Permanent Residency in Korea
Permanent residency (F-5) allows eligible foreigners to live in South Korea indefinitely. The first step is to identify which F-5 category you qualify for: the rules depend on your current status of stay, residence history and personal circumstances.
Official links 6
- Immigration status
- F-5 permanent resident
- First action
- Find your qualifying F-5 route
- General route
- 5 qualifying years; exceptions exist
- F-5 change application
- ₩200,000
- Permanent Resident Card
- ₩35,000 issuance
- Physical card validity
- 10 years; renew separately
F-5 is a status of stay, not Korean citizenship. The legal permission to reside indefinitely and the expiration of the physical Permanent Resident Card are different things.
Who can qualify for F-5?
The official permanent-residency guide lists different pathways. These are examples, not promises of approval.
Long-term professional and resident statuses
One general route is for adults who have lived in Korea for at least five qualifying years under designated statuses, including D-7 through E-7 or F-2. Five calendar years in Korea under any visa do not automatically qualify you.
Family members and F-4 overseas Koreans
Separate routes exist for certain spouses or minor children of Korean nationals or permanent residents, with a two-year residence condition in specified cases. Eligible overseas Koreans who have held F-4 status and resided in Korea for at least two years have another route. Each still has further conditions.
Special qualifications and investment
There are additional routes for some degree holders, researchers, investors, exceptionally skilled people and other qualifying groups. Those routes use different employment, investment or residence tests. A requirement from one category cannot safely be applied to another.
How to apply for permanent residency
Identify your exact F-5 category
Write down your current status of stay, the expiry date of your permitted stay, and your history of living in Korea. Match these details to an F-5 route in the government's eligibility list. Check the latest category-specific rules in the Ministry of Justice Foreigner Stay Guide Manual, available through official immigration channels. Call 1345 if you cannot identify your route.
Check conduct, finances and Korean integration
The general F-5 framework considers good conduct, ability to support yourself, and basic knowledge of Korean language and society. Relevant evidence may include your criminal and immigration history, your income or qualifying household assets, and Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP) completion.
For some routes, the previous year's per-capita gross national income (GNI) is a benchmark; the official guide also describes an assets alternative. Completion of KIIP or 60 points out of 100 on the comprehensive assessment may satisfy the general competency requirement. Check your subcategory for different thresholds or exemptions rather than assuming these rules apply identically to everyone.
Prepare common and route-specific documents
Start with the government's common list:
- Integrated Application Form for a change of status
- Valid passport, current Residence Card and proof of Korean address
- Income or asset evidence for your F-5 category
- Foreign criminal-record certificate and guarantee documents unless exempt
- KIIP or assessment evidence unless exempt, plus the F-5 applicant information sheet
- Family, work, qualification or investment documents as your route requires
Ask the office about translations and document authentication before ordering records from abroad. A generic checklist is not a substitute for the documents specified for your F-5 category.
Submit before your present stay expires
Use HiKorea for visit-reservation information, then apply to the immigration office responsible for your address. Submit the F-5 change-of-status request before your existing permitted-stay expiry date. The standard change-of-status fee for F-5 is ₩200,000. The physical Permanent Resident Card has a separate ₩35,000 issuance fee; check any applicable exemption with the office.
Save the submission receipt and respond if immigration requests more evidence. A reservation or receipt is not permanent-residency approval.
Wait for approval and receive the new card
Permanent-resident rights begin only after F-5 permission is granted. Follow the office's instructions to update your registration and receive a Permanent Resident Card. F-5 does not require ordinary extensions of stay, but the card is valid for 10 years and must be renewed before it expires.
If the decision is pending and your current permitted stay will end soon, contact 1345 for instructions before that date. Do not assume the application receipt alone authorizes continued stay or international travel.
Keep your status after approval
Most jobs do not require a separate F-5 work permit, although certain licensed professions and public-sector jobs have their own restrictions. Status may also be revoked for serious legal reasons or fraud.
Not eligible for F-5 yet? Use How to Extend Your Stay in Korea when you need to maintain your current permitted status. Changing Your Visa Status explains the general permission process; it does not replace F-5-specific eligibility checks.