South Korea · Citizenship
South Korean Naturalization for Founders
General naturalization in South Korea requires five consecutive years of domicile and a status that allows permanent residence. New citizens must give up foreign nationality within a year, unless they belong to a group allowed to pledge instead.
- 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
General naturalization (Nationality Act, Article 5)
General naturalization is the route for founders without Korean family ties. The applicant must have had a domicile in Korea for more than five consecutive years, hold a status that allows permanent residence, be an adult under the Civil Act, meet the Ministry of Justice's good conduct standard, be able to support themselves or rely on family members they live with, and have basic knowledge of the Korean language and customs. The minister must also find that approval does not harm national security, public order or public welfare. Livelihood can be shown in several ways, including income at or above the prior year's per-capita gross national income or financial assets of KRW 60 million. The fee is KRW 300,000.
- Residence
- More than 5 consecutive years of domicile in Korea
- Status
- Must hold a status allowing permanent residence (F-5)
- Fee
- KRW 300,000, paid by government revenue stamp
- Integration test
- Comprehensive evaluation within 1 year of filing, unless exempt
- Livelihood proof
- Income at per-capita GNI, KRW 60 million in assets, or property
- Dual nationality
- Renounce within 1 year, or pledge if eligible
- Where to apply
- One of 19 designated nationality offices, by residence
Requirements
- Have a domicile in Korea for more than five consecutive years and hold permanent residence status.
- Be an adult under the Korean Civil Act.
- Meet the good conduct standard, including compliance with Korean law.
- Show the ability to support oneself through assets, skills or family members in the same household.
- Show basic Korean language ability and understanding of Korean customs, usually through the comprehensive evaluation.
- Pass the Minister of Justice's review of national security, public order and public welfare.
How to apply
- File the application at the designated nationality office covering the applicant's residence, paying KRW 300,000.
- Sit the comprehensive evaluation within one year of filing, unless exempt.
- Attend the naturalization interview.
- After approval, renounce foreign nationality, or make a pledge if eligible, within one year.
The one-year rule on foreign nationality
Article 10 of the Nationality Act requires a person who acquires Korean nationality while holding a foreign nationality to give up the foreign one within one year. Some groups may instead make a pledge not to exercise their foreign nationality within the same year and keep both: naturalized persons in a genuine ongoing marriage, outstanding talent and people with special merit, people adopted by foreigners as minors who later restored Korean nationality, people over 65 who restored Korean nationality to settle permanently, and people for whom renunciation is difficult because of foreign law.
The pledge can only be made at an immigration office in Korea, not at a diplomatic mission abroad. A person who misses the one-year deadline loses Korean nationality. A person who makes the pledge and later breaches it receives a nationality selection order and must choose one nationality within six months, or Korean nationality is lost. For a founder on the general naturalization route, the default outcome is therefore single Korean nationality, with dual nationality kept only by the groups allowed to pledge.
The comprehensive evaluation and its exemptions
Since 1 March 2018, the comprehensive evaluation of the Social Integration Program has replaced the old written naturalization exam. It tests Korean language ability and understanding of Korean society, and applicants must sit it within one year of filing. People who have completed the Social Integration Program are exempt, as are those who scored 60 or more out of 100 on the evaluation within the three years before applying, people aged 60 or over, and special-merit or outstanding-talent applicants. Korea has no citizenship-by-investment program, so investment counts only through the residence statuses that lead to F-5.
Questions and answers
Can a naturalized South Korean keep their original nationality?
Only in specific cases. New citizens must renounce foreign nationality within one year of acquiring Korean nationality, unless they qualify to pledge not to exercise it, for example as a spouse in a genuine marriage or as outstanding talent. Missing the deadline means losing Korean nationality, and breaking a pledge leads to a nationality selection order.
Do founders need F-5 permanent residence before naturalizing?
For general naturalization, yes. Article 5 of the Nationality Act requires the applicant to hold a status that allows permanent residence in Korea, in addition to more than five consecutive years of domicile. Simplified and special naturalization categories exist for three-year residents, spouses of Korean citizens and outstanding talent, each with its own conditions.
What does the Korean naturalization comprehensive evaluation test?
It assesses Korean language ability and understanding of Korean society as the basic knowledge a citizen needs. Non-exempt applicants must sit it within one year of filing. Completing the Social Integration Program, or scoring at least 60 out of 100 on the evaluation within the previous three years, exempts an applicant.
Does South Korea offer citizenship by investment?
There is no such program in Korea. Investment can lead to residence, through the D-8 corporate investment visa or the public business investment scheme, and from there to F-5 permanent residence, but nationality still requires the naturalization process, its residence period and its conduct, livelihood and integration tests.
Official sources
- Naturalizationwww.hikorea.go.kr
- 외국국적포기의무www.hikorea.go.kr
- 종합평가 및 면접심사www.hikorea.go.kr
- 국적민원 접수장소www.hikorea.go.kr
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