How to Do an Internship in Korea as a Foreign Student or Graduate

Most foreign students in Korea find an internship before finding out whether they are legally allowed to start one. If you are on a D-2 student visa, you need a permit from immigration before day one of paid work, and the permit rules depend on your academic level and Korean language score. If you just graduated and are on a D-10 job-seeker visa, you can intern under the October 2025 reform for up to a year at a single company with no cumulative cap. And if someone has offered you an "unpaid internship," Korean labor law may say otherwise.

This guide covers the three main visa pathways for internships (D-2, D-10, H-1), the legal test that determines whether your internship must be paid, and the path from internship to an E-7 work visa.

Which visa you have determines what you can do

The rules for foreign interns in Korea are not a single system. They depend entirely on your visa status. The table below maps the four most common situations to the relevant rules.

If you hold an F-series visa, you can generally intern without the restrictions below. The rest of this guide focuses on D-2, D-10, and H-1 holders.

D-2 visa: interning while you are still a student

You need a permit before you start

D-2 visa holders may do paid part-time work, including internships, but only after getting a part-time work permit (시간제취업 허가) from immigration. Apply through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or in person at your local immigration office. The permit is valid for one year and can be renewed. D-2 holders are generally limited to two workplaces during their stay period.

Do not start paid work before the permit is issued. The company calling the arrangement "internship" does not change your immigration status or your obligation to hold the permit.

There are weekly hour limits during the semester

During the semester (학기 중), D-2 holders face weekly hour limits on paid work. These limits depend on your academic level and Korean language proficiency (TOPIK level or KIIP completion). The limits are set by Ministry of Justice immigration regulations and have been updated in recent years.

Check the current limits at HiKorea before starting work. Do not rely on figures from university guidance pages or older sources, as the authoritative table is the immigration regulation itself.

During vacation periods (방학) and on weekends and public holidays, hour limits are generally lifted. Your part-time work permit must still be in place during these periods.

Some sectors are prohibited

D-2 holders cannot do part-time work in manufacturing (제조업), construction (건설업), adult entertainment venues (유흥업소), or delivery. English instruction at childcare facilities is also prohibited. Some restrictions are relaxed for higher TOPIK levels; confirm the current sector rules at your university's international office or directly with immigration.

Credit-bearing practicums follow different rules

A credit-bearing field practicum (현장실습) run through your university's formal program under the Ministry of Education's standard practicum framework (표준 현장실습학기제) may be exempt from the standard part-time work permit requirement. University international offices at several Korean universities confirm this exemption for formally enrolled, credit-counting placements.

The exemption does not apply to voluntary or non-credit practicums. Those require the standard part-time work permit.

If your practicum is credit-bearing, confirm with your university's industry-academia cooperation office (산학협력단) or field practicum support center (현장실습지원센터) whether your specific arrangement qualifies before assuming you can skip the permit.

Research participation

Academic research linked to your coursework is exempt from the permit requirement. Research unconnected to coursework requires a permit.

D-10 visa: interning after graduation

The D-10 job-seeker visa (구직 비자) is the main pathway for foreign graduates who want to do professional internships in Korea before converting to a full work visa.

What changed in October 2025

Before October 29, 2025, D-10 holders could intern at a single company for a maximum of six months, and cumulative internship time across all employers was capped at one year.

As of the October 29, 2025 reform:

• The per-company internship limit was raised from six months to one year.
• The cumulative internship cap across multiple employers was abolished entirely.
• The maximum D-10 stay was extended from two years to three years (for qualifying applicants).

This means a graduate can intern at Company A for 12 months, then intern at Company B for another 12 months, as long as each internship is reported to immigration within 15 days of starting and the D-10 is renewed appropriately.

Verify the current rules at HiKorea, as the October 2025 reform package is the most recent major change and specific conditions may be updated.

The internship must be in a professional field

D-10 internships must correspond to E-1 through E-7 occupation categories. Simple labor or general part-time work (아르바이트) is not eligible. This is a meaningful filter: a marketing internship at a qualifying company is within scope; a warehouse or delivery role is not.

Report the internship within 15 days

D-10-1 holders must report the start of an internship to immigration within 15 days of starting. Submit through HiKorea online or in person at your local immigration office. As of the latest procedures, fax reporting is no longer accepted. The required documents include: the internship labor contract, a copy of the company's business registration, the employment insurance registration list, your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증), and your passport.

Graduates converting directly from D-2 are exempt from the D-10 points test

If you are converting from a D-2 student visa to D-10-1 directly after graduating from a Korean university, you are exempt from the points evaluation system on your first application. You are also exempt from the standard financial proof requirement on that initial application. Verify that this exemption is still in force at HiKorea, particularly if you are applying more than one year after graduation.

H-1 working holiday visa: the gray area

H-1 (관광취업) working holiday visa holders may work in Korea, and many internship-style roles are compatible with this status. Age limit: 18 to 30 at the time of application. Stay period: up to 12 months (18 months for US participants under the WEST program; verify the current terms with your Korean consulate).

H-1 explicitly prohibits: licensed professional roles (medical, legal, engineering), English-language teaching at formal institutions, academic degree study, journalism, and adult entertainment. Roles that ordinarily require an E-series work visa are the risk area.

A marketing, design, or customer service internship at a startup is generally compatible with H-1. A research, software engineering, or specialist technical internship tied to an E-7 occupation is a gray area. If your internship role would qualify as an E-7 position, confirm with HiKorea or your local immigration office before accepting.

Not all countries participate in Korea's working holiday program. Eligible countries include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the US, UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Taiwan, Czech Republic, and others. Bilateral agreements govern eligibility; confirm your country's status with the Korean consulate in your home country.

The K-Trainee visa (D-4-2K): a new option for overseas students

A new K-Trainee visa (기업맞춤형 인턴십, D-4-2K) launched October 29, 2025. It targets overseas university students who have a Korean company connection through their university's industry-academia partnership (산학협력).

To qualify under the student track, you must:

• Be a third-year or above undergraduate student aged 29 or younger.
• Study at a university that has a formal industry-academia partnership with a Korean company.
• Hold TOPIK Level 2 or above.

As of the October 2025 launch, eligible nationalities were Vietnam, China, Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Verify whether additional nationalities have been added at the Ministry of Justice immigration portal.

The initial stay is seven months (six months of internship plus one additional month). The visa is extendable to a maximum of one year. Holders must return home after the maximum stay; the K-Trainee does not convert directly to a work visa.

A second track under D-4-2K covers professional employees at overseas offices of Korean companies. Check the full eligibility conditions at hikorea.go.kr.

Does your internship have to be paid?

This is the most important legal question for foreign interns in Korea, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you are actually doing, not what the arrangement is called.

The legal test

Korea's Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) defines a worker (근로자) as a person who provides labor to a business for the purpose of earning wages. The title "intern" or "trainee" is irrelevant. What matters is the substance of the arrangement.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor applies a subordination test (종속관계) to determine worker status. The factors considered include:

• Whether the employer assigns specific tasks.
• Whether the employer supervises and directs how the work is done.
• Whether the employer has disciplinary authority.
• Whether the person can decline work orders.
• Whether compensation is tied to labor provided.

If your internship involves regular business tasks, fixed hours, supervision by the employer, and real output that benefits the company, you are very likely a worker. As a worker, you are entitled to at minimum ₩10,320/hour (2026 minimum wage, as of January 1, 2026, verify at korea.net). Foreign interns have the same legal rights as Korean workers if they meet this test.

When an unpaid arrangement may be legal

The main route to a legally defensible unpaid arrangement is a genuine credit-bearing university practicum. Under Ministry of Employment and Labor guidelines, students who participate in work "to gain academic credit with no promise of hiring" through a formal university-company agreement are generally not treated as workers, even if they follow a schedule.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor also recognizes dedicated training programs (훈련 프로그램) as distinct from employment. Secondary sources indicate these training arrangements should not exceed six months and 40 hours per week, and the arrangement must genuinely benefit the trainee rather than primarily serving the company's production needs. Verify the current MOEL guidelines directly at moel.go.kr before relying on this structure.

What this means in practice

"Unpaid internship" in Korea is not automatically illegal. It is only legally safe where:

• The arrangement is credit-bearing with a formal university agreement and is genuinely educational.
• The intern is not performing regular production work under employer direction.
• The arrangement aligns with the MOEL guidelines for training programs.

Any arrangement where the intern performs regular business tasks under employer direction, even if labeled "trainee," almost certainly requires minimum wage. If a company offers you an unpaid internship and it does not meet these conditions, you have the right to request pay at the minimum wage floor. Contact the Ministry of Employment and Labor (moel.go.kr) or a labor rights office if you believe your wages are being withheld.

Where to find internships in Korea

Large Korean company programs

Major Korean companies run structured global internship programs for foreign students and graduates. These programs typically require TOPIK Level 4 or higher, Korean-language application materials, and third-year or above enrollment or recent graduation. They are competitive and often held in summer (July to August).

The most useful platform for finding these listings is Kowork.kr, which posts official recruitment notices from companies including LG, Hyundai, Samsung affiliates, and others. It has visa filters (D-2, D-10, E-7) and explicit internship listings.

Your university's placement office

If you are enrolled at a Korean university, your university's field practicum support center (현장실습지원센터) and industry-academia cooperation office (산학협력단) are the first place to look for credit-bearing placements. These offices have formal company relationships and can broker placements that qualify for the practicum exemption from the work permit requirement.

Job platforms

The KOTRA Global Talent Fair (글로벌 탤런트 페어) is the largest annual foreign-talent recruitment event in Korea, typically held at COEX in Seoul with several hundred companies including a dedicated track for international students. Check KOTRA's website for the current year's dates and registration.

From internship to E-7 work visa

The internship-to-work-visa conversion path has two common routes.

Route A: Graduate with an offer in hand

If you have a signed employment contract before your D-2 expires, apply directly for the E-7 professional work visa. No D-10 step needed. Your employer sponsors the E-7 application.

Route B: D-2 to D-10 to E-7

Graduate, convert to D-10 while job-searching, complete an internship under D-10-1 or D-10-3, then convert to E-7 when your employer offers a contract. This is the more common path for graduates who do not have an offer before graduation.

Korean university graduation waives E-7-1 work experience

If you graduated from a Korean four-year university, the standard one-year work experience requirement for an E-7-1 professional work visa is fully waived. This applies regardless of your major. The internship itself strengthens your application and helps you meet salary thresholds, but you do not need the experience waiver because of an internship; the degree alone provides it.

D-10-3 interns converting to E-7

For D-10-3 (advanced technology intern) holders, completing one or more years of qualifying domestic internship and then securing employment in that field can help satisfy E-7 eligibility conditions. The specific provisions, including any salary and sector requirements, are set by Ministry of Justice guidelines. Verify the current pathway at immigration.go.kr or hikorea.go.kr before building your timeline around this route.

E-7 salary thresholds

E-7 professional work visas have minimum salary thresholds that are updated annually by Ministry of Justice announcement. The 2025 thresholds (effective April 1 to December 31, 2025) and updated 2026 thresholds are announced through Ministry of Justice public notices. Check the current thresholds at immigration.go.kr before negotiating salary with an employer. The E-7 occupation codes guide covers the full salary and qualification framework.

Practical checklist before you start

1. Confirm your visa status permits the internship. D-2 needs a permit; D-10 needs reporting within 15 days; H-1 needs a role compatible with the visa.
2. Get the part-time work permit (if on D-2) before day one.
3. Check whether the role falls in a permitted sector.
4. Confirm the company's employment insurance registration (고용보험 가입) is in order. If the company cannot provide this document, that is a warning sign.
5. Make sure the internship contract specifies hours, compensation, and the duration. If it is paid, the hourly rate must be at or above ₩10,320 (2026 minimum wage, as of January 1, 2026; verify at korea.net).
6. For D-10 holders: report the internship start to immigration within 15 days.

FAQ

What is an internship called in Korean?

An internship is 인턴십 and an intern is 인턴. The credit-bearing university practical training arrangement is called a field practicum (현장실습, 現場實習). These are distinct in both the visa rules and the labor law framework.

Can I intern at a startup in Korea on a D-10 visa?

Yes, if the startup is registered as a company in Korea and the role falls within E-1 through E-7 occupation categories. Many startups in Korea are open to D-10 holders and will provide the documents needed for immigration reporting. Confirm that the company can issue an employment insurance registration list before you accept.

What happens if I work without a permit on a D-2 visa?

Unauthorized work on a D-2 visa is an immigration violation. It can result in fines, a warning, deportation, or a re-entry ban. It also deducts points from your D-10 evaluation if you later apply for D-10-1 through the points system. Do not start paid work without the permit in hand.

Can F-series visa holders intern without restrictions?

F-2 (long-term resident), F-4 (overseas Korean heritage), F-5 (permanent resident), and F-6 (international marriage) holders have broad work authorization. They may intern without the permit requirements or sector restrictions that apply to D-2 and D-10 holders. Check the specific work conditions attached to your F-series sub-code at HiKorea to confirm.

Does internship pay count toward tax obligations in Korea?

Yes. If you earn income in Korea, including internship wages, you are subject to Korean income tax withholding. Your employer will withhold tax from each payment. You may need to file an annual income tax return. The National Tax Service (국세청) English guidance is at nts.go.kr.

How do I find the current D-2 hour limits?

The authoritative source is the Ministry of Justice immigration regulations. Check the current table at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or ask at your university's international office. Limits differ by academic level and TOPIK score; the figures have been updated in recent years.

@misc{seoulstart-korea-internships-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{How to Do an Internship in Korea as a Foreign Student or Graduate (2026)}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/korea-internships-guide},
  note = {Last updated July 24, 2026}
}