Published: 17.07.2026
Since June 30, applicants aged 34 and younger who live outside the Greater Seoul area face an annual income threshold of about 52 million won, equal to Korea’s previous-year per-capita GNI. The maximum stay under the visa has been extended from two years to three.
The change lowers the financial threshold for younger remote professionals willing to live outside Seoul and gives them an additional year of legal stay. According to sources, this creates more time for a trial relocation to a provincial city, adaptation, and consideration of longer-term settlement. Applicants aged 35 or older and those choosing the capital region remain subject to higher income requirements. The change is particularly relevant to digital nomads who can document their income and are open to living outside Greater Seoul.