If you have thought about living in Korea with a laptop, the summer of 2026 is the moment the paperwork changed. Korea's digital nomad visa — officially the F-1-D workation visa — stopped being a pilot and became a permanent program on 30 June 2026, with a lower income bar and a longer maximum stay.
This article has two halves. The first is the facts: what changed, what the requirements are, and — using the Ministry of Justice's own pilot data — who has actually been getting this visa for the past two and a half years. The second half is our answer to the question that data raises: so where in Korea should you actually live?
Korea's Digital Nomad Visa at a Glance
| Visa name | Digital nomad (workation) visa, status code F-1-D |
| Permanent from | 30 June 2026, after a 29-month pilot that began January 2024 |
| Maximum stay | 3 years (up from 2) |
| Standard income bar | 2x prior-year GNI per capita — approx. KRW 105 million |
| Reduced income bar | 1x GNI — approx. KRW 52.41 million — for ages 18-34 outside the capital region |
| Work permitted | Remote work for a non-Korean employer or business only |
| Pilot results | 743 visas issued; 398 registered residents as of May 2026 |
| Where holders live | 85% in the Seoul capital region |
| Government's stated aim | Regional revitalization — the policy actively rewards living outside Seoul |
What Is the F-1-D Digital Nomad Visa?
The F-1-D is a Korean residence status for foreign nationals who are employed by, or who run, a business based outside Korea and who want to work remotely while living in Korea. It is not a work visa for Korean employers. The proposition is simple: keep your job exactly as it is, and move where you live to Korea.
What Changed on 30 June 2026
Three things, and the third is the one most coverage misses.
1. The income bar became tiered. During the pilot, a single threshold applied to everyone regardless of age or address: two times Korea's prior-year GNI per capita. From the permanent program onward, applicants who are younger or who live in a non-capital region or a designated population-decline area get a reduced requirement, somewhere in the 1x to 2x GNI band. Korean headlines summarized it as "lowering the 100-million-won salary bar."
2. The maximum stay went from two years to three. The pilot issued one year plus a one-year extension. The permanent program allows up to three. The message of the policy shifted from "come try it" to "consider staying."
3. Region moved to the centre of the design. The permanent scheme was built through a local-government roundtable with seven metropolitan and provincial administrations in February 2026 and a visa and immigration policy council in April 2026. Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho framed the purpose this way: the visa aims "beyond foreign talent resting at tourist sites — to expand the opportunity for creative people worldwide to experience Korea," and the Ministry would "build a settlement model so that talented people experience Korea's appeal through the digital nomad visa and voluntarily settle, becoming an asset to our country."
F-1-D Visa Requirements in 2026
The skeleton of the eligibility test. Exact criteria are fixed by Ministry of Justice notice, so verify against the current notice at your application date.
- Employment or business — an employee of, or the operator of, a business based outside Korea
- Experience — at least one year in the same field
- Income — the applicable multiple of Korea's prior-year GNI per capita (see the next section)
- Health insurance — private coverage meeting the specified minimum
- Where to apply — at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad, or by changing status inside Korea from a short-term entry (B-1, B-2, or C-3)
- Not permitted — employment with a Korean company
The Korea Digital Nomad Visa Income Requirement, in Numbers
This is the question most people arrive with, so here is the arithmetic. The reference figure the Ministry of Justice uses is Korea's GNI per capita for 2025: approximately KRW 52.41 million.
| Your situation | Multiple | Approximate annual income needed |
|---|---|---|
| Standard applicant | 2x GNI | ~KRW 105 million (~USD 76,000) |
| Younger applicants / non-capital or population-decline area | 1x-2x GNI | KRW 52.41-105 million |
| Ages 18-34, living outside Seoul / Incheon / Gyeonggi | 1x GNI | ~KRW 52.41 million (~USD 38,000) |
USD figures are our own conversion at roughly KRW 1,380 per USD and will move with the exchange rate; the KRW figures are the ones that count. The precise won amount and the boundaries between tiers are set by Ministry of Justice notice — check HiKorea or your nearest Korean mission before you file.
Who Actually Holds This Visa: The Pilot Data
The Ministry of Justice published the numbers from the pilot period, January 2024 to May 2026. They are worth reading closely, because there are not many of them.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Visas issued (Jan 2024 - May 2026) | 743 |
| Registered residents (May 2026) | 398 |
| OECD-member nationality | 278 (70%) |
| In their 30s | 206 (52%) |
| In their 40s | 74 (19%) |
| Living in the Seoul capital region | 340 (85%) |
Two things stand out. The nationality mix — seven in ten from OECD member countries — says this is mostly remote workers from the US and Europe. And the age curve peaks hard in the thirties: not gap-year travellers, but people in the middle of a career.
The 85% Problem — and What It Means for You
Now look at that last row again. Eighty-five percent of Korea's digital nomad visa holders live in the Seoul capital region. In a country that is 70% mountains with coastline on three sides, nine out of ten people who arrived on a remote work visa settled within commuting distance of the capital.
That number is why the Ministry of Justice halved the income requirement for non-capital regions. From the government's side, it is a problem to solve. Flip it around and it is something else: an open lane for anyone willing to look at a map.
Why does everyone stay in the capital region? We do not think it is because Seoul is perfect. It is because there is no information about Korea outside Seoul, and no community outside Seoul. If the only Korean city you know the name of is Seoul, you never really had a choice.
So Where Should You Actually Live in Korea?
From here on, this is our answer rather than the Ministry's. If you are weighing a long stay in Korea — or you already hold an F-1-D and are living in the capital region by default — put Sokcho on the list.
It is the type of city the policy is pointing at. Sokcho is non-capital, and on 30 December 2025 the Ministry of the Interior and Safety designated it one of just 18 "population-decline concern areas" nationwide, alongside Gangneung, Donghae, and Inje in Gangwon. In other words, it is precisely the category of city the eased income requirement was written for. Whether the reduced threshold applies to your specific case still depends on the Ministry of Justice notice in force when you apply — confirm it, do not assume it.
You are not giving up Seoul. Two hours twenty minutes by express bus on the fast services (full route guide). A direct bus from Incheon Airport four times a day if you are arriving in the country (airport guide). A high-speed rail line is under construction, with public planning now pointing to a 2029 opening and a projected 99 minutes from Seoul. Business in Seoul is a day trip, not a relocation.
Daily life closes inside walking distance. A compact city of about 80,000 people, with Seoraksan National Park to the west, the East Sea to the east, and two coastal lagoons inside the city limits. Housing, the market, and the beach are all walkable, there are cafes downtown that work as day offices — and the internet is Korean internet. Our cost guide covers what a month here actually runs, and the outdoor guide covers what you do when the laptop closes.
And there is a community, which is the part that usually isn't there. If the real cause of capital-region concentration is the absence of information and connection, that is the specific gap being closed here. The nomad community HINOMAD is based in Sokcho. In June 2026 it ran the Sokcho Sprint — twelve participants, three hosts, and nine Sokcho locals working and living together for six days, after which all twelve participants said they wanted to stay longer. In September 2026, HINOMAD LAB opens in Sokcho's old downtown: a foreigner-friendly coworking and community space. We wrote about why that city and why now in Beyond Seoul: Why a Digital Nomad Community Chose Sokcho.
If you are asking about timing too: September. The peak-season crowds leave, the sea is still above 20C, and the season runs into Seoraksan's foliage — the first serious autumn colour in Korea. It is also the month HINOMAD LAB opens. Our month-by-month weather guide has the rest.
FAQ
Does Korea have a digital nomad visa?
Yes. It is the F-1-D workation visa. It was piloted from January 2024 and became a permanent program on 30 June 2026, with a maximum stay of three years. It allows you to live in Korea while working remotely for an employer or business based outside Korea.
How much income do I need for Korea's digital nomad visa?
The threshold is a multiple of Korea's prior-year GNI per capita, cited by the Ministry of Justice as approximately KRW 52.41 million for 2025. The standard bar is 2x — roughly KRW 105 million (about USD 76,000). Since 30 June 2026, applicants aged 18 to 34 living outside Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi can qualify at 1x — approximately KRW 52.41 million (about USD 38,000). Verify the exact figure on HiKorea before applying.
How long can you stay in Korea on the F-1-D visa?
Up to three years, since the program became permanent on 30 June 2026. The pilot allowed a maximum of two, issued as one year plus a one-year extension.
What are the F-1-D visa requirements in 2026?
At least one year of experience in the same field, current employment with or ownership of a business based outside Korea, income meeting the applicable GNI multiple, and private health insurance meeting the coverage minimum. Apply at a Korean mission abroad, or change status from inside Korea on a B-1, B-2, or C-3 entry.
Do I need a visa to do a workation in Korea?
Usually not, for a short stay. Many nationalities enter visa-free for up to 90 days, subject to K-ETA requirements for your passport. The F-1-D is the option for people thinking in years, not months.
Can I work for a Korean company on the digital nomad visa?
No. The F-1-D covers remote work for a non-Korean employer or business. Employment with a Korean company is not permitted on this status and requires a different visa.
Where do Korea's digital nomad visa holders actually live?
As of May 2026, 340 of 398 registered F-1-D residents (about 85%) lived in the Seoul, Gyeonggi, or Incheon capital region. That concentration is exactly why the Ministry of Justice built a regional discount into the income requirement — and why we think the interesting question is what the other 15% know.
Sources
All figures in this article come from official announcements and Korean reporting on them, checked on 28 July 2026.
- Ministry of Justice press release, "Lowering the 100-million-won bar and extending stays to three years: contributing to regional revitalization through the digital nomad visa," 7 July 2026 — permanent operation from 30 June, 743 visas issued during the pilot, the local-government roundtable and policy council process. moj.go.kr
- Newspim, "Ministry of Justice formally introduces digital nomad visa," 7 July 2026 — 398 registered residents, 278 OECD nationals (70%), 340 capital-region residents (85%), 206 in their 30s (52%), 74 in their 40s (19%). newspim.com
- Hankyung, "Ministry of Justice begins formal operation of digital nomad visa," 7 July 2026 — the 1x-2x GNI tiered application method. hankyung.com
- Newsis, "Ministry of Justice formally operates digital nomad visa," 7 July 2026 — three-year maximum stay and Minister Jeong Seong-ho's settlement-model remarks. newsis.com
- Ministry of the Interior and Safety, designation of 18 population-decline concern areas, 30 December 2025 — Sokcho's designation. mois.go.kr
Note: the won value of each GNI multiple and the exact boundaries between tiers are fixed by Ministry of Justice notice. Check HiKorea or your local Korean mission before applying. The "approximately KRW 105 million" figure in this article is 2x the 2025 GNI per capita reference; USD conversions are approximate and move with the exchange rate. This article is journalism, not immigration advice.
If the Korea outside Seoul is what you want to see, start in Sokcho. Follow @hinomad on Instagram for the September opening of HINOMAD LAB, community events, and the seasons of this city as they arrive.