🇰🇷 South Korea · Permanent Residency
Permanent-residence routes: eligibility, required years of residence, and the official application steps — including any investment routes where a country offers them.
Quick answer
South Korea grants F-5 permanent residency, typically after holding a long-term status (such as F-2 resident) for the required years, or via points, investment or marriage routes, under the Korea Immigration Service. It lets you live and work without visa renewals; naturalization is a separate, longer process, and Korea restricts dual citizenship for most adults.
Permanent residence in South Korea is the F-5 visa, granted through many sub-categories — long-term residents, points-based skilled workers, investors, professionals, and family of Korean nationals or other PR holders. Common requirements include a qualifying period of prior residence, income (often tied to a multiple of GNI per capita) and social integration (KIIP completion or the comprehensive exam). Applications are made by appointment through HiKorea / immigration offices.
- F-5 has many sub-types; the route, prior-residence period and documents depend on your category.
- Common requirements include income criteria (often a multiple of GNI per capita) and social-integration evidence (KIIP completion or the comprehensive exam).
- A criminal-record check and Korean-language proficiency (TOPIK or KIIP) are usually required.
- Book an appointment through HiKorea — F-5 applications are not accepted as walk-ins.
Step-by-step
- 1
Choose your F-5 route
Common routes are long residence on an F-2 status, the points-based track, investment, or marriage to a Korean national.
- 2
Meet the conditions
Meet the residence period, income/assets, and (for most routes) a Korean-language or social-integration requirement (KIIP).
- 3
Apply at the immigration office
Apply for the F-5 permanent residency at your local immigration office with income, residence and integration documents.
- 4
Complete checks and interview
Undergo document and background checks and any required interview; provide biometrics.
- 5
Receive F-5 status
F-5 permanent residency has no visa renewals for stay, though you must maintain the alien registration card and a re-entry basis for long trips.
- 6
Understand path to citizenship
Naturalization is a separate, longer process with a Korean-language/culture test; Korea restricts dual citizenship for most adults (some exceptions).
Checklist
- F-5 route (F-2 residence / points / investment / marriage)
- Residence period + income/assets
- Korean language / social-integration (KIIP)
- Immigration-office application + documents
- Checks + interview + biometrics
- F-5 status + alien registration card
- Re-entry basis for long trips
- Naturalization separate (dual citizenship restricted)
Official authorities
- HiKorea (Korea Immigration Service)
Official e-government immigration portal for applications and appointments.
Frequently asked questions
What is the F-5 visa?
The F-5 is South Korea’s permanent residency status, letting you stay and work without further visa renewals.
Do I need Korean language?
Most F-5 routes require Korean-language or social-integration (KIIP) achievement; specific levels depend on the route.
Can I hold dual citizenship?
Generally no for adult naturalizers — Korea requires renouncing other nationalities in most cases, with limited exceptions.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Government of Korea — Korea's integrated government portal — policy, administrative services, e-government
- Korea Immigration Service (HiKorea) — Visas, residence status changes, work permits, and alien registration in Korea
- National Tax Service (NTS) — Korean income tax, corporate tax, VAT filing; annual comprehensive tax return for foreigners (May); foreign taxpayer incentive lookup