Added
added the high-amount public-business route at KRW 3 billion, with permanent residence granted at the deposit and cancelled if the money is returned before five years (https://www.immigration.go.kr/immigration/1523/subview.do).
Minimum investment
$2,234,139
2 investment options
Stay
—
Application fee
$149
Tax
Remittance
Foreign resident, first five years
Path to staying
- Renewrenewable
- Permanent residencypossible
- Citizenshipafter 5 years
- Permanent residency
- Citizenship 5 years
- Dual citizenship not allowed
- Language required for citizenship KIIP level 5
Overview
- Country
- South Korea
- Program
- South Korea Public Business Investor (F-5)
- Local name
- 공익사업 고액투자이민
- Type
- Golden visa
- Status
- Active
- Renewable
- Yes
Immediate permanent residence for a foreigner who deposits at least KRW 3 billion in the Ministry of Justice public-business scheme and keeps it for five years. The investor, spouse and unmarried children receive F-5 on that condition. If the money is returned before five years, the permanent residence is cancelled.
Investment options
| Type | Tier / zone | Min amount | USD equivalent | Holding | Returnable | Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund | Principal guaranteed | KRW 3,000,000,000 | $2,234,139 | 5 yr | Yes | Optional |
| Business | Profit and loss | KRW 3,000,000,000 | $2,234,139 | 5 yr | Yes | Optional |
Eligibility
- Criminal record check required
- Health check not required
- Health insurance required
Work rights
- Employment allowed
- Self-employment allowed
- Own a business allowed
- Work permit included
Family and dependents
- Dependents allowed
- Yes
- Spouse included
- Yes
- Parents allowed
- No
Benefits and mobility
- Bank account can open
- Property purchase allowed
- Public healthcare access granted
Tax
- Tax regime
- Remittance
- Regime name
- Foreign resident, first five years
- Regime duration
- 5 years
- Foreign income taxed
- Yes
- Capital gains taxed
- Yes
How to apply
- Method
- in country
- Apply from abroad
- No
Notes
The immigration page sets high-amount investment at KRW 3 billion or more, against KRW 1.5 billion for the F-2 route. The 29 June 2023 Ministry press release raised this threshold from KRW 1.5 billion and describes it as permanent residence granted at once, conditional on maintaining the investment for five years. After five years the principal of the guaranteed deposit is repaid and the status continues. USD figures use KRW 1,342.80 per USD on 9 October 2026. The page's benefit wording for this tier is a deposit. The profit-and-loss project is described as part of the same scheme. It is stored as an alternative at the same minimum because the page does not say the higher threshold is fund-only. The change-of-status fee for F-5 is KRW 200,000, about USD 149. Spouse and unmarried children are included. General naturalization still needs five continuous years of address in Korea. This status is already permanent residence, so that five-year address period is the citizenship clock, not a further wait for F-5.
Also in South Korea
South Korea also offers a digital nomad visa for remote workers
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 10, 2026 Source