South Korea · Startup Visa
South Korea Startup Visas for Founders
South Korea runs two founder visas. The D-8-4 technology startup visa rewards degrees, intellectual property and OASIS training points, while the Startup Korea Special Visa, D-8-4(S), relies on an expert panel's view of the business.
- Startup route
- Technology Startup Visa (D-8-4)
- Minimum capital
- None for D-8-4; KRW 100 million for a D-8 investor
- Permanent residence
- 3 years on D-8-4 with KRW 300 million and 2 hires
- Citizenship
- 5 years' residence while holding F-5 status
Technology Startup Visa (D-8-4)
The D-8-4 visa is for founders who set up a new corporation in Korea based on their own technology or intellectual property. The Ministry of Justice lists three ways to qualify, each of which requires establishing a corporation: a bachelor's degree, or a Korean associate degree, combined with at least 80 points from the OASIS program; selection among the top 20 teams of the K-Startup Grand Challenge; or selection for a government startup support project worth more than KRW 30 million. OASIS points come from items such as patents and other IP, government startup programs, investment of at least KRW 100 million from accelerators or venture capital firms, and training modules. Points earned for shared IP, shared program participation or shared investment are split among the co-owners.
- Status code
- D-8-4, Technology and Business Startup
- Points route
- Degree plus at least 80 OASIS points
- Award routes
- K-Startup Grand Challenge top 20, or KRW 30 million+ state project
- Company
- Newly established Korean corporation founded by the applicant
- Preparation status
- D-10 job-seeking status for startup preparers
- Family
- Spouse and children on F-3 dependent status
- Leads to
- F-5 after 3 years with KRW 300 million and 2 Korean hires
Requirements
- Hold a bachelor's degree or higher, or an associate degree from a Korean institution; expected graduates do not qualify.
- Score at least 80 OASIS points including a mandatory item such as IP, unless an award route applies.
- Alternatively, be a K-Startup Grand Challenge top-20 team or receive a government startup project worth over KRW 30 million.
- Found a new corporation in Korea; acquiring an existing company does not count.
- Run the business in the field in which the mandatory points were earned.
How to apply
- Build points through IP filings, OASIS training modules, recognized investment or government startup programs.
- Incorporate the new company in Korea; HiKorea notes a six-month allowance when every other condition is met.
- Apply for D-8-4 status with the points evidence through HiKorea or an immigration office.
- Register as a foreign resident within 90 days of entry for any stay longer than 90 days.
Startup Korea Special Visa (D-8-4(S))
Announced by the Ministry of Justice in December 2024 with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Startup Korea Special Visa is aimed at founders of promising overseas startups who want to enter the Korean market. It sets aside the degree and points tests of the standard D-8-4. Instead, a private evaluation committee assesses the business's feasibility and innovation. Founders apply with an application form and business plan through the K-Startup portal or the Global Startup Center website. After a positive evaluation, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups issues a recommendation letter, and the founder applies for the visa at a local immigration office or a Korean diplomatic mission abroad. The Ministry of Justice then reviews the case under immigration law and issues the visa.
- Assessment
- Business feasibility and innovation, by a private committee
- Recommendation
- Letter from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups
- Where to start
- K-Startup portal or the Global Startup Center website
- Degree or points
- Not required, unlike the standard D-8-4
- Visa issued by
- Ministry of Justice
Requirements
- Be a founder or key member of a startup that plans to enter the Korean market.
- Provide a business plan together with the online application form.
- Pass the private evaluation committee's review of business feasibility and innovation.
- Obtain the Ministry of SMEs and Startups recommendation letter before applying for the visa.
- Clear the Ministry of Justice's review under immigration law.
How to apply
- File the application form and business plan online.
- Present the business to the private evaluation committee.
- Receive the recommendation letter from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
- Apply for the visa at a local immigration office or a Korean diplomatic mission abroad.
- Receive the visa from the Ministry of Justice after its review.
Building OASIS points before a D-8-4 application
OASIS is the government's training and points system for immigrant founders. HiKorea's points table divides items into mandatory and optional ones, and an applicant needs at least one mandatory item. Mandatory items include owning, registering or inventing intellectual property, with patents scoring highest; participation in government startup support or the OASIS-6 and OASIS-9 modules; three or more years in Korea on professor or researcher status; and investment of at least KRW 100 million from accelerators or venture capital, confirmed by the Global Startup Immigration Center. Optional items include training modules, Korean language ability and a master's degree.
Founders who are not ready for D-8-4 can first use the D-10 job-seeking status for startup preparers. HiKorea describes it as a change of status for graduates with a Korean associate degree or a foreign bachelor's degree who plan D-8-4 activities and who are taking part in OASIS, hold or have filed Korean IP, hold IP from an OECD country, or are in the K-Startup Grand Challenge with a recommendation from the Korea Startup Promotion Agency. It can be extended for up to one year, or two years for IP applicants or those with 35 points or more.
Questions and answers
How many OASIS points does the D-8-4 visa require?
The Ministry of Justice's December 2024 guide and KOTRA's foreign investment guide both state at least 80 OASIS points alongside a qualifying degree. HiKorea's older points page, last updated in 2023, shows a pass mark of 60 out of 300. Because the figures differ, founders should confirm the current threshold with the Korea Immigration Service through the 1345 contact center before applying.
Does the Startup Korea Special Visa require a degree or OASIS points?
No. The D-8-4(S) track replaces the degree and points tests with a qualitative review: a private committee evaluates business feasibility and innovation, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups issues a recommendation letter. The Ministry of Justice still carries out its own immigration review before issuing the visa.
Can a founder apply for D-8-4 before the company is incorporated?
HiKorea's guidance states that the company must be newly established by the applicant, but that where every other condition is met and only incorporation is outstanding, the applicant is allowed six months to complete it. An acquired company does not qualify, and the business must relate to the field of the mandatory points.
Is the K-Startup Grand Challenge still a route to the D-8-4 visa?
Yes. The Ministry of Justice lists selection among the top 20 teams of the K-Startup Grand Challenge as one of the three ways to qualify for the D-8-4, alongside the OASIS points route and selection for a government startup project worth more than KRW 30 million. A corporation must still be established.
Official sources
- Looking to start a business in Korea? Startup Korea Special Visawww.immigration.go.kr
- Looking to start a business in Korea? Startup Korea Special Visa (Ministry of Justice)moj.go.kr
- About Technology-based Start-Up Immigrationwww.hikorea.go.kr
- Foreign Investment Guide 2024www.investkorea.org
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in South Korea.
Startup visa
D-8-4 via OASIS points or awards, or D-8-4(S) via an MSS recommendation
02Temporary residence
D-8-4 or D-8 investor status, with family on F-3 dependent visas
03Permanent residence
F-5 after 3 years on D-8-4 with KRW 300 million raised and 2 Koreans hired
04Citizenship
Naturalize after 5 years with F-5; renounce or pledge within 1 year