Permanent Residency — Korea
F-5 Permanent Residency: All 29 Sub-types
Korea's F-5 permanent residency has 29 sub-types (F-5-1 to F-5-29), each for a different situation. See the official list, what every applicant needs, and the requirements for the main routes.
Written by James Chae — Co-Founder, Expert Sapiens
Platform expertise: Immigration consulting & visa services · Reviewed October 2026
29
F-5 sub-types
None to 5 years
Time in Korea required
What every F-5 applicant needs
You must not be a dual national who also holds Korean nationality.
Good conduct: obeying Korean law. Criminal and immigration records are checked, and no work in adult-entertainment businesses is allowed.
Enough income or assets to support yourself. The level depends on the sub-type and is shown on each card below.
Basic Korean for F-5-1, F-5-2, F-5-4, F-5-10, F-5-16, F-5-18 and F-5-28: completing KIIP stage 5 (any KIIP completion for F-5-2), or 60/100 on the permanent-residency or naturalization comprehensive test.
F-5-2, F-5-3, F-5-6, F-5-7, F-5-14 and F-5-27 also follow separate Ministry of Justice guidelines.
GNI per capita means the Bank of Korea's figure for the previous year.
The Ministry of Justice updated how time in Korea is counted for F-5 in its stay manual of 18 September 2026. Check your dates with the immigration office before applying.
All 29 F-5 sub-types (official list)
| Code | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| F-5-1 | General permanent residents: adults with 5+ years in Korea on D-7 to E-7 or F-2 status |
| F-5-2 | Spouses of Korean nationalsSeparate guideline |
| F-5-3 | Minor children of Korean nationalsSeparate guideline |
| F-5-4 | Spouses or minor children of general permanent residents |
| F-5-5 | High-value investors: USD 500,000+ invested and 5+ Korean nationals employed |
| F-5-6 | Overseas Koreans with 2+ years on overseas-Korean status (F-4)Separate guideline |
| F-5-7 | Ethnic Koreans of foreign nationality who meet the requirements for Korean nationalitySeparate guideline |
| F-5-8 | Overseas Chinese residents born in Korea |
| F-5-9 | PhD holders in high-tech fields employed by a Korean company |
| F-5-10 | Holders of a bachelor's or master's degree in a high-tech or general field, or a technical certificate, employed by a Korean company |
| F-5-11 | People with outstanding ability in science, business, education, culture and the arts, or sports |
| F-5-12 | People who have made a special contribution to Korea |
| F-5-13 | People aged 60 or over receiving a pension from abroad |
| F-5-14 | People with 4+ years on working-visit status (H-2) in manufacturing and similar sectorsSeparate guideline |
| F-5-15 | PhD holders from a regular doctoral course at a Korean graduate school, employed by a Korean company |
| F-5-16 | Points-based residents with 3+ years on points-based residence status (F-2-7) |
| F-5-17 | Tourism and resort facility investors with 5+ years of continuous investment |
| F-5-18 | Spouses or minor children of points-based permanent residents (F-5-16) |
| F-5-19 | Spouses or unmarried children of tourism and resort investors (F-5-17) |
| F-5-20 | Children born in Korea to permanent residents |
| F-5-21 | Public-interest investors with 5+ years of continuous investment |
| F-5-22 | Spouses or unmarried children of public-interest investors (F-5-21, F-5-23) |
| F-5-23 | Retiree public-interest investors with 5+ years of investment and ₩300 million+ in assets in Korea |
| F-5-24 | Technology startup founders (D-8-4) who raised ₩300 million+ and employ 2+ Korean nationals |
| F-5-25 | Conditional high-value investors who pledge ₩3 billion+ for 5+ years |
| F-5-26 | Essential R&D staff at foreign-invested companies with 3+ years of work |
| F-5-27 | Refugees with 2+ years in Korea on refugee residence statusSeparate guideline |
| F-5-28 | Special contributors with 2+ years on special-contributor residence status (F-2) |
| F-5-29 | Spouses or minor children of special contributors (F-5-28) |
Requirements for the main routes
Requirements are shown only where they are set out in the Ministry of Justice stay manual. For the other sub-types, ask 1345 or your immigration office.
General permanent residents: adults with 5+ years in Korea on D-7 to E-7 or F-2 status
5+ continuous years in Korea on D-7 to E-7 or F-2 status, as an adult. Periods on these statuses add up if you never left Korea for good in between.
Still doing the work your status allows on the application date.
Extra conditions by status: D-8 — average annual sales of ₩1 billion+ over the previous 2 years; D-9 — average annual exports of ₩500 million+ or sales of ₩1 billion+; D-10 — a bachelor's degree and a job contract that meets E-1 to E-7 rules (not E-6 entertainment work); E-7 — a bachelor's degree.
Income at least 2× the previous year's GNI per capita (1× for E-5 holders in a hospital residency), or assets at least 1.5× the average net worth.
Basic Korean: completing KIIP stage 5, or 60/100 on the permanent-residency or naturalization comprehensive test.
Spouses of Korean nationals
2+ continuous years on marriage-migrant status (F-6-1) while in a genuine marriage with a Korean national.
Household income at least 1× the previous year's GNI per capita, or household assets at or above the median net worth.
Basic Korean: completing KIIP, or 60/100 on the comprehensive test.
F-5-2 can also be granted to a parent raising a child of the marriage in Korea, or after a marriage ended through no fault of the applicant, each after 2+ years on F-6. A Ministry of Justice notice can ease or waive the income and Korean requirements; ask 1345 or your immigration office.
Minor children of Korean nationals
A minor child of a Korean national, on residence status (F-2) in Korea for 2+ continuous years.
Spouses or minor children of general permanent residents
Spouse of a permanent resident: 2+ years on residence status (F-2) as that spouse, with the marriage continuing.
Or a minor child of a permanent resident on residence status (F-2).
Income at least 1× the previous year's GNI per capita, and basic Korean (KIIP stage 5 or 60/100 on the comprehensive test).
High-value investors: USD 500,000+ invested and 5+ Korean nationals employed
USD 500,000+ invested under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act.
5+ Korean nationals employed full-time for 6+ months. No minimum time in Korea.
Holders of a bachelor's or master's degree in a high-tech or general field, or a technical certificate, employed by a Korean company
A bachelor's degree or higher in a field set by the Ministry of Justice, or a technical certificate set by the Ministry.
3+ years living in Korea.
Employed by a Korean company at a wage at or above the amount set by the Ministry of Justice.
Basic Korean: completing KIIP stage 5, or 60/100 on the comprehensive test.
How work periods are counted for F-5-10 was updated in the Ministry's stay manual of 18 September 2026. Check your work history with the immigration office before applying.
People who have made a special contribution to Korea
Recognized by the Minister of Justice as having made a special contribution to Korea, for example by receiving a state decoration (훈장 or 포장).
PhD holders from a regular doctoral course at a Korean graduate school, employed by a Korean company
A PhD from a regular doctoral course at a Korean graduate school.
Working full-time for a Korean company for 1+ year up to the application date, in any field.
Income at least 1× the previous year's GNI per capita, or assets at or above the average net worth.
Points-based residents with 3+ years on points-based residence status (F-2-7)
3+ continuous years on points-based residence status (F-2-7) up to the application date.
No work in adult-entertainment businesses in the 3 years before applying.
Income at least 2× the previous year's GNI per capita, or assets at least 1.5× the average net worth.
Basic Korean: completing KIIP stage 5, or 60/100 on the comprehensive test.
Spouses and minor children of F-5-16 holders can apply for F-5-18. Use the K-Point calculator to check your F-2-7 score.
Public-interest investors with 5+ years of continuous investment
₩1.5 billion+ placed in the public-interest investment fund (run by the Korea Development Bank for the Ministry of Justice) and kept for 5+ years while on investor residence status (F-2).
Spouses and unmarried children can apply for F-5-22. The retiree investment track (F-5-23) is not one of the current investment types, so it is not open to new investors.
Technology startup founders (D-8-4) who raised ₩300 million+ and employ 2+ Korean nationals
3+ years on technology startup status (D-8-4).
₩300 million+ raised from investors.
2+ Korean nationals employed for 6+ months.
Conditional high-value investors who pledge ₩3 billion+ for 5+ years
A pledge to keep ₩3 billion+ in the principal-guaranteed public-interest fund for 5+ years.
Gives conditional permanent residence with no minimum time in Korea. Withdrawing any of the deposit early cancels it.
Refugees with 2+ years in Korea on refugee residence status
2+ years in Korea on refugee residence status (F-2). A separate Ministry of Justice guideline applies.
Special contributors with 2+ years on special-contributor residence status (F-2)
2+ continuous years in Korea on special-contributor residence status (F-2).
Income at least 1× the previous year's GNI per capita, or household assets at or above the average net assets.
Basic Korean: completing KIIP stage 5, or 60/100 on the comprehensive test.
Spouses and minor children of F-5-28 holders can apply for F-5-29 after 2+ years on their residence status (F-2-16), with the same income rule.
Source: Ministry of Justice stay manual (체류민원 자격별 안내 매뉴얼), September 2026 edition, F-5 chapter (pp.430–475).