D-9 (Trade Management) Korea Visa Guide | 2026

1. What D-9 Is

D-9 (무역경영/Trade Management) is an umbrella status covering several distinct trade- and business-management activities: (1) registered trade dealers who hold a unique trade-business ID number issued by the Korea International Trade Association; (2) technicians dispatched or invited by a company that has imported industrial equipment/machinery, to install, operate, or maintain that equipment; (3) essential professional personnel (executives, senior managers, technical experts) dispatched to participate in shipbuilding or industrial-facility manufacturing and supervision; and (4) people who establish a company in Korea to manage a business or otherwise conduct for-profit activity, including individual (sole-proprietor) business owners.

2. Eligibility Checklist

• Business activity fits current D-9 framework.
• Entity legitimacy and operation records are complete.
• Role and management involvement are evidenced.
• Financial/trade continuity proof supports the requested stay.
• No unresolved compliance or reporting issues exist.

3. Criteria Summary

• D-9 is not points-based in normal handling.
• Review is operation-continuity and evidence consistency based.
• Revenue/trade proofs are often key for extension decisions.
• Conflicting tax/banking/company records are high-risk signals.

4. Salary and Contract Rules

• D-9 is not reviewed under E-series salary-floor logic.
• Financial viability and operation evidence are the core focus.
• Representative compensation records should align with company filings.
• Major financial contradictions trigger supplements or refusal.

5. Employer and Workplace Change Rules

• D-9 is entity-operation based.
• Business structure/location changes may require reporting/approval.
• Keep ownership/management changes properly documented.
• Unreported material changes can harm extension review.

6. Required Documents

• Application form, passport, ARC (if applicable), photo, and fee proof.
• Business registration/corporate records and role evidence.
• Trade/operation proof (contracts, transactions, performance data).
• Tax/financial records used in continuity review.
• Additional office-requested supporting documents.

7. Fees and Processing

• Fees follow current issuance/change/extension manual tables.
• Processing depends on evidence completeness and case complexity.
• Supplement rounds are common when operation proof is weak.
• Extension cases should be filed before status expiry.

8. Common Rejection Reasons

• Activity does not satisfy D-9 scope.
• Operation/trade evidence is insufficient.
• Financial/corporate records are materially inconsistent.
• Required reporting for material changes is missing.
• Review office cannot verify core operating facts.

9. FAQ