Set up or manage a foreign-invested company in South Korea.
Written by James Chae — Co-Founder, Expert Sapiens
Platform expertise: Immigration consulting & visa services · Reviewed September 2026
Reviewed against
James Chae, 행정사 (Korean Licensed Administrative Attorney). License No. 220-06-06463 · 대한행정사회 (Korean Administrative Agents Association). Reviewed against the HiKorea 사증·체류업무 자격별 안내 매뉴얼 and cross-checked with Ministry of Justice issuances.
Last reviewed
September 4, 2026
Source references
Issuance-manual sections covering D-8 investor and startup founder pathways, including OASIS-linked intake rules.
Stay-manual sections covering D-8 extension, business continuity review, and in-country reporting obligations.
Filing caution
Requirements can change by nationality, local immigration office, and filing channel. Confirm exact requirements with HiKorea, the responsible Korean consulate, or a licensed immigration specialist before filing.
These points are drawn from Korea immigration manuals and recurring review patterns for higher-risk visa categories.
HiKorea — Korean visa & residency manual: Issuance-manual sections on D-8 investor and startup founder pathways.
Ministry of Justice Immigration Policy Bureau: Stay-manual sections on D-8 extension, business continuity review, and reporting obligations.
Stay Duration
Up to 2 years per issuance (renewable)
Processing
2–4 weeks
Visa Fee
≈ $75 (status change) / $45 (extension)
Fees and processing times sourced from HiKorea & Ministry of Justice. Figures are updated periodically but may change — verify before submitting.
Readiness check
Use this quick self-check before you spend time on forms or book a consultation for Corporate Investment Visa.
Next focus
Eligibility fit
I meet the core D-8 requirements and understand any sponsor, degree, income, family, or experience conditions that apply.
The D-8 visa is issued to foreign investors who have made a qualifying investment in a Korean company and intend to manage or oversee their Korean business operations. It is one of the most common visas for entrepreneurs and business executives from overseas who are establishing or operating a foreign-invested enterprise (FIE) in Korea.
Foreign nationals who have invested at least ₩100 million (approximately USD 75,000) in a Korean company — typically as the founder, CEO, or major shareholder of a foreign-invested enterprise registered with KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency). Also applicable to employees dispatched by overseas investors to manage their Korean business.
Foreign investment of at least ₩100 million in a Korean company (registered as a foreign-invested enterprise with KOTRA)
Investment must be in the form of equity (cash investment into a Korean corporation or limited company)
The applicant must be the investor, a shareholder-director, or a designated representative of the foreign investor
Bachelor's degree or higher, OR at least 3 years of relevant business experience
No criminal record
Delay and refusal risks
Business-investor cases are document-heavy because immigration reviews both the legal investment route and the real business activity.
D-8 review can stall when the investment amount, sender, receiving company, bank trail, foreign-exchange documents, or investor identity do not line up cleanly.
Manual basis: The D-8 manual references investment funds, remittance/payment evidence, foreign-investment registration, and related supporting documents.
Company registration alone is not enough. Thin operating records, no real business activity, or weak continuity evidence can invite additional review.
Manual basis: The stay manual includes D-8 extension and business-continuity review points for investor status management.
Some industries or business structures are restricted or do not fit the claimed D-8 route. A filing built around the wrong route can be refused or redirected.
Manual basis: The D-8 sections refer to restricted industries and cases where the applicant is not considered essential management or production-technology personnel.
If relying on a technology startup pathway, OASIS, IP, corporate setup, and founder activity evidence must support the specific route claimed.
Manual basis: The manual separates investor and technology-startup founder pathways and lists different documentary expectations.
Source note
These are practical risk factors for Corporate Investment Visa, not a complete list of legal refusal grounds. Final review can vary by nationality, filing channel, consulate, immigration office, and case facts.
Real-world scenarios
D-8 scenarios depend on whether the case is an investment, essential personnel, or technology-startup route.
You are investing into a Korean company and want the visa to support management or business operation.
Main risk
A company registration alone is not enough if the investment trail, foreign-investment registration, and business purpose are unclear.
Documents to prioritize
You are building a technology startup and relying on startup-founder evidence instead of a conventional investment case.
Main risk
The founder route needs a coherent startup narrative backed by qualifying startup activity, IP, OASIS, or program evidence.
Documents to prioritize
Valid passport + completed visa application form + passport photo
Foreign investment certificate (외국인투자신고서) issued by KOTRA or a Korean bank
Korean company's business registration certificate
Proof of investment (bank transfer records, equity certificates)
Degree certificate or evidence of business experience
Criminal background check (apostilled, issued within 3 months)
Company's articles of incorporation
Register as a foreign investor (KOTRA / bank)
Report your investment to KOTRA or a designated Korean bank and receive a Foreign Investment Certificate. This registers your company as a foreign-invested enterprise (FIE).
Incorporate your Korean company
Establish a Korean corporation (주식회사 or 유한회사) through a Korean attorney or incorporation agent. You'll need the investment funds transferred to a Korean bank account before registration.
Apply for the D-8 visa
Submit your D-8 application at the Korean consulate with your investment certificate, company registration, and other required documents.
Arrive and register
Register at the immigration office within 90 days of arrival to obtain your ARC. Your business address will be verified.
Need help with your D-8 visa?
Connect with a verified specialist who handles D-8 applications.
Licensed partner offices that handle visa applications — contact them directly
Unfamiliar with a term? Browse the full Korea Visa Glossary
Visa Process
Alien Registration Card (ARC)
The Alien Registration Card (ARC) is the official ID card issued to foreigners staying in South Korea for 91 days or longer. It is required to open a bank account, sign a phone contract, and access most public services.
Visa Process
HiKorea
How to use HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) — Korea's official immigration portal for visa extensions, status changes, and ARC renewal. Processing time: 3-10 business days.
Visa Process
Visa Extension (Stay Period Extension)
A visa extension — officially called a 'stay period extension' (체류기간 연장) in Korean immigration law — allows a foreigner to legally remain in Korea beyond the expiry date on their current visa or ARC without leaving the country.
Visa Process
Status of Sojourn Change (체류자격 변경)
A status of sojourn change allows a foreigner already in South Korea to switch from one visa category to another without leaving the country — for example, from a D-2 student visa to an E-7 skilled worker visa upon graduation and employment.
The minimum is ₩100 million (approximately USD 75,000 at current rates). This must be a genuine equity investment in a Korean corporation — loans or rental deposits do not count.
Yes, if you invest ₩100 million or more. For tech startups, the D-8-4 pathway offers an alternative through a points-based assessment (K-Startup scoring system) rather than a cash investment. As of April 2025, the D-8-4 scoring criteria were updated: total points available are 300, with a minimum of 60 points required. Points are awarded for IP rights (patents/utility models up to 60 pts), OASIS startup education program completion, Korean language ability, master's degree, and government startup program funding. As of November 2025, the categories exempt from the points requirement were expanded — exemptions now include: K-Startup Grand Challenge participants, and recipients of government startup support programs (정부창업지원사업 수혜자, a broader category covering TIPS, government-funded incubation, and similar programmes). Degree documentation is also waived for points-exempt applicants.
Yes. As the director or representative of your Korean company, you can employ both Korean nationals and, subject to immigration approval, foreign nationals on appropriate work visas.
If your Korean company is dissolved or your investment falls below the required threshold, your D-8 status will no longer be valid. You must change status or depart Korea.
From January 2025, the scope of permitted activities outside the core business operation (체류자격 외 활동) for D-8 holders was revised. D-8 holders may now engage in a broader range of business-adjacent activities — such as providing consulting services, participating in industry associations, and attending trade events related to their registered business sector — without separately applying for an 'outside-activity permit' (체류자격외활동허가) for each task. Activities that remain outside this allowance (e.g., taking up separate employment, engaging in unrelated industries) still require prior immigration permission.
Yes — as of April 1, 2025, Korea removed all special restrictions on Cuban nationals for D-8, D-9, and several other visa types (D-2, D-6, D-7, E-1, E-3, E-5 were also opened). Prior to that date, Cuban citizens faced specific application restrictions due to diplomatic factors. Cuban nationals can now apply for D-8 under standard eligibility criteria.
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Specific tracks under the D-8 category. Pick the one that matches your situation for track-level documents, criteria, and filing notes.
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D-8-1 investor, D-8-4 startup points, D-9 trade rep, D-10-2 prep — compare all paths, scoring tables, OASIS program, and company structures.
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