South Korea Launches Digital Nomad Visa: Here’s How To Apply?

Laiba MohsinLast Updated: Jan 5, 2024

South Korea has recently launched the “digital nomad visa” policy. The basic purpose is to attract 20 million foreign tourists and create $24.5 billion in tourism revenue. The all-new Visa scheme was launched on New Year’s Day. It will allow foreign nationals to live in the country for up to two years while maintaining a remote job in their home country. South Korea’s Justice Ministry was quoted as saying by The Korea Herald:

“To make remote work and vacation of foreigners in Korea smoother, we have decided to launch a new digital nomad visa. So far, foreigners have been required to apply for tourist visas or just stay for less than 90 days without a visa for a ‘workcation’ in Korea. The new system will allow employees and employers in overseas firms to tour and work remotely in Korea for a longer period.”

South Korean Nomad Visa Is Eligible For Applicants More Than 18 Years Old

Reports claim that the new visa scheme is designed to attract young foreign nationals. It is especially for people who are interested in Korean content and want to learn about Korea’s entertainment industry. It would not be wrong to say that the so-called “Hallyu”, or Korean Wave, of K-pop and K-dramas, has spread across Asia and beyond since the early 2000s. There is a large section of people who are fans of Korean popular culture. This number has been increasing every year due to the increase in number of Indian tourists and students in South Korea.

All the interested applicants who want to get their hands on a Digital Nomad Visa must be 18 years or older. Moreover, they must have worked for at least one year in their current field. Applicants need to submit proof of one year of earning over 84.96 million won ($65,860). They have to submit it to the Korean embassy directly or through a visa agent. In addition to all this, applicants must have private health insurance with coverage of at least 100 million won.

While applying for the Visa, applicants must submit employment verification documents, details of their criminal record, if any, and proof of private health insurance. It is pertinent to mention here that all those tourists who are already in South Korea under other tourist visas can also apply for the digital nomad visa. However, people having digital nomad visas are not eligible for jobs within South Korea. All other people who get a digital nomad visa can take their spouse and children who are not more than 18 years of age. They can initially stay in Korea for one year and can extend their stay up to one more year.

Laiba MohsinLast Updated: Jan 5, 2024