Change to Korean F-5 Visa While on F-6 Spousal Visa

How to Apply for Korean F-5 Visa While on an F-6 Spousal Visa

One of our most common inquiries is whether someone can apply for the F-5 visa (permanent residency) if they have been married to a Korean and lived in South Korea for an extended period. Yes, you can, but you still must meet other requirements.

What Is the Korean F-5 Visa?

The F-5 is Korea’s permanent residency status. Holders can stay in Korea with no time limit, so there are no more visa extensions to file. The physical residence card does need to be reissued every 10 years, though, and missing that deadline can lead to a fine. 

Once approved, your status doesn’t depend on your marriage or income staying the same. It can still be cancelled in limited cases, such as when it was obtained with false information.

How Do I Get a Korean F-5 Visa?

There are several routes. The most common is being married to a Korean national and living in Korea for an extended period of time. You can also qualify through long-term work or investment in Korea, among other paths. We’ll cover those in future articles.

F-5 Visa Requirements for Married Applicants

Below are the main requirements when applying through marriage and residency. Immigration may ask for additional documents depending on your situation.

1. Current Marital Status

Your marriage must still be valid when you apply, with two exceptions. If a court has recognized a divorce in which your Korean spouse was 100% at fault, or has recognized your custody of your Korean children, you can still be eligible. If you’re in this situation, see our article on F-6 holders’ legal status after divorce.

2. Long-Term Korean Residence

You must have lived in Korea for at least two consecutive years on an F-6 marital visa.

3. Financial Means

You need to show either income or assets. The two can’t be added together.

• Income: your household income must be at least 100% of the previous year’s per-capita Gross National Income (GNI).
• Assets: or your household’s net assets must be at least the national median.

Whichever you choose, your own income or assets must generally make up at least 50% of the standard. You can count your spouse’s finances toward the household total. For proof of income, a certificate of employment or bank records showing steady salary deposits both work. The GNI figure is updated every year, so check the current amount with Immigration before you apply.

4. Crime-Free Background

You’ll need a criminal background check, which you can obtain from a South Korean police station or prosecutor’s office.

5. A Current Domicile

You must provide documents proving you live at a Korean address, such as a lease agreement in your name or your spouse’s.

6. Proof of Understanding Korean Language and Culture

You must show basic knowledge of the Korean language and society in one of two ways:

• Complete Level 5 of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP), or
• Score at least 60 out of 100 on the comprehensive test for permanent residence or naturalization.

TOPIK results are no longer accepted for this purpose. Immigration took TOPIK Level 4 or higher only for applications filed through March 31, 2019. Since then, KIIP or the comprehensive test is the only route.

Some applicants are exempt, such as those under 15 and minors enrolled in a regular school.

Government Visa Fees

The government fee for a change of status to F-5 is KRW 200,000. Reissuing the physical card costs KRW 35,000. These are the fees set by law at the time of writing and may change.

Next Steps for Changing Your Korean Visa

These are the basic requirements, but Immigration may request other documents based on your situation. You can reach the multilingual Korean Immigration Hotline at 1345 with questions.

Please contact us if you have additional questions, we have over 10 years of experience dealing with various visa types and permanent residency pathways. Let us help.

If you want information on how to obtain Korean citizenship while on an F6 Korea spousal visa, please see this article.