F-5 Permanent Resident

Persons staying in Korea for the purpose of permanent residency (Permanent (No Restrictions who receive treatment similar to that of a Korean national

• General permanent residents (staying in Korea for more than 5 years)

- (F-5, General Permanent Resident) Those who have stayed in Korea for more than 5 years with D-7 to D-10, E-1 to E-7 or F-2 status of stay

- (F-5, Point-based Permanent Resident) Those who have stayed in Korea for more than 3 years as a point-based Resident (F-2) status

The residence period with D-2 visa will not be included. Those who have resided in Korea for over 5 years with D-7(Intra-Company Transferee)~ E-7(Foreign National of Special Ability) visa or F-2(Resident) visa are eligible to apply for F-5-1 visa.

As of the date of application, F-5(Permanent Resident) visa applicants as a real estate investor must have at least a 5-year investment period in Korea. It means that an applicant is required to have maintained an investment for five years. It is not about having 5 years of residency.

If you have not left Korea while having resided in Korea with the above mentioned visa status, your residence period will be included.

If the applicant’s resident registration has been cancelled because he/she has permanently left Korea while having maintained an investment in Korea, the applicant must obtain F-2 visa again. Once the applicant has F-2 visa status again, the previous investment period will be added to the time that the applicant has maintained an investment since having F-2 visa status.

- A pplicable to those falling under the following categories and who meet the requirements for permanent residency (good conduct, ability to earn a living, basic knowledge) and specific requirements for each status of stay

● As of September 21, 2018, initial issuance of a permanent resident card with a validity period of 10 years and re-issuance of a permanent resident card for permanent resident status (F- 5) holders have become mandatory in accordance with Article 33 of the Immigration Act (Issuance of Alien Registration Cards, etc.). Failure to re-apply for a permanent resident card within the relevant period can lead to imposition of penalty.

● Re-entry permits are exempt for those re-entering within 2 years from the date of departure

Permanent residents have the right to stay in Korea permanently, so if you are a permanent resident, you do not need to apply for a stay extension. Still, you must get your Permanent Resident Card reissued before its 10-year validity period expires. Otherwise, you will have to pay a fine. The fine amount varies from KRW 100,000 to KRW 2 million depending on the number of days past the expiration date.