Republic of Finland vs Republic of Korea
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Republic of Finland and Republic of Korea government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Finnish Immigration Service — Coming to Finland for work
Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) - verified
- Korea Immigration Service — Hi Korea
Korea Immigration Service - verified
- Migri — Specialist residence permit
Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) - verified
- Hi Korea — E-7 visa information
Korea Immigration Service (Ministry of Justice) - verified
Republic of Finland
Finland is a practical next destination because Migri publishes clear English guidance and uses the Enter Finland online system for most residence permits. Work migration centres on residence permits for employed persons, specialists, researchers, start-up entrepreneurs and EU Blue Card holders, with a fast-track service for selected high-skill categories.
- Official portal
- Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)
- Languages
- Finnish, Swedish
- Currency
- Euro
Republic of Korea
South Korea's immigration is administered by the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice. The system uses letter-coded visa categories: E-series for employment (E-7 designated activities, E-2 teaching), D-series for study and investment (D-8 corporate investment, D-10 job-seeking), and F-series for residence (F-2 points-based, F-5 permanent residence). Korea introduced a points-based F-2-7 system to attract skilled foreign professionals.
- Official portal
- Korea Immigration Service
- Languages
- Korean
- Currency
- South Korean won
How Republic of Finland and Republic of Korea differ
| Dimension | Republic of Finland | Republic of Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 3 | 5 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 1 | 3 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 3 | 3 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | — | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Residence permit for a specialist | E-7 Designated Activities Visa |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | €3,937/month | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | — | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | Finland lists EUR 530 for an electronic first specialist residence permit, EUR 630 on paper, optional D visas at EUR 95 online, and separate family-member residence-permit fees. | — |
| Official languages | Finnish, Swedish | Korean |
| Currency | Euro | South Korean won |
| Primary regulator | FBA | KBA |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Finland
Residence permit for a specialist
- Salary minimum
- €3,937/month
- Government fees
- Finland lists EUR 530 for an electronic first specialist residence permit, EUR 630 on paper, optional D visas at EUR 95 online, and separate family-member residence-permit fees.
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Republic of Korea
E-7 Designated Activities Visa
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Republic of Korea
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Finland (3)
Residence permit for a specialist
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to 2 years for the first permit; renewable.
Residence permit for an employed person
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Usually tied to the job and permit decision; renewable.
Start-up entrepreneur residence permit
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial permit is time-limited and renewable if the startup basis continues.
Republic of Korea (5)
E-7 Designated Activities Visa
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 1–3 years; renewable.
F-2-7 Points-Based Long-Term Residence
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 3 years; renewable.
D-8 Corporate Investment Visa
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 1–2 years; renewable as long as the business operates.
Student Visa (D-2)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration of programme; renewed annually.
F-1 Family Visitation / F-3 Dependent Family
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Tied to the sponsoring family member's visa status.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Finland or Republic of Korea?+
Republic of Finland’s Residence permit for a specialist requires a salary of at least €3,937/month; Republic of Korea’s E-7 Designated Activities Visa is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Republic of Finland or Republic of Korea have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Korea has more: 3 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 1 for Republic of Finland. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Republic of Finland vs Republic of Korea immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/finland/vs/south-korea. Last verified 24 May 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons