-by-investment programme; investment leads to residence, then F-5.
Each route's conditions and sources
Special Occupation E-7 visa
The fee differs by nationality and consular post; a Canadian mission's published processing time is not a national end-to-end estimate.
Sources: Special Occupation E-7 visa eligibility (Republic of Korea Embassy in Canada), Employer visa-issuance confirmation step (Republic of Korea Embassy in Belgium), 2026 foreigner employment-information reporting (Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice)
Citizenship in South Korea
- Years of residence before naturalisation: 5 years*
- Years before permanent residence: 5 years*
- Dual citizenship allowed: Only in some cases*
- Citizenship by investment: No programme*
What is the cheapest residence visa in South Korea?
The lowest comparable cited investment amount on file for a residence route in South Korea is $700,000, for the Real estate investment immigration (F-2, IFEZ). Provisional — from Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. KRW 1 billion+ per the source, in designated resort property in Songdo, Yeongjong or Cheongna. F-5 after 5 years. Programme runs to 31 Dec 2027. Routes for people living on their own income or working remotely (Workation visa (F-1-D)) ask for proof of income, not an investment.
How many years to citizenship in South Korea?
Ordinary naturalisation in South Korea needs 5 years of legal residence. Provisional — from Korea Legislation Research Institute, read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. Article 5: 5 consecutive years of domicile and permanent residence (F-5) status. Spouses of Koreans: 2 years (Article 6). Permanent residence is possible after 5 years. Provisional — from Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. Investor route: F-5 after holding F-2 and keeping the investment for 5 years. Other F-5 routes have their own rules.
Does South Korea allow dual citizenship?
Only in some cases: South Korea allows dual citizenship for some people and not for others. Provisional — from Korea Legislation Research Institute, read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. Article 10: renounce the foreign nationality within 1 year, or, for some groups, pledge not to exercise it in Korea.
Can you get citizenship by investment in South Korea?
No. South Korea has no citizenship-by-investment programme on file; residence by investment, where it exists, leads to citizenship only through the ordinary residence years. Provisional — from Korea Legislation Research Institute, read 10 November 2026; not yet verified. No citizenship-by-investment programme; investment leads to residence, then F-5.
Tax and residence days
A residence permit and tax residence are different tests. See the South Korea tax rates, count your days with the South Korea day test and see what changed in the data, day by day.
Sources
The South Korea profile cites 3 sources, 3 of them from a government or a statute. Data as of 2026-Q4.
- Special Occupation E-7 visa eligibility · Republic of Korea Embassy in Canada, official, read 10 November 2026
- Employer visa-issuance confirmation step · Republic of Korea Embassy in Belgium, official, read 10 November 2026
- 2026 foreigner employment-information reporting · Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice, official, read 10 November 2026
Rules, fees and minimums change, and many routes have conditions not shown here. Did you find an error? Tell us, with the source.
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