비자 신청·6 분 읽기

E-5 Professional Services Visa Korea — Foreign-Licensed Lawyers, Doctors & CPAs

Q: Can a foreign doctor open their own clinic in Korea on E-5?

No. E-5 does not authorize independent clinical practice in Korea. Opening a medical clinic requires a Korean medical license (의사 면허). Foreign doctors on E-5 work within institutional frameworks under defined scope limits.

Q: I have a foreign law degree but no bar license. Can I get E-5?

No. E-5 specifically requires a valid professional license — an academic law degree alone is not sufficient.

The visa is issued to foreign nationals who are licensed professionals in their home country and come to Korea to practice their profession — including lawyers, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, CPAs, and architects. E-5 requires a valid professional license from the home country and has strict work scope limitations.

검토 및 출처 기준

검토 기준

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.

최종 검토일

2026년 4월 22일

출처 기준

HiKorea — Korean visa & residency manual

Ministry of Justice Immigration Policy Bureau

Korea Immigration Service (출입국·외국인정책본부)

신청 전 주의사항

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.

Who qualifies and covered professions

covers foreign nationals who:

• Hold a valid professional license issued by their home country's licensing authority

• Are working in Korea in a capacity directly related to that licensed profession

• Are sponsored by a qualifying Korean organization

Covered professions:

• Law: Foreign attorneys at international law firms advising on the laws of their home jurisdiction (not Korean law)

• Medicine/Dentistry: Foreign-licensed physicians or dentists at international hospitals or under government cooperation programs

• Pharmacy/Nursing: At hospitals with international patient departments

• Accounting/CPA: Foreign CPAs at Big 4 Korean offices advising on home-country or international accounting standards

• Architecture: Licensed architects from countries with reciprocal agreements

Critical work scope limitation

Foreign professionals on E-5 are restricted to practicing the laws, standards, or practices of their home country.

• Lawyers: Can advise on US/UK/etc. law, draft contracts under their home jurisdiction's law. Cannot appear in Korean courts or give Korean legal opinions.

• Doctors: Work within institutional frameworks at international patient centers under defined scope limits. Cannot independently treat Korean patients in a clinical setting.

행정사의 팁

Foreign attorneys: the Korean Foreign Legal Consultant (외국법자문사) registration system is separate from — confirm with your firm's Korea office whether they use E-5 or the FLC framework.
Maintain your home-country professional license in good standing throughout your stay — license lapse affects visa renewal.

도움이 필요하신가요?

검증된 행정사와 상담하세요

저희 전문가들은 e-5 professional services visa korea — foreign-licensed lawyers, doctors & cpas 사례를 정기적으로 처리하며 한국 출입국관리소가 요구하는 사항을 정확히 알고 있습니다.

이민 전문가

비자 신청을 도와드릴 인증된 전문가

Captain On / 허온 행정사

Administrative Agent

법률.행정 문서 번역, 외국인 투자 비자 전문 행정사

Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

전체 전문가 보기

인증 전문가

공인 출입국행정사를 찾아보세요.

Mr. Visa Korea에는 운영팀이 검증한 공인 출입국행정사(행정사)가 등록되어 있습니다. 콜드콜 없이 바로 상담을 예약하세요.

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직접 상담 예약 가능

주요 출입국 용어

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자주 묻는 질문

Can a foreign doctor open their own clinic in Korea on E-5?

No. does not authorize independent clinical practice in Korea. Opening a medical clinic requires a Korean medical license (의사 면허). Foreign doctors on E-5 work within institutional frameworks under defined scope limits.

I have a foreign law degree but no bar license. Can I get E-5?

No. specifically requires a valid professional license — an academic law degree alone is not sufficient.

이 가이드에서 다루는 비자 종류

이 비자들 비교하기

October 2025 update: Korean traditional medicine doctors (한의사) added to E-5

Effective October 2025, Korean traditional medicine doctors (한의사) licensed in a foreign country are now officially included under the E-5 visa category.

This covers foreign nationals who are licensed as traditional Korean medicine practitioners (한의사) or equivalent traditional/East Asian medicine practitioners in their home country, coming to Korea to practice traditional medicine at a qualifying institution.

Qualifying practitioners:

• Licensed 한의사 (韓醫師) from countries with formal traditional medicine licensing systems (China 中医师, Taiwan 中醫師, Japan 漢方医 with appropriate credentials, etc.)

• Practitioners of equivalent traditional East Asian medicine (TCM/한의학) who hold a formal government-issued license from their home country

Sponsoring institutions:

• Registered Korean 한의원 (oriental medicine clinics) or 한방병원 (oriental medicine hospitals) that have a formal need for foreign traditional medicine expertise

• Academic institutions conducting research on traditional medicine

Scope limitation (same as other E-5): The foreign 한의사 on E-5 practices traditional medicine methods from their home system — they cannot hold themselves out as a Korean-licensed 한의사, prescribe Korean patent medicines as a Korean-licensed practitioner, or operate independently as a Korean traditional medicine clinic owner without Korean 한의사 qualification.