GUIDE BLOG FOR FOREIGNER, LIVING IN KOREA PART # 03-B

GUIDE BLOG FOR FOREIGNER,

 LIVING IN KOREA 

 PART # 03-B

Activities Other Than Those Permitted under the Status

(i) Qualification and Period

If long-term foreign residents of Korea who stay for more than 90 days intend to maintain their current status and undertake activities permitted under another status, they shall  apply for a permit for said activities before undertaking the activities. (Short-term foreign residents who stay for 90 days or less shall not apply for such permit)

• If foreign students with a D-2 visa continue their studies while working 

   in part-time jobs (S-3)

• If missionaries with a D-6 visa deliver lectures at universities (E-1)

(ii) Required Documents

• Application for change of status of stay

• Passport and certificate of alien registration (if applicable)

• Attached documents, according to status of stay

• Service charge: KRW 50,000 (KRW 30,000 for part-time workers with 

   D-2 or F-2 status)

(iii) Approval

If the changes are permitted, the permit is stamped on the passport, and information on

the permit is marked on the certificate of alien registration. If changes are not granted,

the reason for denial is provided to the applicant.

Reentry Permit

(i) Qualification and Period

If long-term foreign residents who stay for 90 days or longer intend to leave and reenter 

Korea during their period of stay, they shall first obtain a reentry permit from the 

competent office of the Korea Immigration Service.

• On the day of departure, foreign residents leaving Korea may purchase a single reentry 

permit at the airport or the port, regardless of the competent office of the Korea Immigration Service.

• If foreign residents leave Korea without first obtaining a reentry permit, 

   or fail to reenter during the reentry period, their existing status of stay will 

   be invalidated.

(ii) Type

• Single reentry permit: allows foreign residents to reenter Korea once in 

   a year

• Multiple reentry permit: allows foreign residents to reenter Korea 

  more than twice in two years

(iii) Required Documents

• Application for reentry permit

• Passport and certificate of alien registration (if applicable)

• Attached documents, according to status of stay

• Service charge - Single reentry permit: KRW 30,000; Multiple reentry 

permit: KRW  50,000 ( P.S Check with call ☎1345)

(iv) Marriage Immigrants

Spouses of Korean citizens (F-2-1) may apply for a multiple reentry permit during the 

period of stay. For a marriage immigrant with an F-2-1 visa who is filing for divorce, and 

whose period of stay is being extended by three months, a single reentry permit is given.

(v) Extension of Reentry Permit Period

If foreign residents who have left the country with a reentry permit are unable to reenter 

Korea due to unavoidable circumstances, they may apply for extension at the local 

embassy or the local consulate of Korea during the permitted period.

Obligation of Foreign Residents to Report

Should any of the following changes occur to a foreign resident during his/her stay in 

Korea, the foreign resident is obliged to report the change to the competent office of the 

Korea Immigration Service. Penalties and disadvantages may be imposed upon foreign 

residents who do not observe the obligation to report.

(i) Obligation to Report Changes in Foreign 

Resident Registration Status

• Qualification and Period

 Foreign residents who have been registered in Korea shall report the    following changes of foreign resident information to the competent      

 office of the Korea Immigration Servicewithin 14 days from the date of 

 such change.

• Items to Be Reported

- Changes in name, sex, date of birth and nationality

- Changes in passport number, date of issuance and passport expiry date

- Changes in foreign resident’s organization, or name of the 

  organization

Required 

Documents

                                                                         

• Report of changes in foreign resident information

• Passport and certificate of alien registration

• Reference of changes

      

ii) Obligation to Report Changes in Location of Residence

• Qualification and Period

If a foreign resident changes his or her place of residence, the foreign resident must 

give moving-in notification to the new competent office of the Korea Immigration Service or the head of cities, guns or gus of their new addresses within 14 days from the transfer.

    

Required Documents

• Report of changes of residence

• Passport and certificate of alien registration.

Denizenship

Foreign residents who meet the following qualifications may apply for denizenship at the 

competent office of the Korea Immigration Service by submitting the required documents 

according to status of stay.

i) Qualification

① Foreign residents who have stayed in Korea for more than five years

② Spouses of Korean citizens, or underage children of Korean denizens

③ Foreign residents who have invested USD 1.0 million or more 

    ( P.S Check with call ☎1345)

④ Overseas Koreans

⑤ Chinese Koreans who were born in Korea

⑥ Doctoral degree holders in high-tech industries

⑦ Bachelor’s degree holders and license holders in high-tech industries

⑧ Experts in specific areas

⑨ Special contributors

⑩ Pension subscribers                                                                                                            

ii)MarriageImmigrants

Marriage immigrants who meet the following qualifications may apply for denizenship by 

applying for a permit for change of the status of stay, if they have stayed in Korea for two 

or more years.

(1) Qualification

• Marriage immigrants who maintain marital relations with their Korean   spouses

• Marriage immigrants whose Korean spouses are dead or missing according to the adjudication of the Court

• Marriage immigrants who are divorced or separated from their Korean 

  spouses, and can prove that they are not responsible for the 

  dissolution of the marriage

• Marriage immigrants who had children with Korean spouses and are 

  raising underage children, regardless of the marital status 

(2) Required Documents

• Application for change of status of stay (F-2 → F-5)

• Passport and certificate of alien registration

• Certificate of family relations and copy of resident registration of 

  Korean spouses

※ Adjudication of disappearance (if Korean spouses are missing), death certificate (if Korean spouses are dead), or court decision specifying that Korean spouses are responsible for dissolution of marriage (if marriage immigrants are divorced or separated from Korean spouses)

 References proving financial ability (one of the following documents)

- A bank statement with the savings of KRW 30 million or more 

  deposited in the name ( P.S Check with call ☎1345) of the foreign 

  resident or a family member living together with the foreign resident

- A copy of real estate registration or a copy of a lease agreement

- References proving the income of the foreign resident or their spouse, 

   including the

certificate of employment

• Personal reference

※ Persons other than the Korean spouse may provide a personal 

   reference. The referrer shall submit acertificate of employment, 

   certificate of tax payment and certificate of property tax payment to 

   prove the ability to give a reference.

• Service charge: KRW 60,000 ( P.S Check with call ☎1345)

3) Benefits

• Marriage immigrants do not have to give up their original nationality.

• Marriage immigrants may maintain denizenship even when they 

   divorce Korean spouses.

• Marriage immigrants may vote in local elections, beginning 

   three years after the date of denizenship.

• Marriage immigrants do not have to apply for a reentry permit if they 

   reenter Korea within one year from the date of leave.

iii) Loss of Denizenship

Denizened foreign residents may lose denizenship for the following reasons.

• Failure to reenter Korea within the permitted reentry period

• Committing a crime of rebellion or foreign troubles in accordance with 

   the Criminal Law

• Committing a crime such as murder, burglary, drug trafficking, violation 

   of the nationalsecurity law, rape, sexual violence and indecent assault

• Giving false information on the application for denizenship, or 

   attempting to subvert theapplication process in another manner

• Marriage to Korean spouse has been determined to be a marriage of 

  convenience

• Entering Korea with a forged, modified, or transferred passport

※ A marriage of convenience is a marriage reported solely for immigration purposes, without the intentionof living in a married relationship with the spouse, and is subject to criminal punishment. Paying a service

charge to a marriage broker does not meet the condition of a marriage of convenience.