D-8 visa is issued to “indispensable skilled workers planning to engage in management, administration, production, and technology of a foreign-invested Korean corporation in accordance with regulations of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act.”
In short, D-8 visa is mostly for foreigners who are investing KRW 100 million or more and have acquired 10% or more of the stocks with voting rights of a Korean company (including a corporation that is in the process of establishment). Foreign entrepreneurs with intellectual property or researchers who have stayed in Korea with an E-3 visa for more than 3 years may be granted D-8-4 (Technology and business start-up) visa with a maximum stay of 2 years. There will be another Insights article on how to acquire D-8-4 with the OASIS program.
Type of D-8 visa |
Maximum length of stay |
Qualifications |
D-8-1: Incorporated Enterprise visa |
5 years |
Invested KRW 100 million or more and acquired 10% or more of the total stocks with voting rights |
D-8-2 Business Venture visa |
2 years (6 months for the prospective venture) |
Established a business venture based on advanced technology (i.e. with intellectual property right) or has been confirmed as a venture or a prospective venture |
D-8-3 Unincorporated Enterprise visa |
5 years |
Invested in a company run by a Korean national and at least KRW 100 million, which is ten or more percentage of the total initial capitals of the company |
D-8-4 Technology and Business Startup visa |
2 years |
Founders of a tech company who have a bachelor's degree or higher and have an intellectual property right or equivalent skills (i.e. entrepreneurial items selected as the winner of government funds) |
If a foreign investor has successfully incorporated a foreign-invested company, acquiring D-8 visa is a natural next step. However, there is a series of documents you need to prepare, which is often considered to be complicated and difficult.
|
Required documents |
1 |
Application form for visa issuance or application form for confirmation of visa issuance |
2 |
Passport (copy of passport in the case of application for visa issuance), color photo for passport, and processing fee |
3 |
Corporation registration certificate issued in the past three months |
4 |
Copy of business registration certificate |
5 |
Copy of foreign-invested company registration certificate |
6 |
Specification of change in shareholders (original copy) |
7 |
Document certifying introduction of investment funds |
8 |
A document certifying qualification as indispensable professional specialist (one of the following): technical certifications (for engineers), certificate of career, company organizational chart, diploma |
9 |
Certificate of payment of tax (stating payment of the corporate tax, grade A earned income tax, etc.) |
10 |
A document certifying the place of sojourn (real estate lease contract, etc.) |
Required documents | |
1 |
Document certifying expenditure of capital (Receipt for purchase of goods, office interior design expenses, etc.) |
2 |
Withdrawal and deposit records of a corporate account |
3 |
A document certifying the existence of a business establishment (Office lease contract, photographs of building, office space, signage, etc.) |
4 |
Document certifying business experience in the relevant industry or field (if necessary) |
For more information on applying for D-8 Visa and do business in Korea, contact us.