China → Korea
- Entry
- Visa required
- K-ETA
- n/a
- Licence exchange
- No
- Nationals · 2024-12
- 315,682
China citizens enter Korea with a visa obtained before travel. Driving licences issued in China do not exchange directly, so a Korean licence test is required. 315,682 China nationals were in Korea as of the latest MOJ cross-tab, 2024-12-31 (all sojourners, including short-term visitors).
WorkEPS sending country
China is one of the 17 countries in Korea's Employment Permit System (고용허가제), the government-to-government channel for E-9 non-professional work visas. EPS recruitment runs only through the official state process (eps.go.kr), never through paid brokers.
EPS list: 16 classic sending countries plus Tajikistan (added 2024).
StatisticsWhat visas China nationals hold
| Visa | Visa name | Holders | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-3 | Short-Term Visit | 70,013 | 22.2% |
| D-2 | Student | 67,852 | 21.5% |
| F-5 | Permanent Residence | 37,451 | 11.9% |
| F-1 | Visiting / Cohabitation | 26,264 | 8.3% |
| F-6 | Marriage Migrant | 26,174 | 8.3% |
| F-2 | Long-Term Residence | 23,304 | 7.4% |
| B-2 | Tourist / Transit | 22,473 | 7.1% |
| E-7 | Specific Activities (Skilled Worker) | 9,522 | 3.0% |
| F-3 | Dependent Family | 7,615 | 2.4% |
| D-4 | General Trainee | 7,297 | 2.3% |
| G-1 | Miscellaneous | 4,265 | 1.4% |
| D-10 | Job Seeker | 2,889 | 0.9% |
| D-8 | Corporate / Startup Investment | 2,009 | 0.6% |
| E-9 | Non-Professional Employment (EPS) | 1,886 | 0.6% |
| E-10 | Vessel Crew | 1,220 | 0.4% |
| C-4 | Short-Term Employment | 1,195 | 0.4% |
| 기타 | Other / unclassified | 1,017 | 0.3% |
| D-3 | Industrial Trainee | 495 | 0.2% |
| T-1 | Tourist Landing Permit | 471 | 0.1% |
| D-9 | Trade Management | 447 | 0.1% |
| E-3 | Research | 354 | 0.1% |
| A-1 | Diplomat | 346 | 0.1% |
| D-7 | Intra-Company Transfer | 299 | 0.1% |
| E-2 | Foreign Language Instructor | 237 | 0.1% |
| E-6 | Arts and Entertainment | 174 | 0.1% |
| A-2 | Government Official | 136 | 0.0% |
| E-1 | Professor | 130 | 0.0% |
| E-8 | Seasonal Worker | 70 | 0.0% |
| D-6 | Religious Affairs | 43 | 0.0% |
| D-5 | Long-Term News Coverage | 22 | 0.0% |
| D-1 | Culture and Arts | 12 | 0.0% |
Korean-Chinese (조선족) are counted separately by MOJ: 643,277 additional residents.
Verified against source · 2026-08-17