General Trainee
- Holders · 2024-12
- 87,887
- Arrivals · 2026-06
- 10,970 -9.7% YoY
- Subtypes
- 10
- Top nationality
- Vietnam 55,983
The D-4 (General Trainee) visa covers: 일반연수미상(미분류). 87,887 foreign nationals held it as of the latest MOJ cross-tab (2024-12-31; all sojourners, including short-term), with Vietnam the largest group (55,983). Application and extension fees are listed with legal citations on the official fee table.
From the MOJ manual · as of 2026-07-31Who qualifies & how
Eligibility. Education, training or research outside the D-2 scope: Korean language training at a university-affiliated language institute (D-4-1), foreign-language training (D-4-7, open below high-school graduation), study at other schools, training at public research institutes, and internships at foreign-invested or Korean-invested companies. D-4-1 requires high-school graduation or above; institutes must run daytime weekday classes (min. 15 h/week, 300 h/semester) with qualified Korean-language teachers (1 per 30 students).
Work rights. No employment as of right. Part-time work permission possible only from 6 months after obtaining D-4-1/D-4-7 status, under the student part-time employment scheme.
Duration. Up to 2 years per grant; language-training visas are issued as single-entry with up to 6 months of stay.
Extension. Extendable while training continues; specific programs carry their own caps (e.g., designated Korean-cuisine training up to 2 years from entry). K-12 self-funded students from outside 21 designated countries receive D-4-3 visas of up to 1 year.
Pathways. D-4-1 → D-2 upon admission to a degree course (status change permitted in-country). Graduates of designated private training courses (D-4-6, 20+ months) with a national certificate and KIIP level 4 may change to E-7 in the same field.
ChecklistRequired documents
- Visa application form, passport, 1 standard photo, fee
- School's business registration or unique-number certificate
- Standard Certificate of Admission issued by the university president
- Certificate of enrollment or proof of final educational attainment (originals reviewed)
- Proof of finances for tuition plus living costs (1 year; 6 months for language study); bank certificates valid only within 30 days of issue; family-relation certificate if a parent's balance is used
- Training plan (timetable, instructor roster, facilities)
Fees: change of status ₩100,000. The full table with legal citations is on /fees.
Language students of Mongolia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and China entering non-certified universities, and nationals of Cuba, Syria, North Macedonia and Kosovo, are issued visas only via Confirmation of Visa Issuance.
Official taxonomySubtypes (10)
| Code | Name (한국어) | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| D-4-1 | 대학부설어학원연수(D-4-1) | 대학부설어학원연수 |
| D-4-2 | 기타기관연수(D-4-2) | 대학부설어학원제외기타기관 |
| D-4-3 | 초중고생(D-4-3) | 고등학교이하재학생 |
| D-4-5 | 한식조리연수(D-4-5) | 한식조리연수생 |
| D-4-6 | 사설기관연수(D-4-6) | 우수사설기관의외국인연수 |
| D-4-7 | 외국어연수(D-4-7) | 외국어연수생 |
| D-4-8 | 국내출생재학아동(D-4-8) | 국내출생재학아동 |
| D-4-9 | 영유아기입국재학아동(D-4-9) | 영·유아기입국재학아동 |
| D-4-10 | 영유아기가지나입국한재학아동(D-4-10) | 영·유아기가지나입국한재학아동 |
| D-4-2K | 기업맞춤형인턴십(D-4-2K) | 해외진출우리기업이현지에서양성한맞춤형우수대학생과현지법인전문인력의국내인턴십비자 |
Who holds itD-4 holders by nationality
| Nationality | Registered holders | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam 베트남 | 55,983 | 63.7% |
| China 중국 | 7,297 | 8.3% |
| Mongolia 몽골 | 6,859 | 7.8% |
| Myanmar 미얀마 | 4,287 | 4.9% |
| Uzbekistan 우즈베키스탄 | 2,358 | 2.7% |
| Japan 일본 | 1,466 | 1.7% |
| Russia 러시아(연방) | 1,058 | 1.2% |
| Kyrgyz Republic 키르기즈 | 911 | 1.0% |
| Taiwan 타이완 | 475 | 0.5% |
| Thailand 타이 | 450 | 0.5% |
TrendMonthly arrivals on the D-4
In 2026-06, 10,970 people entered Korea on a D-4 visa, down 9.7% from a year earlier.
| Month | Arrivals | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-07 | 2,035 | |
| 2025-08 | 10,713 | |
| 2025-09 | 12,083 | |
| 2025-10 | 2,801 | |
| 2025-11 | 7,091 | |
| 2025-12 | 12,351 | |
| 2026-01 | 2,603 | |
| 2026-02 | 7,497 | |
| 2026-03 | 17,757 | |
| 2026-04 | 1,479 | |
| 2026-05 | 5,187 | |
| 2026-06 | 10,970 |
Verified against source · 2026-08-17