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Immigration Guide for Real Estate Investment in Korea
You can invest in real estate in South Korea and obtain permanent residency in South Korea within five years. The official name is the “Vacation Condominium and tourist pension” investment visa.
If a foreigner or foreign corporation invests between KRW 7 billion and KRW 10 billion in real estate designated by the Korean government, the investor is immediately granted a residence visa (F2 visa) and can apply for permanent residency in Korea (F5 visa) after maintaining the investment for five years.
Once you get your green card, you can sell it and recoup your investment.
Where and how to invest in Korean real estate
Investment area and amount
| Designated zones and | Investment Amount | |
| Incheon | Songdo International City, Cheongna International City, Yeongjongdo Island | Over KRW 1 billion |
| Jeju Island | Designated Real Estate | 10 billion won or more |
| Jeonnam | Yeosu Hwayang District Yeosu Gyeonggi-do Marine Tourism Complex | Over $700 million 1 billion or more |
| Gangwon-do | Pyeongchang Alpensia Gangneung Jeongdongjin District | 1 billion or more Over $700 million |
| Busan | Haeundae Tourist Resort Dongbusan Tourist Complex | 1 billion or more 1 billion or more |
Investable real estate
It is limited to living accommodation, vacation condominiums, general accommodation, and tourist pensions, and unless it is a designated property, you cannot get a visa, so be careful when buying real estate.
View available properties by region
Korean real estate investment process
Who is eligible for an investment visa
- Foreigners who invested in designated real estate worth KRW 1 billion or more
- Officers and controlling shareholders of foreign entities with investments in designated real estate worth more than KRW 1 billion
- Investor’s spouse, minor children, and unmarried adult children
Procedure
| Entering Investors | Required |
| Real Estate Investment Pre-screening | Jurisdictional immigration offices |
| Real estate site visits and provisional contracts | |
| Investment Declaration / Bank Account Opening and Remittance | Designated Foreign Exchange Bank |
| Issuing a Registration Number for Alien Real Estate | Designated immigration offices |
| Registering Real Estate Title Transfers | Court registry |
Apply for an F2 resident visa Apply for an F1 visitor visa | Upon contract completion Down payment of $100 million or more |
| Apply for F5 Permanent Residency with 5-year investment | Jurisdictional immigration offices |
| Recoupment of investment after obtaining permanent residency |
Korea Real Estate Investment Visa Authorization Requirements
- The investment must be invested domestically from abroad.
- You must demonstrate the source of funding for your investment.
- You can apply for an F1 visa if you have made a down payment of KRW 100 million or more, and you will be restricted from extending your F1 visa if you do not make additional investments for one year.
- If you recoup your investment (sell, cancel, transfer membership), your visa will immediately cease to be valid.
- It is also possible for the total amount of public interest investment (IISPB) + real estate investment (IISRE) to be KRW 1.5 billion or more.
- You must not be disqualified for any of the following reasons
- Your visa will be revoked if you utilize the investment property for profit activities, such as renting, pledging collateral, or if the investment property is foreclosed.
- You must not be disqualified for any of the following reasons
- If you are prohibited from entering the country or may harm the interests of the Republic of Korea
- Submitting false documents
- Have been cited or criminally prosecuted
Visa application documents
- Visa application
- Passports, IDs, and passport photos
- If you are a registered alien, your alien registration card
- Real estate contracts
- Property deeds (if you’re a recorder)
- Membership certificate and deposit receipt (if condo)
- Vacancy verification letter (for unsold homes)
- Viewing history for all units in the home (if the home is unsold)
- Proof of foreign currency importation, such as a foreign currency purchase certificate.
- Proof of legal entity remittance (if invested by a legal entity)
- Proof of officer or controlling shareholder of the entity (if applicable)
- Foreign Criminal Background Certificate (Apostille)
- Proof of family relationship (person, apostille)
- For adult children, proof of unmarried status (persona, apostille)
* Curated and personalized submissions
Requirements for changing to permanent residence
- Once you receive an F2 visa, you must maintain it for five years. You will be granted an initial 3-year stay, which must be extended once in the middle.
- You must return to Korea once a year to maintain your visa status, even if you are abroad.
- You may not rent, pledge, sell, or foreclose on any real estate you invest in.
- You must not be inadmissible, submit false documents, etc.
Real estate investment visa success cases
A Russian national purchases living accommodation in Songdo International New Area and receives a real estate investment visa.
For more information, see the article below
Already have a real estate investment visa in Korea
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