South Korea Launched a Digital Nomad Visa You’ll Want to Apply For

Have you been dreaming of exploring South Korea? If your answer is “yes,” it’s time to make that dream a reality. The country officially launched its digital nomad visa beginning January 1, 2024, allowing remote workers from around the world to live and work there for up to two years.

“To make remote work and vacation of foreigners in Korea smoother, we have decided to launch a new digital nomad visa,” South Korea’s Justice Ministry said in a press release. “So far, foreigners were required to apply for tourist visas or just stay for less than 90 days without a visa for ‘workcation’ in Korea. The new system will allow employees and employers in overseas firms to tour and work remotely in Korea for a longer period of time.”

To qualify for South Korea’s digital nomad visa, applicants must be at least 18 years or older, be able to prove that they earn an annual income of over 84.96 million won (equivalent to roughly $64,300 USD), and have worked in the industry in which they’re employed for over a year. Remote workers will also need to provide details of their criminal record and proof of private health insurance. If approved, the visas will be issued for a period of up to one year with the possibility of renewal for a second year.

Forbes.com also noted that ​​approved applicants for the South Korea digital nomad visa are allowed to bring a spouse as well as depends under the age of 18.

This visa announcement comes just a few months after the digital nomad resource site Nomad List named the capital city of Seoul, South Korea, third on their list of cities that gained the most popularity with digital nomads in 2023. South Korea is considering the piloting of this new program a test run, according to Forbes.com.

If you’re curious about whether or not you can afford the digital nomad lifestyle, we recommend checking out this online tool, in which you can input your salary and find out which countries offering digital nomad visas you can afford to live in based on each country’s specific visa requirements.