TOPIK is not accepted for F-5. The language requirement is KIIP Level 5 (사회통합프로그램) or a score of 60+ on the permanent-residence comprehensive evaluation (영주용 종합평가)

F-5-1, the general 5-year route, requires 5 consecutive years on a qualifying visa plus annual income at approximately 2x Korea's per-capita GNI (approximately ₩104,800,000 as of April 2026)

F-5 is not Korean citizenship: you keep your original passport, cannot vote in national elections, and need separate naturalization (귀화) for a Korean passport

Korean visa

F-5 Visa Korea: Permanent Residence Visa (2026)

Korea's F-5 permanent residence (영주권): indefinite stay, the right to work in any field without a sponsor, and local-election voting rights after 3 years. You keep your original passport; it is not citizenship.

Reviewed by the Seoulstart Visa Desk

Who this visa is for

Long-term residents who complete a qualifying route: 5 consecutive years on a qualifying visa (F-5-1), 2+ years on F-6 or F-4, or 3+ continuous years on F-2, each with its own income and integration requirements.

F-5 visa key facts

→TOPIK is not accepted for F-5. The language requirement is KIIP Level 5 (사회통합프로그램) or a score of 60+ on the permanent-residence comprehensive evaluation (영주용 종합평가)
→F-5-1, the general 5-year route, requires 5 consecutive years on a qualifying visa plus annual income at approximately 2x Korea's per-capita GNI (approximately ₩104,800,000 as of April 2026)
→F-5 is not Korean citizenship: you keep your original passport, cannot vote in national elections, and need separate naturalization (귀화) for a Korean passport
→The status has no renewal deadline; the ARC card itself is renewed every 10 years, and a mobile permanent resident card has equal legal validity since January 2025
→F-5 auto-cancels if you stay outside Korea for more than 2 years without a re-entry-permit extension

Read the full guide

F-5 Permanent Residence in Korea: The 2026 Guide to 영주권

Korea F-5 permanent residence (영주권) explained: 5-year general route, income threshold, KIIP requirement, K-STAR STEM track, and how F-5 differs from citizenship.

Continue to the full F-5 guide

Other Korean visa codes

E-9

Non-Professional Employment Visa (EPS)

E-7

Skilled Professional Work Visa

E-7-M (K-CORE)

Manufacturing-track Skilled Visa

E-2

Conversation Instructor Visa (English Teaching)

H-1

Working Holiday Visa

D-2

Student Visa (Degree Programs)

D-10

Job Seeker Visa

F-1-D

Digital Nomad (Workation) Visa

F-2

Korean Resident Visa

F-3

Dependent Visa

F-4

Overseas Korean Visa

F-6

Marriage Migrant Visa

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