South Korea
Workation Visa (F-1-D) · Seoul
For those who thrive on speed: Seoul and Busan offer hyper-connected, ultra-safe city living, with up to two years for high earners.
₩7,534,247/mo
14–30 days
1 year
84/100
220 Mbps
Moderate
Four distinct seasons
UTC+9
Model your move to South Korea
Set who's coming and what you earn. We'll handle eligibility, taxes, contributions, living costs and what you'd have left — and compare it to home.
Staying more than ~183 days?
Affects tax residency for territorial & exempt regimes.
Your monthly life in South Korea
Pre-filled with typical costs in Seoul. Drag or type to match your life.
A nice place in a popular area
Power, water, gas
Home fibre + data
Food at home
Transit, rideshare, fuel
Private cover nomads usually need
Eating out, coffee, going out
Shopping, gym, subscriptions, misc.
You meet the income requirement
Needs $5,500/mo.
Your qualifying income
$6,000
$6,000
$2,313
$3,687
Tax in South Korea
Effective rate
0.0%
- Income tax / mo
- $0
- Social security / mo
- Not charged
- Total deductions / mo
- $0
- Take-home / mo
- $6,000
Under 183 days you stay outside the local system; your home country keeps covering you.
Private health insurance isn't required for this visa, but most nomads carry it — it's already counted in your living costs above.
Stay under 183 days to remain outside Korean tax residency.
vs. United States
Tax
22.8% at home → 0.0% here
Same lifestyle costs
$3,855 at home → $2,313 here
Money left over
$778 at home → $3,687 here
Estimates for planning only — actual tax depends on treaties, your residency and personal circumstances. Confirm with official sources and a qualified advisor before you move.
What it takes to qualify
Income & savings
- Monthly income (single)
- ₩7,534,247
- Basis
- ≈2× Korea's GNI per capita (~$66,000/yr)
- Combine two incomes?
- No — main applicant only
High bar tied to twice the national income per head (~$66,000).
The visa
- Program
- Workation Visa (F-1-D)
- Introduced
- 2024
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable
- Max total stay
- 2 years
- Fees
- $130 (approx)
- Who can apply
- Employees, Freelancers
- Bring family?
- Yes
Visa plus alien-registration card fees. One year, extendable to two; requires private health insurance coverage.
What you'll actually pay
Income tax
- Treatment
- Foreign income not taxed for nomads
- Headline rate
- 45%
- Tax residency at
- 183 days
- Employee social
- Usually home-covered
Stay under 183 days to remain outside Korean tax residency.
Good news
There's effectively no local income tax to worry about on your foreign earnings here.
Reviewed Source: Korea visa portal
Path to residency & citizenship
This is a lifestyle visa: great for living here now, but time on it doesn't count toward permanent residency or a passport.
Not a residency track in itself.
Reviewed Source: Korea visa portal
Typical costs in Seoul
Rent (1-bed)
$1,100
Rent (family)
$1,750
Groceries / person
$350
Utilities
$160
Internet
$25
Transport / person
$50
Health insurance
$80
Dining / person
$300
Cost index 60/100 vs New York · prices are about 72% of US levels (PPP). Monthly figures shown in USD.
Highlights & watch-outs
What makes it great
- Blazing connectivity and hyper-modern cities.
- Very safe with superb healthcare.
- Two-year potential with extension.
What to watch
- High income bar (~$66k).
- Language barrier; intense pace of life.
Reviewed Source: Korea visa portal
Compare South Korea
Head-to-head with similar destinations.
Moving to South Korea from…
See the tax & cost picture for your home country.