Korean visa

E-7 Visa Korea: Skilled Professional Work Visa (특정활동) (2026)

Korea's skilled-professional work visa for 86 designated occupation codes.

Reviewed by the Seoulstart Visa Desk

Who this visa is for

Foreign professionals hired in one of the 86 E-7 occupation codes.

E-7 visa key facts

  • E-7 covers 86 occupation codes across four sub-categories: E-7-1 (professional, 67 codes), E-7-2 (semi-professional, 9 codes), E-7-3 (skilled, 6 codes), E-7-4 (specially designated, 4 codes)
  • The E-7-1 minimum salary is approximately 31,120,000 KRW per year (2,593,000 KRW per month) for February 2026 onward
  • Maximum initial stay is 3 years, with renewal in 2-year increments
  • D-2 graduates with a confirmed E-7 job offer can apply for direct conversion. Without an offer, they apply for D-10 (job-seeker) within 6 months of graduation
  • Korean university graduates with TOPIK Level 4+ are exempt from the D-10 points test and the financial proof requirement

Read the full guide

D-2 to E-7: The Visa Conversion Roadmap Foreign Graduates Actually Need (2026)

From D-2 student visa to E-7 work visa: the two-track decision tree, D-10 rules after the 2025 reform, salary thresholds, employer documents, and what to do if E-7 sponsorship fails.

Continue to the full E-7 guide

Other Korean visa codes

For the full reference on Korean visa categories, see all Seoulstart visa guides.