South Korea · Residency by investment
Public Business Investment Immigration (F-2 residence, path to F-5)
Open, but repriced. The thresholds were raised sharply in 2023, and the figures now in circulation vary considerably between sources. The amounts below are not confirmed by a primary Korea Immigration Service publication, so verify them directly before making any commitment. Confidence is deliberately set to low.
Korea tripled its investor threshold in 2023, and the market has largely moved on. The public-fund structure pays zero interest, so the real cost is the opportunity cost on USD 1m+ for five years. In a country with 50% inheritance tax and worldwide taxation after five years, that combination rarely survives contact with a UHNW family's tax adviser.
Qualifying routes
Reported at KRW 1.5bn (roughly USD 1.1–1.2m) for F-2 residence, up from KRW 500m before the 2023 tightening. The investment is held for five years, after which F-5 permanent residency may be sought. This figure is unverified against a primary source.
Reported at KRW 3bn (roughly USD 2.2–2.4m) for immediate permanent residency, bypassing the F-2 stage. This figure is unverified against a primary source.
Reported at KRW 1bn, following a 2023 doubling from KRW 500m. It is limited to designated resort zones such as Jeju and specified tourism developments. The programme is reported as extended to 30 April 2026, though its status beyond that date is unconfirmed.
The facts
- Minimum investment
- 1500M KRW
- Total landed cost
- Reported at KRW 1.5bn–3bn (roughly USD 1.1m–2.4m), locked for five years, plus legal and translation costs. Treat all figures as indicative pending primary verification.
- Route type
- Residency by investment
- Timeline
- 4–12 months (Unverified)
- Physical presence
- F-5 permanent residency generally requires genuine residence in Korea. The public-fund route relaxes some conditions, but the presence expectations should be confirmed.
- Family
- SpouseUnmarried children, subject to age limits
- Permanent residency
- reported at 5 years of maintained investment for the F-2 route. It is immediate for the high-value route.
- Citizenship
- Naturalisation generally requires 5 years of residence. Korea broadly does not permit dual citizenship for adults who naturalise, with narrow exceptions.
- Language test
- Korean language and social integration testing applies to naturalisation.
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- Qualifying investment in a designated public interest fund or approved tourism/leisure real estate.Maintain the investment for the prescribed holding period, reported as five years.Clean criminal record and standard immigration checks.
- Published thresholds vary widely between secondary sources, and none is confirmed by a Korea Immigration Service primary publication. Do not act on any figure here without direct confirmation.
- The public-fund route is principal-guaranteed but zero-interest. You forgo all return on the capital for five years.
- Korean inheritance tax reaches 50%, and up to 60% on controlling shareholdings. Becoming Korean-domiciled with a family business is a serious estate risk.
- Once you exceed 5 years of domicile in any 10-year period, Korea taxes your worldwide income.
- Korea does not generally permit dual citizenship for adults who naturalise.
- The real estate route is confined to designated tourism and leisure zones, and those developments have had a chequered commercial history, particularly on Jeju.
- The F-2-8 real estate programme was reported as extended only to 30 April 2026. Its status after that date is unconfirmed.