South Korea officially launched its F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa on June 30, 2026, granting qualifying remote workers aged 18 and over a maximum stay of three years. The Ministry of Justice announced the move on July 7, 2026, converting a programme piloted since 2024 into a permanent immigration option with several relaxed criteria.

What changed from the pilot?

Two main modifications took effect with the official launch. The Ministry of Justice framed both changes as tools to attract international talent and lift regional demand.

• Income threshold now scales by age and region. During the pilot, applicants had to show annual income of at least twice the per capita gross national income (GNI), roughly KRW 52.41 million in 2025. Under the new rules, the requirement ranges from one to two times per capita GNI. Younger applicants and those living outside the capital area or in declining-population regions qualify at the lower end.
• Maximum stay extended from two to three years. The pilot allowed one-year extensions up to a two-year cap. The Ministry of Justice said the longer window encourages digital nomads to choose Korea as a settlement destination and to spend more locally.

Who qualifies under the new rules?

The F-1-D visa targets foreign nationals aged 18 or above who meet two baseline conditions:

• They have worked for a foreign employer for more than one year, or they own a foreign company.
• They can perform their job remotely while living in South Korea.

Spouses and other family members can apply alongside the primary applicant. The Ministry of Justice has not yet published a full age-and-region income matrix, but officials confirmed that applicants aged 18 to 34 who live and work outside the capital area qualify at the lowest tier — one times per capita GNI.

How does the income test work in practice?

The new framework applies a tiered income test:

• Applicants aged 18-34 working in non-metropolitan areas or population-decline zones: 1x per capita GNI (about KRW 26.2 million at the 2025 baseline).
• Other applicants: up to 2x per capita GNI (about KRW 52.41 million), matching the previous pilot standard.

The Ministry of Justice explained the rationale as encouraging top international talent to experience Korea fully and to choose it as a long-term destination for settlement, while stimulating domestic demand by extending the period of consumption.

What stays the same?

The eligibility backbone remains unchanged. A foreign-national applicant must still hold remote-friendly employment with a non-Korean company or own such a company, and family members retain the right to apply together. The F-1-D category sits outside Korea's standard employment visa lanes, so it does not require a Korean sponsoring employer.

What should applicants do next?

Prospective applicants should review the Ministry of Justice notice and confirm the precise income tier that applies to their age and intended residence. The 2025 per-capita GNI figure of approximately KRW 52.41 million provides the benchmark for the upper income threshold, with the lower threshold set at roughly half that level for qualifying younger applicants in non-capital regions.

Applicants should verify current exchange-rate calculations when documenting income and should anchor any case-specific questions to the official Ministry of Justice immigration portal, which carries the full announcement linked to the July 7, 2026 publication. Processing timelines, supporting-document lists and the application fee schedule are set out there.