Foreign nationals establishing or investing in a corporation in Korea generally use a D-8 business investment visa. Those independently operating their own sole proprietorship, such as a convenience store, café or restaurant, fall within the D-9-4 or D-9-5 categories. The applicable category and investment threshold depend on the applicant’s education and residence history in Korea.
Business forms and D-8 and D-9 visas
D-8-1 covers essential professionals of foreign-invested corporations, D-8-2 venture-company representatives, and D-8-4 technology start-up founders. D-8-3 covers investment in an unincorporated business managed by a Korean national.
D-9-4 and D-9-5 allow foreign nationals to register and personally operate a sole proprietorship without incorporating. Examples include convenience stores, cafés, unmanned shops and restaurants. There are no nationality restrictions and few industry restrictions.
D-9-4 and D-9-5 eligibility and investment
| Subcategory | Who it covers | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| D-9-4 | A foreign national who registers as a sole proprietor with funds remitted from their home country and operates the business in person | KRW 300M or more |
| D-9-5 | A graduate of a Korean university — master's degree or higher, or bachelor's degree with an OASIS score of 30 or more | KRW 100M or more |
D-9-5 provides a lower investment threshold for foreign nationals who have completed their studies in Korea. Meeting the threshold does not remove scrutiny of how the funds were earned or obtained and remitted. Part 2 examines these requirements.
Korea’s small-business support programs include policy loans and guarantee-backed lending. Foreign sole proprietors can use these programs on the same basis as Korean nationals when they meet the small-business eligibility criteria.
Franchise selection and disclosure documents
A franchise can be an option for an applicant who would find it difficult to assess Korean trading locations and licensing requirements from abroad. Franchises offer established operating procedures and supply chains. Convenience stores have standardized routines; kiosk-based unmanned shops require less direct conversation with customers. Food-service businesses generally involve more customer contact and a greater need for Korean.
A franchisor must provide its disclosure document at least 14 days before the franchise agreement is signed. The document sets out itemized costs, the franchisor’s finances, average franchise revenue, opening and closure rates, and the number of dispute-mediation cases. These figures allow prospective franchisees to compare promotional claims with reported costs and operating results.
D-8-4 and D-9-5 options for Korean graduates
A foreign graduate with a Korean master’s degree who plans a small business may consider both D-8-4 technology start-up status and D-9-5. D-8-4 is based on a technology start-up corporation, while D-9-5 is for a sole proprietorship. The degree alone does not determine the appropriate status.
The proposed business form and scale must be assessed against each category’s investment and eligibility requirements, alongside the applicant’s education, residence history, available funds and their source, and longer-term residence plans. Using the sole-proprietor investment threshold for a planned corporation, or assuming a corporate start-up status for an individual shop, leaves the business plan inconsistent with the visa requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Law Firm Lawyeon Immigration Law Center provides legal services specialized in the integrated handling of Korean immigration and visa matters together with criminal cases and immigration-violation reviews, built on extensive case experience, professional networks, and practical knowledge.
The Center brings together attorneys Junwoo Min, Dohyun Nam, and Seungchul Kim, criminal-law specialists with extensive immigration advisory experience, and Senior Advisor Taemin Ahn. Mr Ahn has served at the Seoul Global Center, headed a Ministry of Justice Global Start-up Immigration Center, and served on the Foreign Workers' Rights Protection Council of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Administration. Together, they established Law Firm Lawyeon's dedicated immigration practice.
In particular, for departure orders and entry-ban dispositions that follow a final criminal conviction, the Center presents effective solutions through an integrated strategy spanning criminal defense, objections to the disposition, and applications to lift the entry ban, and it supports stable business activity in Korea by managing many clients' immigration risk.
This article is intended as general information about the relevant legal framework and is not legal advice on any individual matter. Determinations concerning immigration status may differ depending on specific facts such as residence history, income and contractual relationships. If your situation requires individual review, you may request a consultation with the Immigration Law Center of Law Firm Lawyeon (lawyeon-immigration.com).