If you have ever thought of sitting in a beautiful cafe in Seoul and drinking coffee and working on a laptop. Send an email to your Indian boss, then South Korea’s F-1-D workcation visa can make your dreams come true. It is also called digital nomad visa
If you have ever thought of sitting in a beautiful cafe in Seoul and drinking coffee and working on a laptop. Send an email to your Indian boss, then South Korea’s F-1-D workcation visa can make your dreams come true. It is also called digital nomad visa. It started as a pilot project from 1 January 2024. Under this visa, you can stay there for a maximum of 2 years while working for a foreign company outside South Korea.
What is this digital nomad visa?
This visa is given for 1 year first. It can be extended once and extended for a total of 2 years. The processing time is about 10-15 days, but in some cases it may take a little more. Keep in mind that on this visa you cannot work for Korean companies and cannot run any local business there.
Condition
For this, your annual income should be more than 66,000 US dollars i.e. about 58 lakh rupees. This amount is about double the average income of South Korea. Also, you should have at least 1 year of experience in your area and you should be above 18 years of age.
Important terms and conditions
- Your work should be completely remote.
- Your company should be outside South Korea or you should have your own overseas business.
- Your employer should approve that you can work from abroad.
- It is necessary to have medical insurance which provides coverage of up to about Rs 83 lakh and is valid for the entire visa period.
- Family can take along spouse and children below 18 years, but marriage and birth certificates must be there.
Documents required for Indian applicants
- Visa application form (Form No. 17) and passport photo.
- Passport (validity of at least 6 months)
- Employment verification letter (permission to work remotely from Korea for at least 3 months)
- Income proof – such as salary slip, bank statement, ITR etc.
- Police clearance certificate from India (issued within 6 months, verified by embassy).
- Police clearance from the country where you have lived for more than 1 year in the last 5 years.
- Medical insurance certificate.
Where and how to apply?
You can apply at the Korean Embassy or Consulate in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata. If you are already in Korea on a tourist visa (B-1, B-2, C-3), you can also apply from the local immigration office.
Step-by-step process
- Check your eligibility (income, age, experience).
- Get documents translated and apostilled in English or Korean.
- Make an appointment at the Embassy/Consulate.
- Pay the visa fee (about $45).
- Wait for 10-15 days.
- If approved, enter Korea within 90 days and get an Alien Registration Card.
Point to remember
This visa does not grant permanent residency. After completion of 2 years, you will have to leave the country or take another visa category. That is, if you are a well-earning professional or businessman and want to experience Korea without leaving your job, then this is the perfect combo of work + travel. Only the conditions must be met.
