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Guide

D-8-1: The Korean Investment Visa for Seasoned Founders

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D-8-1: The Korean Investment Visa for Seasoned Founders

Most foreigners in Korea live on a visa that belongs to someone else: a school, an employer, a spouse. Lose that relationship and your status gets shaky fast.

The D-8-1 Corporate Investment Visa (법인에 투자) works differently. You put your own foreign funds into a Korean company, and your visa follows the company.


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What it actually is

The umbrella of D-8 visa types is suitable for essential managers and technical staff of foreign-invested companies, and to venture founders.

D-8-1 is the corporate investment version.


Who should apply for it?

Founders with real capital and a real business plan. This is a foreign capital driven visa. You will need to set up a Korean corporation (typically a 주식회사, ju-shik hoe-sa) or invest in an existing one. You need foreign capital of minimum 100 million won (about USD 75,000).


What if I just want to invest?

We get it, you may be a seasoned investor who is interested to invest in a Korean company (registered by someone else).

You can invest in a Korean company and still qualify, as long as the company registers as a foreign-invested corporation after your investment and you take on a real management role. Investing money and staying out of the business doesn't work. Check with KOTRA or an immigration specialist before you wire any money.


A word of warning

The D-8-1 is not a way to pay for a stay in Korea. Wiring 100 million won, registering a company and waiting for your card is the exact pattern immigration has learned to distrust. According to Korean labor attorneys, the government tightened the rules after fake investments were used as a shortcut to long-term residence.

You have to run the company. At renewal, you must show that the company exists and operates with tax records, business performance documents, a real office, and proof that you are involved in management. While short business trips overseas may be essential to your business, long periods of stay outside Korea, while on the D-8-1 visa, may raise red flags for your visa renewal.

There is no published requirement for minimum revenue, but a company with no activity has nothing to show, and that is where applications fall apart.


If you want a visa without running a business, this isn't it.


The criteria

  • The business must be a fully established Korean corporation.
  • You invest 100 million won or more and hold at least 10% of the voting shares.
  • The money should be in your own name.
  • Individual investors putting in under 300 million won face extra paperwork, mainly proof of how the capital was spent.
  • Financial paper trail. The 100 million won capital must be brought in from abroad under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. Money already sitting in Korea doesn't count as the qualifying investment.


Duration and Renewal

Immigration lists a stay of up to 5 years per grant, extendable.

In practice, private immigration firms report first grants of 1 to 2 years, renewable as long as the business keeps operating normally.


Do you need revenue, profit, or Korean hires?

There is no published minimum for revenue, profit or Korean hires. But immigration does have a document checklist, and it is all about proving the company is alive. The documents include the business registration the business registration, corporate registry, shareholder change statement, investment registration, proof of how funds came in, tax or VAT records, business performance proof, and proof of your office location (rental contract).

So there's no published magic number, but the paperwork is only as good as the business behind it.


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Can my family come to Korea?

Yes. The F-3 dependent visa covers the spouse and minor children of holders of statuses from D-1 through E-7. D-8 falls inside that range.

The F-3 allows a stay of up to 1 year and the visa itself is valid for 3 months. You can apply at a Korean consulate abroad with your marriage or birth certificates. Or you can invite them from Korea: you apply for a Certificate of Visa Issuance at your local immigration office, and it stays valid for 3 months.

Processing times vary, so ask your local immigration office or Korean consulate for current timelines.


Bottom line

The D-8-1 gives you something rare in Korea: a visa tied to your own business.

You don't need an employer to sponsor you, and you don't answer to a Korean boss.

As an investor, your visa is not tied to an employment contract.

The price is real capital, a real company, and records to prove it.


Disclaimer:

This article is general information for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace a consultation with a licensed professional. Immigration rules change and each case is decided by the immigration authorities. Please verify current requirements on hikorea.go.kr for the most updated information.

For individual advice, book a consultation with a licensed specialist through VizaBridge Corporation: [CLICK HERE].


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