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Republic of Korea · work sponsored

Student part-time work permission (D-2 / eligible D-4)

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Prior immigration permission for specific eligible work while keeping student status; hours depend on course, Korean ability and approved conditions.

Existing eligible student status, actual employer and contract, school confirmation, applicable Korean ability and prior immigration permissionDoes not lead to permanent residencyOnly for the activity, workplace, hours and period approved alongside valid eligible student stay. The permission does not extend the underlying study status.
Processing time
Use the receiving Korean mission or competent immigration office’s current procedure and appointment availability. Screening, document authentication and additional-document requests affect the decision time; there is no verified worldwide two-to-four-week guarantee. A visit reservation or completed e-Form is not a granted visa or stay permission.
Government fees
The current fee rule sets KRW 20,000 for Ministry-recognised part-time employment by study/training status holders, rather than the general KRW 120,000 outside-status activity fee. Check the actual application and any exemption with immigration. This is separate from residence renewal, a residence card and consular visa fees.
Typical duration
Only for the activity, workplace, hours and period approved alongside valid eligible student stay. The permission does not extend the underlying study status.
Required support
Existing eligible student status, actual employer and contract, school confirmation, applicable Korean ability and prior immigration permission
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Korea Ministry of Government Legislation / Easy Law ↗

In short

Prior immigration permission for specific eligible work while keeping student status; hours depend on course, Korean ability and approved conditions. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/south-korea/student-part-time-work-permission#answer

What is the Student part-time work permission (D-2 / eligible D-4) in Republic of Korea?

Student part-time work permission (D-2 / eligible D-4) is a sponsor-led South Korea route. Indicative government fees are The current fee rule sets KRW 20,000 for Ministry-recognised part-time employment by study/training status holders, rather than the general KRW 120,000 outside-status activity fee. Check the actual application and any exemption with immigration. This is separate from residence renewal, a residence card and consular visa fees; indicative processing time is Use the receiving Korean mission or competent immigration office’s current procedure and appointment availability. Screening, document authentication and additional-document requests affect the decision time; there is no verified worldwide two-to-four-week guarantee. A visit reservation or completed e-Form is not a granted visa or stay permission; typical duration is Only for the activity, workplace, hours and period approved alongside valid eligible student stay. The permission does not extend the underlying study status. This route does not lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Korea Ministry of Government Legislation / Easy Law on 15 November 2026.

Overview

This is permission to undertake specified activity outside an existing student status, not a new entry visa or a replacement for D-2/D-4 study. Eligible students need advance immigration approval and the relevant school, employer and contract evidence before working. Programme, Korean proficiency, academic standing and the approved job determine the permitted hours and restrictions. A blanket 20-hour week with unlimited holidays is inaccurate.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

  • !Unapproved work, a premature start, hours outside the approved branch, or failure to maintain eligible study/academic conditions. Post-programme extension after failure to graduate is generally excluded, subject to the specified master’s/doctoral thesis exception.Korea Ministry of Government Legislation / Easy Law ↗
  • !Restricted jobs include adult-entertainment work, unauthorised professional activities, ordinary manufacturing/construction and seafarer work, certain platform/freelance or dispatch arrangements and unsuitable employers. Specific manufacturing, seasonal, assistant and professional-intern exceptions have their own conditions; they are not a general permission to take any job.Korea Ministry of Government Legislation / Easy Law ↗
  • !Assuming unrestricted holidays apply to every student. The exceptional eligible master’s/doctoral thesis-completion branch is limited to 30 hours per week across all periods.Korea Ministry of Government Legislation / Easy Law ↗

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Check the category and any waiting period

    Degree students and language/visiting trainees have different qualifying dates. D-4-1, D-4-7 and D-2-8 ordinarily require six months. Confirm current study/academic eligibility and the actual job’s permitted activity.

  2. Apply with the school and employer documents

    Prepare school confirmation, a contract showing the actual work and hours, employer registration and Korean-ability evidence. Apply through the available competent immigration procedure and wait for approval before the start.

  3. Use the correct language-trainee hours

    NIIED’s table uses TOPIK 2 or the specified equivalent for language training. After the waiting period, the table permits 10 hours where that standard is unmet, ordinarily 20 hours where met, and up to 25 in the specified enhanced branch. Weekends and vacations remain capped.

  4. Use the correct degree-student hours

    The table uses TOPIK 3 or equivalent for associate courses/bachelor years 1–2 and TOPIK 4 or equivalent for bachelor years 3–4 and graduate courses. Undergraduates below the language standard have 10 hours; qualified undergraduates ordinarily have 25 weekday hours, with a specified enhanced branch up to 30. For master’s/doctoral students below the standard, the table shows 15 weekday hours and 10 weekend/vacation hours; qualified graduates ordinarily have 30 weekday hours, with an enhanced branch up to 35. Covered qualified degree branches have unrestricted weekends/vacations; the actual approval, job restrictions and special thesis rule still control.

  5. Maintain the approval and underlying study permission

    Stay within the actual authorised workplace, duties, hours and period. Exceptional eligible thesis-completion cases have a 30-hour weekly cap including vacations. Do not treat specialised K-CORE, research or internship concessions as automatic for every student. On 7 October 2026 MOJ announced staged student-visa reforms. The roadmap places language-linked D-10 redesign in the first half of 2027 and broader student-work changes across later stages. It also announces changes to financial proof and new study/skills pathways. An announcement or target date alone does not establish that every office is accepting the new arrangement: obtain the operative notice for your category. This guide retains the independently confirmed current permissions.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Student part-time work permission (D-2 / eligible D-4), use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Agree the lawful start date and onboarding with the employer or sponsor. Check whether the permission names an employer, role or activity before changing the arrangement.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Student part-time work permission (D-2 / eligible D-4) instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to South Korea

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read current permission and restricted-work rules ↗

    Identify the actual category, waiting period and exceptions before accepting work.

    Korea Ministry of Government Legislation / Easy Law · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check the original NIIED work-hour table ↗

    Use the programme, Korean-ability and enhanced-allowance columns together.

    National Institute for International Education / Ministry of Education · verified

  3. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check the current statutory fee ↗

    Distinguish the recognised student part-time fee from the general outside-activity fee.

    Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service, Republic of Korea · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Is this a visa for entering Korea to find a student job?+

No. It is permission for specified work alongside an existing eligible student status. It neither grants entry nor extends the underlying study stay.

Can I begin after the school signs the form?+

No. Obtain the required immigration permission before starting; school confirmation and the employment contract support the application.

Is every student limited to 20 hours?+

No. Language trainees, undergraduates and graduate students have different Korean-ability and academic branches. See the detailed pathway and original table, then follow the actual permission.

Can every student work unlimited holidays?+

No. The covered qualified degree-student branches differ from language trainees, students below the language standard and exceptional thesis-completion cases. The thesis exception is limited to 30 hours per week across all periods.

Can I teach English or do platform delivery?+

Do not assume either is covered. Professional language teaching and the listed freelance/platform arrangements are restricted under ordinary student-work rules. Narrow assistant or professional-intern exceptions need their own conditions and permission; a play/safety assistant exception is not permission to teach.

What is the fee?+

The current rule gives KRW 20,000 for Ministry-recognised student/training part-time employment, distinct from the general KRW 120,000 outside-status activity fee. Confirm the actual fee and any exemption when filing.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

Find a regulated advisor in South Korea

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Korea Ministry of Government Legislation / Easy Law

Last checked: 15 November 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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