Most foreigners work in Korea on an E-series visa. The big ones are E-7 (professional and skilled jobs — the standard route for office, IT, engineering and design roles), E-9 (non-professional/manufacturing under the EPS system), and E-2 (foreign language instructors). To hire you on an E-7, an employer must sponsor you and meet a salary floor — for 2026, roughly ₩31,120,000/year for E-7-1 professionals and ₩25,890,000/year for E-7-2/E-7-3. You generally cannot work on a tourist entry; a work visa requires a Korean employer or a residence visa (like F-2/F-5/F-6) that allows free employment. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm your case with HiKorea or a licensed administrative agent (행정사).
"Work visa Korea" is one of those searches that hides a dozen different situations. An English teacher, a software engineer, a factory worker, a startup founder and a spouse of a Korean citizen all need different visas — and using the wrong category is the most common reason applications stall.
This guide maps the main work visas to who they're actually for, so you can find your lane before you start gathering documents. Visa rules and salary floors change, so treat the numbers here as 2026 reference points and confirm specifics with official sources before you commit.
Which Korea work visa do you actually need?
Start with what you'll be doing and who's hiring you:
Office, IT, engineering, design, research, management → E-7 (professional/skilled)
Teaching English or another foreign language → E-2
Manufacturing, agriculture, fishing, some service work (via EPS) → E-9
Starting or investing in a business → D-8
Just graduated in Korea and job-hunting → D-10 (job seeker)
You want to work freely without an employer sponsor → F-2 (points-based residence), F-5 (permanent residence), or F-6 (marriage to a Korean national)
The single biggest split is sponsored vs. unsponsored. E-series visas are tied to a specific employer who sponsors you; F-series residence visas let you work for anyone (or yourself).
E-7: the standard professional work visa
E-7 is the visa most skilled foreign professionals end up on. It's built around designated occupations rather than "any job," and it has four sub-tracks:
E-7-1 — professionals: managers, engineers, IT specialists, designers, researchers and dozens of other listed roles
E-7-2 — semi-professional / quasi-skilled roles
E-7-3 — designated skilled workers (e.g., shipbuilding welders, aircraft mechanics)
E-7-4 — skilled workers promoted from E-9 via a points system
2026 salary floors (Ministry of Justice framework): roughly ₩31,120,000 per year for E-7-1, and ₩25,890,000 per year for E-7-2 and E-7-3. Your offered salary has to clear the relevant floor, and your degree or experience normally has to match the occupation.
To apply, your employer typically files for a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance, then you collect the visa at a Korean embassy or convert status inside Korea. After arrival you'll register for an Alien Registration Card.
E-9: non-professional employment (EPS)
E-9 covers manufacturing, agriculture, fishing, construction and some service jobs under the Employment Permit System (EPS). It works through bilateral agreements with specific sending countries, a Korean-language test (EPS-TOPIK), and a government-run matching process rather than you applying to a single company directly. Long-serving E-9 workers can sometimes move up to E-7-4 through a points system.
E-2: teaching English and other languages
If you're a native English speaker with a bachelor's degree, E-2 is the classic route. It requires a degree, a clean criminal background check (apostilled), a health check, and a sponsoring school or institute (hagwon, public school or university). Note that university lecturers often use E-1 instead.
D-8 and D-10: founders and job seekers
D-8 (business investment) is for people setting up or running a company in Korea, including a startup-founder track (D-8-4). Investment thresholds commonly start around ₩50,000,000 depending on sub-type.
D-10 (job seeker) is a holding visa — often used by graduates of Korean universities (former D-2 students) to stay and interview before converting to E-7.
F-2, F-5, F-6: work without a sponsor
The F-series is the goal for many long-term residents because it decouples you from a single employer:
F-2 — points-based long-term residence; lets you change jobs freely. There are STEM-graduate and points tracks.
F-5 — permanent residence.
F-6 — marriage visa for spouses of Korean nationals; allows free employment.
If you qualify for an F-visa, you avoid the re-sponsorship hassle every time you switch jobs, and you may qualify for benefits like the 19% flat tax election (within its time limits) and easier banking.
Korea Salary Calculator
Salary Calculator — Got an offer? Check whether it clears the E-7 salary floor and see your real take-home pay after Korean income tax, national pension and health insurance deductions before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Korea on a tourist visa or K-ETA?
No. Visa-free entry, K-ETA and short-term tourist status do not permit employment. Working without the correct visa risks fines, deportation and future entry bans. You need a work visa (E-series) sponsored by an employer, or an F-series residence visa that allows employment.
How long does a Korea work visa take?
It varies by type and consulate, but an E-7 commonly takes a few weeks once the employer's paperwork (Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance) is approved. Background checks, document apostilles and embassy appointments are usually the slowest steps, so start gathering documents early.
Can I change jobs on an E-7 visa?
Not freely. E-7 is tied to your sponsoring employer, so changing jobs normally requires reporting the change and getting permission for the new workplace. If you want to switch jobs without re-sponsorship, an F-2 or F-5 residence visa is the long-term answer.
What's the difference between E-7 and E-9?
E-7 is for professional and designated skilled occupations and usually requires a relevant degree or experience plus a salary above the official floor. E-9 is non-professional employment (manufacturing, agriculture, fishing) under the government's EPS system with a Korean-language test and a managed matching process.
Do I need a Korean employer before applying?
For E-series work visas, yes — you need a sponsoring employer in almost all cases. The main exceptions are residence visas: D-8 (you're investing in or founding the business), D-10 (job-seeking) and F-series (which let you work without sponsorship).
Is this legal advice?
No. Visa categories, salary thresholds and procedures change, and individual cases differ. Use this as a starting map, then confirm details with HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr), the Korea Immigration Service, or a licensed Korean administrative agent (행정사) before applying.