Corporate / Startup Investment

From the MOJ manual · as of 2026-07-31Who qualifies & how

Eligibility. Corporate investment: (D-8-1) essential professional (executive, senior manager, specialist) of a Foreign Investment Promotion Act FDI Korean corporation — investment of KRW 100 million+ with 10%+ of voting shares (or shares plus an officer-appointment arrangement); (D-8-2) representative of a certified (or preliminary) venture company holding IP or verified superior technology; (D-8-3) essential professional investing KRW 100 million+ with 10%+ in a Korean sole proprietor's FDI business as registered co-representative; (D-8-4) technology-startup founder with a domestic associate+ or foreign bachelor's+ degree (or ministry recommendation) holding IP or equivalent technology. Locally hired staff are excluded.

Work rights. Management or essential professional activity in the invested/founded company; other employment requires separate permission. Intra-group transfer of registered D-8-1 essential professionals to affiliates is handled as workplace change.

Duration. Per-grant ceiling: 5 years for FDI-company work (D-8-1/D-8-3); 2 years for venture founders (6 months for preliminary ventures) and technology startups (6 months for Startup-Korea special-visa candidates without an established corporation).

Extension. Renewable while the investment, shareholding and business operation are maintained; small investors (< KRW 300 million) face closer review of business substance at each grant.

Pathways. D-8 → F-2 (USD 500k investor with 3 years, or USD 300k employing 2 nationals) → F-5; direct F-5 for USD 500k investors employing 5 nationals; D-8-4 founders → F-5 after 3 years with KRW 300 million+ investment attracted and 2+ national employees. Navigator route: 유학 → D-8-4 기술창업 → F-5 also possible.

ChecklistRequired documents

• D-8-1: visa application, passport, photo, fee; dispatch order (with period) and certificate of employment; FDI company registration certificate; business registration, corporate register, shareholder statement
• D-8-1: proof of investment-fund entry (remittance confirmations, foreign-currency purchase certificates, customs declarations; in-kind: customs completion certificates)
• Investments under KRW 300 million: proof of capital use (receipts, fit-out costs, bank statements) and of a real workplace (lease, photos); business-experience documents where requested
• D-8-2: business registration, corporate register, venture (or preliminary-venture) confirmation, IP certificates or technology-evaluation report

Fees: change of status ₩100,000. The full table with legal citations is on /fees.

→ Guide: D-8 startup visa routes

Investment funds must in principle be in the investor's own name (spouse/minor-child remittance exceptionally allowed; parents allowed from KRW 300 million).

Official taxonomySubtypes (6)

Who holds itD-8 holders by nationality

TrendMonthly arrivals on the D-8

In 2026-06, 3,042 people entered Korea on a D-8 visa, down 6.3% from a year earlier.