# Diamond City Weekly > Practical guides for living in Korea — visas, banking, phone plans, taxes and housing. Practical procedures for foreign residents in Korea: which visa status applies, what documents are required, where to submit them, and which official notice the requirement comes from. Visa and tax articles cite Korean government sources and carry a disclaimer that rules change. Korean terms are romanised with the original script given once on first mention. ## Visa - [F-5 Visa Korea (Permanent Residence): Requirements, Income and Language](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/f-5-visa-korea-requirements): Korea's F-5 permanent residence visa: who qualifies, the points and general routes, the income requirement around 2x per-capita GNI, language (KIIP) and criminal-record criteria, and where to apply. - [Korea F Visa Requirements: F-2, F-4, F-5 and F-6 Explained](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/f-visa-korea-requirements): Requirements for Korea's family and residence visas: F-2 points-based residence (80 points), F-4 overseas Korean, F-5 permanent residence, and F-6 marriage visa, based on official immigration.go.kr and Hikorea criteria. - [Documents Required for a Korean Visa: The Checklist by Status](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/korean-visa-documents-checklist): The documents a Korean visa application generally asks for — passport, photo, proof of purpose, financial evidence and the certificates that need apostille or translation — arranged as a checklist you can prepare before applying. - [How to Renew Your Korean Visa: Windows, Fees and Step-by-Step Steps](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/korea-visa-renewal): How visa renewal (extension of stay) works in Korea — when the application window opens, how to file on HiKorea or at the immigration office, the fee by status, and what happens after you apply. - [Alien Registration Card in Korea: Deadline, Documents and Why You Need It First](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/alien-registration-card): The ARC deadline, what to bring to immigration, how to book a slot on HiKorea, and the everyday services that stay locked until the card arrives. - [D-10 Job Seeker Visa in Korea: Points, Documents and What It Allows](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/d-10-job-seeker-visa): The D-10 lets you stay in Korea while looking for work or preparing a start-up. Here is the points assessment, the documents required, and the activity limits that catch people out. - [D-2 Student Visa in Korea: Requirements, Part-Time Work and Attendance Rules](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/d-2-student-visa): What the D-2 student visa requires — admission, financial evidence and documents — plus the part-time work permission process and the attendance rules that can cost you the status. - [D-4 Visa Korea: Language Study Requirements and What It Does Not Allow](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/d-4-language-study-visa): The D-4 general trainee visa covers Korean language study and similar training. Here are the published requirements, the financial proof expected, the part-time work rules and the attendance conditions that affect extension. - [E-2 Visa Korea Requirements: Documents, Criminal Check and Employer Ties](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/e-2-teaching-visa-requirements): The E-2 foreign language instructor visa has a fixed nationality list, an apostilled document set and a visa tied to one employer. Here is what is required and where applications commonly stall. - [E-7 Visa Requirements in Korea: Occupation Codes, Employer Criteria and Documents](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/e-7-visa-requirements): The E-7 is Korea's sponsored professional work visa. Here is how occupation codes work, what the employer has to prove, the education and experience matching rule, and the documents involved. - [F-2-7 Points-Based Residence in Korea: Eligibility, Documents and What Changes](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/f-2-7-points-based-residence): What the F-2-7 residence status actually gives you beyond a work visa, which base statuses can apply, the documents required, and how it differs from F-5 permanent residency. - [F-4 Overseas Korean Visa: Who Qualifies and What It Permits](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/f-4-overseas-korean-visa): The F-4 is for overseas Koreans and gives broad activity rights, but it excludes certain kinds of work. Here is who qualifies, the documents that prove lineage, and the activity restrictions. - [F-5 Permanent Residency in Korea: Routes, Conditions and What It Does Not Give You](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/f-5-permanent-residency): The main routes to F-5, the residence period and income conditions, the Korean language and social integration requirement, and how permanent residency differs from citizenship. - [F-6 Marriage Visa in Korea: Requirements, Income Threshold and the Interview](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/f-6-marriage-visa): What the F-6 spouse visa requires — the Korean spouse's income and housing conditions, the language requirement, the interview, and what happens if the marriage ends. - [H-1 Working Holiday Visa Korea: Quotas, Age Limits and What You Can Do](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/h-1-working-holiday-korea): The H-1 working holiday visa depends on a bilateral arrangement between Korea and your country, each with its own quota, age range and conditions. Here is how it works and what work is off limits. - [Changing Visa Status Inside Korea: What Is Possible and What Is Not](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/korea-change-of-visa-status): Which status changes can be made without leaving Korea, which require a new visa from abroad, the timing that catches people out, and the documents involved. - [Extending Your Stay in Korea: When to Apply, Documents and Overstay Consequences](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/korea-visa-extension): How to extend your period of stay in Korea — the application window, the documents each status needs, how to book on HiKorea, and what an overstay actually costs. - [D-8 Visa Requirements in Korea: Investment Threshold, Documents and Process](https://diamondcityweekly.com/visa/d8-visa-requirements): What the D-8 corporate investment visa requires — the minimum foreign investment amount, foreign investment registration, company setup steps and the documents Korean immigration asks for. ## Banking - [Korea International Transfer: How to Send Money Abroad as a Foreign Resident](https://diamondcityweekly.com/banking/korea-international-transfer): The practical mechanics of an international transfer from Korea — the annual limits that apply to foreign residents, the documents banks require, how a bank wire compares with transfer apps, and the mistakes that get transfers returned. - [Getting a Credit Card in Korea as a Foreign Resident](https://diamondcityweekly.com/banking/korea-credit-card-for-foreigners): Why credit cards are hard to get without a Korean credit history, what check cards do instead, and how to build the record that makes approval possible. - [Korean Pension Refund for Foreigners: Who Can Claim the Lump-Sum](https://diamondcityweekly.com/banking/korea-pension-refund): Whether you can reclaim your National Pension contributions when you leave Korea depends on your nationality and visa type. Here is how the lump-sum refund works and what to prepare. - [Remittance Limits in Korea: What Caps Apply and How to Raise Them](https://diamondcityweekly.com/banking/korea-remittance-limit): Three different limits get confused with each other — your bank account transfer cap, the transfer service annual cap, and the foreign exchange reporting threshold. Here is what each one is. - [Opening a Bank Account in Korea as a Foreign Resident](https://diamondcityweekly.com/banking/open-bank-account-korea): What banks ask for, why new accounts come with transfer limits, which banks handle English service well, and how to lift the restrictions once you have a track record. - [Savings Accounts in Korea: Yegeum, Jeokgeum and What the Advertised Rate Means](https://diamondcityweekly.com/banking/saving-money-in-korea): How Korean deposit and instalment savings products differ, why the headline rate is rarely what you receive, the 15.4% withholding on interest, and deposit protection limits. - [Sending Money Out of Korea: Limits, Documents and Cheaper Routes](https://diamondcityweekly.com/banking/sending-money-out-of-korea): How outward remittance works for foreign residents in Korea — the reporting thresholds, the proof-of-income documents banks ask for, and how transfer services compare with bank wires. ## Phone - [Getting a Phone Plan in Korea Without an ARC: What Works and What Waits](https://diamondcityweekly.com/phone/korea-phone-without-arc): What phone service you can buy in Korea before you have an alien registration card (ARC) — why prepaid is the passport-only route, why postpaid and app verification wait, and how to switch after registration. - [MVNO Plans in Korea: How to Get a Cheap Phone Plan as a Foreign Resident](https://diamondcityweekly.com/phone/korea-mvno-plans): Korean MVNOs cost a fraction of the big three carriers on the same networks. Here is what you need to sign up, which providers handle foreign residents, and the trade-offs. - [Prepaid SIM Cards in Korea: What to Buy on Arrival](https://diamondcityweekly.com/phone/korea-prepaid-sim): Where to get a prepaid SIM at the airport or in the city, what identification is needed, how long they last, and when to move to a postpaid plan. - [Korean Mobile Identity Verification: Why Sites Reject You and What Actually Works](https://diamondcityweekly.com/phone/korean-mobile-identity-verification): Why *bonin injeung* blocks foreign residents from Korean websites, which verification methods work without a Korean-name mobile line, and how to set up the alternatives. ## Tax - [South Korea Foreign Income Tax: What Residents Pay and How Credit Works](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tax/south-korea-foreign-income-tax): How Korea taxes the foreign-source income of residents: worldwide taxation, the 5-year remittance basis for non-permanent residents, the foreign tax credit, and the May global income tax return. - [Does South Korea Tax Foreigners? Income Tax Rules for Expats](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tax/does-south-korea-pay-taxes): Yes — South Korea taxes foreigners on Korean-source income, and tax residents also pay on worldwide income. Resident rule (183 days), 2025 progressive rates, local income tax and withholding explained. - [Korea's 19% Flat Tax for Foreign Workers: When It Actually Saves Money](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tax/korea-flat-tax-for-foreign-workers): The flat tax election trades every deduction for a single rate on gross salary. Here is how to work out whether it helps you, the eligibility conditions, and how to elect it. - [Filing a Global Income Tax Return in Korea: Who Has to and How](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tax/korea-global-income-tax-return): When employment income alone is not enough and you must file in May — the residency test, which income gets aggregated, deadlines and what happens if you miss them. - [Income Tax Rates in Korea: Brackets, Local Tax and What You Actually Pay](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tax/korea-income-tax-rates): How Korea's progressive income tax brackets work, why your effective rate is much lower than your bracket, the 10% local income tax, and how social insurance changes the picture. - [Tax Refund in Korea: VAT Back on Shopping, and Why It Is Not the Same as an Income Tax Refund](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tax/korea-tax-refund-for-visitors): Two completely different things get called a Korean tax refund. Here is how the VAT refund on shopping works, who qualifies, and how it differs from the income tax refund residents receive. - [Year-End Tax Settlement in Korea for Foreign Employees](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tax/year-end-tax-settlement): How Korea's year-end tax settlement works, which deductions foreign employees can claim, the flat tax alternative, and what to do if you leave the country mid-year. ## Living - [Exchanging a Foreign Driving Licence in Korea: What the Process Requires](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-driving-licence-exchange): How to convert a foreign driver's licence to a Korean one, which countries qualify for a simplified exchange, the embassy confirmation step, and how an international permit differs. - [Gym Contracts in Korea: Cancellation Rights and How Refunds Are Calculated](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-gym-contract): Long prepaid gym and PT contracts are standard in Korea, and so are disputes about cancelling them. Here is what the consumer rules provide, how refunds are computed, and where to complain. - [Visiting a Hospital in Korea: Clinics, Referrals and What You Pay](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-hospital-visit): How Korea's tiered medical system works, when you need a referral, what a visit costs with and without national health insurance, and how to find English-speaking care. - [National Health Insurance in Korea for Foreign Residents](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-national-health-insurance): Who must enrol and when, how employee and local subscriber premiums are calculated differently, what is covered, and what happens if you fall behind on payments. - [Bringing a Pet to Korea: Import Requirements and the Rabies Titre Test](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-pet-entry-requirements): What Korea requires to import a dog or cat — microchip, rabies vaccination, the antibody titre test and its waiting period, and the health certificate — plus registration once you arrive. - [Using a Pharmacy in Korea: What You Can Buy Without a Prescription](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-pharmacy-guide): How Korean pharmacies work, which common remedies are available over the counter, what the convenience store exception covers, and the rules on bringing your own medication into the country. - [Real Estate Agent Fees in Korea: How the Rate Is Set and What You Should Pay](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-real-estate-agent-fee): Agent commission in Korea is capped by regulated percentage bands, not freely negotiated. Here is how the calculation works for jeonse and wolse, and what to check before paying. - [Recycling Rules in Korea: Volume-Rate Bags, Food Waste and Fines](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-recycling-rules): How Korea's volume-rate waste system works, which bag to buy where, how food waste is charged separately, and the sorting mistakes that lead to fines or uncollected rubbish. - [Signing a Rental Contract in Korea: What to Check Before You Pay](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-rental-contract): The property register check, the agent's role and fee, standard contract clauses, and the three steps after signing that protect your deposit. - [Utility Bills in Korea: Setting Up, Reading and Paying Them](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/korea-utility-bills): What the management fee covers, how electricity, gas and water are billed separately, the progressive electricity tariff that spikes summer bills, and how to set up automatic payment. - [Cost of Living in Korea: Where the Money Actually Goes](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/living-cost-in-korea): How housing, food, transport, utilities and insurance combine into a monthly budget in Korea, and which costs surprise new arrivals most. - [Jeonse Explained: How Korea's Deposit-Only Lease Works and How to Protect Your Money](https://diamondcityweekly.com/living/jeonse-deposit-explained): Jeonse means paying one large deposit instead of monthly rent. Here is how the deposit is returned, what wolse costs by comparison, and the three steps that protect your deposit legally. ## Tools - [F-2-7 Points Calculator: Estimate Your Score for Korea's Points-Based Residence](https://diamondcityweekly.com/tools/f-2-7-points-calculator): Estimate your F-2-7 points from age, education, Korean proficiency, income, additional items and deductions. Runs entirely in your browser and shows which categories move the score most. ## Notes - Full index: https://diamondcityweekly.com/sitemap-index.xml - 48 article(s), 1 tool(s) - General information only. Immigration and tax decisions rest with the relevant Korean authority.