Permanent residence visa at a glance
| Official name | Permanent residence (F-5) |
|---|---|
| Structure | Several legal routes, each with its own requirements |
| Route categories | Long-term lawful stay, family of a Korean national or permanent resident, investment, overseas Koreans, education, technical qualifications and employment, special ability and special merit, pensions, and routes set by separate official notice |
| Common review areas | Good conduct, ability to earn a living, and basic knowledge such as Korean language ability and understanding of Korean society and culture |
| Relation to nationality | Permanent residence and acquiring Korean nationality are separate |
| What K-Biz Visa handles | Consultation, document preparation and filing with the immigration office |
Common points of confusion
- Permanent residence and nationality
- Permanent residence (F-5) is a visa status, and acquiring nationality is a separate system. We treat them as two different procedures.
- Length of stay alone
- Having stayed a long time does not by itself decide the route. We look at which legal route applies to you and at the common review areas together.
- Overseas Korean history
- The law has a permanent residence route that assumes a history of stay as an overseas Korean (F-4). Holding F-4 does not by itself decide F-5.
- Permanent residence card
- Getting permanent residence and the issue or reissue of the permanent resident card are separate matters. Check the related duties and deadlines against the official criteria in force when you apply.
Before the consultation
In your first enquiry, tell us your stay history so far and your family and work situation. We first decide which route to look at.
What to tell us first
- Your current visa status and your stay history so far
- Your family relationships and nationality
- Your job, education and any investment
- Your Korean language study history
Documents we ask for later
- Records proving your stay history
- Income and employment documents
- Family relationship documents
- Copies of your passport and ID
We ask only for the sensitive documents the review needs, and keep and delete them under our privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
The length of stay alone does not decide it. F-5 is divided into several legal routes, and each route has different requirements. We start by working out which route applies to you.
No. Permanent residence (F-5) is a visa status, and acquiring Korean nationality is a separate system.
In naturalisation, you acquire nationality when, after receiving permission from the Minister of Justice, you take the oath of nationality and are given the certificate of naturalisation. If a statutory reason applies, the oath can be waived.
Ministry of Justice guidance says the requirements for permanent residence include good conduct, ability to earn a living, and basic knowledge such as Korean language ability and understanding of Korean society and culture. We check these together with the requirements of each route.
The law has a permanent residence route that assumes a history of stay on F-4. Holding F-4 does not by itself decide F-5.
Related agencies and laws
The procedures and criteria on this page follow the guidance of the agencies and the laws below. How they apply is checked case by case.
Agencies
- Ministry of Justice immigration offices
- Korea Visa Portal
Laws
- Immigration Act
- Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act
- Nationality Act
Send an enquiryTell us your stay history so far and your family and work situation, and we will reply setting out which route to look at.