"Enjoying Tourism While Working Remotely"... Ministry of Justice Introduces 'Workation Visa'

"High-Income Foreign Residents... Expected to Revitalize Local Economy"

From now on, foreign remote workers will be able to enjoy tourism in Korea and stay long-term for up to two years.

Ministry of Justice, Government Gwacheon Complex. Photo by Kwak Minjae

The Ministry of Justice announced on the 29th that it will pilot the Digital Nomad (Workation) visa starting January 1st next year. Workation is a compound word of Work and Vacation, referring to a form of working remotely while resting at vacation spots or tourist destinations. Workation visas are being operated mainly in tourist countries such as Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Until now, foreigners who wanted to do a workation in Korea had to obtain a tourist visa or enter visa-free and stay for no more than 90 days. After the stay period ended, even if they wanted to stay longer in Korea, they had to leave the country. In response, the Ministry of Justice established the workation visa system. Workers affiliated with foreign companies who can prove at least one year of continuous work experience in the same industry and an income of more than twice the per capita gross national income based on the previous year (84.96 million KRW in 2022) can be issued a workation visa.

The workation visa can be applied for at overseas diplomatic missions, and accompanying family members can also apply for the visa. Additionally, foreigners currently doing workation in Korea under short-term stay status can change to a workation visa domestically if they meet the work experience and income requirements. However, workation visa holders are strictly restricted from domestic employment to protect the local labor market. To work in Korea, a separate work visa must be obtained.

A Ministry of Justice official stated, "Through the introduction of the Digital Nomad (Workation) visa, it is expected that high-income foreigners will stay in various regions of Korea, revitalizing local economies, and it will be an opportunity to widely promote Korea’s landscapes and culture." He added, "We will continue to actively discover and promote visa policies that can contribute to the national economy."