share on
Foreign nationals can now qualify for a "workation" visa with lower income requirements and enjoy a longer maximum stay.
South Korea has officially made its digital nomad visa programme permanent from 30 June 2026, easing eligibility requirements and extending the maximum period of stay, according to local media reports.
The F-1-D (Workation/Digital Nomad) Visa was previously run as a pilot programme from January 2024 to May 2026. It is open to foreign nationals aged 18 or above who have been employed by an overseas company – or owned a foreign business – for more than one year and are able to work remotely while residing in South Korea.
Unlike a traditional work visa, the programme does not require applicants to be employed by a South Korean company. Instead, it allows foreigners to live in the country while continuing to work remotely for overseas companies.
Under the permanent programme, income requirements have now been relaxed, with eligibility thresholds varying according to factors such as age and location of residence within South Korea. Previously, applicants were generally required to earn at least twice the country's per-capita gross national income (GNI).
For example, applicants aged between 18 and 34 who reside outside the Greater Seoul area – comprising Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province – are now eligible if they earn at least the previous year's per-capita GNI, rather than the minimum of twice the per-capita GNI required under the pilot programme. In 2025, South Korea's per-capita GNI stood at US$36,963.
The relaxed requirements are intended to encourage more foreigners to live in regional areas and designated population-declining regions, supporting the government's efforts to revitalise local economies beyond the capital region.
Meanwhile, the maximum stay period has also been extended from two years to three years, giving digital nomads more time to experience Korea.
According to Seoul Economic Daily, 398 registered foreign nationals were residing in South Korea under the digital nomad visa programme as of May 2026.
share on
