Korea Guides for Foreigners

Step-by-step renewal: when to start, HiKorea booking, documents by visa type (D-2 / D-10 / E-7 / F-2 / F-5 / F-6), fees, processing time, common mistakes.

Doro vs Jibun systems, Revised Romanization rules, FedEx/Amazon/EMS shipping format, postal codes, 14-day move-in registration, 25 Seoul districts.

F-3 dependent (spouse + children of D/E/H-2), F-6 marriage to Korean (2-3 yr → F-5 fast track), F-5 permanent residence (5 yrs + TOPIK 3+), F-2-99 points-based (80+ pts), F-4 overseas Korean. Eligibility, documents, processing time, work rights, status loss handling.

Foreigner married to Korean — in-law titles (시아버지/장모), Seollal·Chuseok cost ₩80-200K/event, parental care (26% multi-gen, ₩30-100K/month), couple income tax (separate filing), divorce alimony·custody·F-6 visa risk, inheritance (spouse 1.5/child 1.0 + foreign spouse equal heir + cross-border tax).

Cross-border estate planning for foreigners. Resident vs non-resident (worldwide vs Korea-only), foreign heirs equal rights (Civil Act §1009), spouse deduction up to ₩3B, progressive 10-50%, 6-month filing, tax treaty (US/EU/JP) foreign tax credit, dual citizenship estate, forced heirship, will execution + Korean court process.

Korean LTCI (NHIS grades 1-5 + Cognitive Support, 15-20% copay), nursing facility ₩80-200K/month, dementia care, foreign parents visa options (very limited), F-5 aging in Korea vs repatriation, foreign spouse family obligation (Civil Act §974), cross-cultural end-of-life planning.

For ages 18-30 (or 18-35) from 25 partner countries (JP/AU/CA/UK/DE/FR/NZ + 18 more) — 12 month stay (24 for AU/CA/UK), work + study + travel allowed, ₩3M proof of funds, embassy application only. One-lifetime per nationality.

K-12 system, public schools (free + Korean immersion) vs international schools (₩30-60M/year), top international schools (SFS/KIS/Yongsan/Dwight), F-3/F-6 dependent enrollment, KSL (Korean as Second Language) support, university admissions (SNU/Yonsei/Korea/KAIST + KGSP scholarship).

Seoul vs Busan vs Daegu vs Jeju vs Gwangju monthly budget. Single ₩1.5-2.5M, couple ₩2.5-4M, family of 4 ₩3-10M depending on school choice. Housing (jeonse vs wolse), food, transit, healthcare, communication, education, taxes + 4-insurance. Saving tips + Asian city comparison.

Employment contract essentials, 52-hour work cap, minimum wage ₩10,320, 1.5× overtime, 15-day annual leave, 30-day dismissal notice, MOEL complaint procedure. For E-7 / E-9 / D-7 / F-series workers.

Complete walkthrough: when each option wins, real income scenarios (₩60M~₩400M), 4대보험 details, NPS treaty opt-out (US/CA/UK/JP/AU+30), year-end settlement.

Three biggest tax-advantaged accounts — IRP + Pension Savings ₩9M combined cap (₩1.485M tax saving), ISA ₩100M lifetime + ₩2-4M tax-free after 3 years. Eligibility for F/E/D series, 19% flat vs progressive decision, withdrawal at age 55, leaving Korea options.

FINI registration for non-residents, securities account opening (Mirae Asset/Samsung/NH), tax framework (resident vs non-resident, capital gains 22% on majority + dividend 14-22%), KOSPI/KOSDAQ/KONEX overview, 95+ tax treaty country dividend rates, US PFIC + EU wealth tax considerations.

NPS, NHIS, EI, Workers' Comp — 2026 employee + employer rates, NPS treaty opt-out 5-step process, NHIS dependent coverage, unemployment benefits, F-2/F-5/F-6 status.

eSIM (Airalo, Saily, Holafly) vs airport SIM (KT, SKT) vs long-term MVNO (Chingu, EG) vs big-3 postpaid. ARC requirements, English support, 2026 prices, keep number after leaving.

Income (₩88.1M), insurance (₩100M), application docs, processing time, family accompaniment (F-3), taxation, F-1-D extension, and how F-1-D compares to D-7/D-8/F-2/F-5.

Eligibility by visa, acquisition tax (1-12%), holding tax, capital gains, FX reporting (₩10K USD), jeonse vs wolse, mortgage access, step-by-step buying process, 2026 disclosure rules.

$200 KORUS FTA / $150 general de minimis, personal customs clearance code (개인통관고유부호), KFDA-restricted items (supplements / cosmetics / medications), 목록통관 vs formal declaration, refund procedures for iHerb / Amazon / AliExpress / Rakuten shoppers.

VAT 10% refund for foreign tourists, Immediate Refund (₩15,000–500,000 in-store) vs Departure Refund (airport Customs + processor kiosk), Global Blue / Global Tax Free / Easy Tax Free, Incheon T1/T2 desk locations, eligible vs ineligible items, missed-refund recovery procedure.

IDP 1-year validity for tourists, conversion from 145+ reciprocal countries (US/CA/UK/JP/AU/EU/SG), full Korean driving test for non-reciprocal (₩400K-1M with driving school), 10-year license validity, traffic laws + demerit points, DUI 0.03% strict enforcement, mandatory insurance.

T-money buying/recharging (intl card OK), Seoul Climate Card 30-day pass break-even, AREX Express vs All-Stop from Incheon, free transfer rules (30/60 min · max 4 legs · ₩1,550 base), age category registration, leftover-balance refund procedure when leaving Korea.

NHIS mandatory enrollment after 6 months (employees from day 1), premium ~3.6% salary / ₩170K-500K monthly for local subscribers, dependent rules (spouse/children/parents), 60-80% coverage at any contracted hospital, typical out-of-pocket costs, English-speaking International Clinics.

Open accounts at Big 4 banks (KB / Shinhan / Woori / KEB Hana) + internet banks (KakaoBank / Toss / K-Bank), check vs credit cards by visa, Wise / SWIFT / Remitly wire transfer comparison, USD 50K/year FX reporting (외환관리법 §16), public certificate (공동인증서), English helpdesks, departure procedures.