Digital Nomad
Who it is for
The Embassy page for applicants in Singapore says the F-1-D visa is meant for applicants who can work remotely for overseas companies, and that freelancers are not eligible to apply. It says applicants must be 18 years old or older, have worked in their current Singapore-based company for at least 1 year, and be permitted by their company to work remotely in Korea for more than 90 days. Short-term visitors in Singapore are not eligible to apply for this visa there. Foreigners already in Korea under K-ETA or on a short-term visa such as B-1, B-2 or C-3 may apply at a local immigration office if they meet the requirements. Accompanying family members include the remote worker's spouse and minor children.
Income requirement
The page states GNI per capita as of 2026 as KRW 52,416,000 (KRW 4,368,000 per month). The income requirement is a multiple of GNI and depends on age and place of stay. For applicants aged 18 to 34 (the page counts age “as of calendar year”), it is 1 times GNI in a non-Seoul metropolitan or population-declining (or at-risk) region, and 1.5 times GNI in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (Gyeong-gi province, Seoul, Incheon). For applicants aged 35 or older, it is 1.5 times GNI in those non-Seoul regions and 2 times GNI in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. For applicants accompanied by a spouse and/or minor children, it is 2 times GNI in the Seoul metropolitan area, regardless of age, and 1.5 times GNI in the non-Seoul regions.
Documents: identity and employment
The checklist asks for a visa application form with one passport photo against a white background, and a passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity (original and a clear copy of the bio-data page). The Embassy keeps the passport during processing. It lists a clear copy of the NRIC or long-term pass (Singaporeans may omit it) and a re-entry permit (applicable to permanent residents only). For physical work passes with a QR code, it asks for a clear printout of the pass information from the SGWORKPASS app, obtained within the recent 1 week; for digital passes, the printout must include the verifiable QR code. It says blurred photocopies or omission of the QR code will result in visa rejection. For work, it asks for an original letter from the Singapore company, issued within the recent 1 month, verifying employment, approval for remote working overseas and its dates, or an ACRA business profile if you own the business.
Documents: money, records and insurance
The checklist also lists the Income Tax Return (Notice of Assessment for 2025) and the recent 3 months of Singapore bank account statements; credit/debit card statements and overseas bank statements are not accepted. If you have resided in Singapore for 1 year or more, it asks for a Certificate of Clearance from the Singapore Police Force, issued within the recent 6 months. Non-Singaporeans also need a criminal records certificate from their home country. Any applicant who has resided in another country for 1 year or more in the recent 5 years also needs criminal records from that country. Both must be issued within the recent 6 months and apostilled by the competent authority in the issuing country or notarized by the Korean Embassy in that country. Medical insurance covering SGD 150,000 in medical treatment and medical evacuation/repatriation fees is also required.
How to apply and accommodation
The page says submission is in person at the Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC), and a flight ticket is not required. The Embassy does not provide status updates; you will know the result on the scheduled collection date. It no longer issues physical visa stickers, and you may download the visa grant notice online upon approval. For a stay in a non-Seoul metropolitan area or population-declining (or at-risk) region, the document list asks for a lease agreement for at least one month, a reservation confirmation for a designated workation facility (work-and-leisure spaces selected by the Korea Tourism Organization), or another accommodation booking. Applicants using the lower income threshold for staying outside the Seoul Metropolitan Area must provide proof of accommodation booking. The Embassy is not responsible for any accommodation booking or related costs if the application is denied.
Stay length, renewal and after you arrive
The F-1-D visa allows a stay in Korea for one year, with the opportunity to extend one year at a time up to three years; extension is handled by the local immigration office in Korea. If you lose your job after entering Korea, you are not required to report it, but you cannot extend your stay further and must leave Korea when the permitted period of stay expires. You must apply for a Registration Card at a local immigration office in Korea within 90 days of your arrival. If you leave Korea for good, the card must be returned to the immigration office or an immigration officer at the departure airport. The page says failure to do so will result in a fine.
Visa fee and tax on income earned abroad
For the visa fee, the page links to a separate Embassy table of visa application fees, effective 1 September 2026. That table says fees are payable in cash or PayNow and are non-refundable regardless of outcome. It also says different fees apply to certain countries, and it lists fees for single entry under 90 days, single entry over 90 days, double entry and multiple entry. This guide gives no amount, so check the table. On tax, the page says residents are taxed on all income, but short-term foreign residents are taxed on income from foreign sources only if it is paid in or remitted to Korea. It defines them as foreign residents with a domicile or place of residence for not more than 5 years in total from 10 years before the end of the relevant taxable period.
overseas.mofa.go.kr: Workation visa (F-1-D) overseas.mofa.go.kr: Visa Application Fees
What this page does not cover
This page does not cover the visa fee amount, processing time, which income is counted, what an extension at the local immigration office requires, the KRW amount for each GNI multiple, double taxation agreements, or the rules for applying from countries other than Singapore. Check the official pages for them.
Questions before acting
Can freelancers apply for the South Korea workation visa (F-1-D)?
The Embassy page says the F-1-D visa is meant for applicants who can work remotely for overseas companies, and that freelancers are not eligible to apply for it.
What income does the F-1-D workation visa require?
The page sets the requirement as a multiple of GNI per capita, which it states as KRW 52,416,000 as of 2026. The multiple depends on age and place of stay, from 1 times GNI for applicants aged 18 to 34 in non-Seoul metropolitan or population-declining (or at-risk) regions to 2 times GNI for applicants aged 35 or older in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Applicants accompanied by a spouse and/or minor children have their own thresholds.
Do F-1-D visa holders need Korean health insurance?
The page says F-1-D visa holders are required to subscribe to National Health Insurance if they live in Korea for more than 6 months. If the calculated premium is less than the average insurance premium, the average premium (KRW 150,990 as of 2024) will be imposed. If your foreign insurance, foreign law or employer contract gives you medical coverage equivalent to the medical care benefits of Article 41 of the National Health Insurance Act, you may apply to be excluded from National Health Insurance.
Can my spouse and children come with me on the F-1-D visa?
The page says accompanying family members include the remote worker's spouse and minor children. Among the documents it lists for them are an English marriage certificate (spouse) or English birth certificate (minor child), apostilled by the competent authority in the issuing country or notarized by the Korean Embassy in that country if issued outside Singapore, and a company letter confirming resignation, a remote-working arrangement or a sabbatical leave arrangement for a working spouse or, for a schooling child, a school letter confirming leave of absence or withdrawal. Each family member also needs medical insurance covering SGD 150,000 in medical treatment and medical evacuation/repatriation fees.
Corrections in this revision
The previous version included statements without sufficient direct support. This revision removes or corrects:
Review scope: legal and financial statements in this revised article. Recheck on a provider, professional, immigration or tax-rule change; reuse of dated figures requires a new check.
See recorded sources
- overseas.mofa.go.kr: Workation visa (F-1-D) — South Korea — national. Page dated 2026-08-29; captured by WTE on 2026-09-12 and re-checked on 2026-10-07
- overseas.mofa.go.kr: Visa Application Fees — South Korea — national. Fee table effective 01 Sep 2026 (w.e.f.); page re-read 2026-10-07
These primary references have the jurisdiction, product and scope stated above. A source link is not proof of personalised eligibility.
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About the author
António Mira is the founder of whereTOemigrate. For over a decade he has worked at the intersection of Portuguese real estate and overseas business, helping international clients navigate the cross-border decisions that come with relocating. He sits on the board of CCIAP (Portuguese-Arab Chamber of Commerce), the Portuguese-Saudi Business Council, and the Portugal-Hong Kong Business Association — always with one focus: enabling overseas business and human mobility into and out of Portugal.
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