There are generally two types of visa: single entry and multiple entry.
– Single entry visas have a validity of three months from the date of issue.
– Multiple-entry visas have a validity of principally one year from the date of issue.
However, holders of diplomatic and government passports are issued a visa with a
validity of three years. Visas issued by agreement are valid until the date of
agreement.
In practice, the types of visa can be divided into four categories:
1. Visa for foreigners conducting diplomacy, official duty and negotiation (SOFA) and their
families: diplomacy (A-1), official duty (A-2), agreement (A3).
2. Visa for non-profit activities and short-term stay (less than 90 days): temporary news
coverage (C-1), short-term business (C-2) and short-term visitors (C-3).
3. Employment visa: short-term employment (C-4), professors (E-1), teaching foreign
languages (E-2), research (E-3), special technology instruction (E-4), special
occupations (E-5), arts and entertainment (E-6), other particular occupations (E-7),
industrial trainees employment (E-8), non-special employment (E-9),
working holiday (H-1).
4. Others: culture/art (D-1), students (D-2), industrial trainees (D-3), general trainees
(D-4), residence reporters (D-5), religious workers (D-6), intra-company transferee
(D-7), treaty investors (D-8), treaty traders (D-9), visiting and joining families (F-1),
residence (F-2), dependent families (F-3), overseas Korean residents (F-4),
permanent residence (F-5), others (G-1).
Further information about visa issuance: refer to the English homepage of the Ministry of Justice. ww.moj.go.kr/english/index.php
Family of a foreigner working for the foreign-invested company is the spouse and unmarried children under 20 years of age.When the foreigner and the family apply together for the visa or approval, the documents needed are passport, application form and documents verifying the relationship (birth certificate or marriage certificate).When the application is filed separately, additional documents to the ones listed above are the certificate of employment of the foreigner and a copy of the alien registration ID.The visa issued to the family is that of dependent families (F-3) and the length of stay is equivalent to that of the spouse or parent.
| Tourist Hotel Business |
1. More than 30 rooms with a bathroom or shower facilities;
2. A system capable of providing service to foreign customers;
3. Ownership or usage rights of real estate. |
There is no differentiation between a comprehensive tourist hotel and a general
tourist hotel.
The types of facilities can be divided as for the following:
– Air pollutants;
– Water pollutants;
– Prevention of the discharge and generation of noise and vibration;
– The design or execution of facilities to reduce or control the above.
Depending on the industrial sector, the businesses are divided into air pollution prevention facilities business, water pollution prevention facilities business, and noise / vibration prevention facilities business.
People interested in prevention facilities business have to possess the necessary technological capabilities as stipulated in the Enforcement Decree of the Development of and Support for Environmental Technology Act, and need to register at a local environment agency.
In return for wage increases demanded by workers, companies used to give other allowances or welfare benefits.
– For that reason, the wage system became complicated and also management costs
increased. The allowances became fixed payments no longer reflecting the workers’
performances.
To solve this problem, it should be settled between the labor and management themselves. However, administrative support is also given by the government.
– If possible, the various allowances should be included in the basic wage, so that only
the allowances reflecting the performance of the worker are retained.
The government is making efforts to expand social welfare, especially for small-medium enterprises that have a relatively weak welfare system compared to large conglomerates, and for low-wage workers. The welfare includes scholarships, financial support for medical expenses and condolences / congratulations among others.
If companies could dismiss workers at will, then there would be a great danger that dismissal will be misused. Especially in Korea, where the social welfare system is still almost non-existent, such a law would constitute a serious economic, as well as social blow to such workers.Therefore, it is necessary to place certain restrictions to dismissing a worker such as justifiable reasons and process.
– Penalties are necessary for companies violating the laws, which are designed to prevent
the misuse of the right of dismissal.
On the other hand, the Labor Standards Act was amended in February 1998 allowing an immediate execution of a dismissal for managerial reasons in order to improve the flexibility of the labor market.
– That would be the case when deteriorating business makes it necessary to conduct a
business transfer, merger or acquisition in order to avoid further deterioration of the
business.
Various benefits are given to start-up SMEs (for SMEs established outside the metropolitan area before Dec.31, 2006) and venture start-ups (confirmed as a venture start-up company by the SMBA within two years of its establishment). The benefits include reduction of national taxes such as corporate tax and income tax, as well as local taxes such as acquisition tax and registration tax.
| | Relevant Regulation | Details |
Corporate Tax
Income Tax | Art. 6 of the Special Tax Treatment Control Act | 50% tax reduction from the tax year in which the initial profits were recorded until five years from the beginning of the following tax year. |
| Royalty Tax | Art. 116 of the Special Tax Treatment Control Act | No stamp duty for documents such as certificate, bank account or contract needed for the application of a loan at a financial institution, if the loan is applied for within two years of business establishment. However, the only businesses that are eligible are those established pursuant to the Support for Small and Medium Enterprise Establishment Act. |
| Registration Tax | Art. 119 of the Special Tax Treatment Control Act | No registration tax for assets needed for businesses that are acquired within two years after business establishment. |
| Special Tax for Rural Development | Art. 4 of the Special Tax for Rural Development Act | No Special tax for rural development (20% of tax reduction) is levied on tax reductions of corporate tax, acquisition tax, registration tax or income tax of the established SME. |
Property Tax
Comprehensive Land Tax | Art. 121 of the Special Tax Treatment Control Act | 50% reduction of property tax and comprehensive land tax for five years from the date of business establishment for assets in possession of the company and needed for the business activities of the company. |
A foreign national can acquire and own land in Korea just as a Korean national without any restrictions, even when not residing in Korea.
– Regulations regarding land ownership and its use and development are applied to
foreign nationals under the same conditions as for Koreans.
However, exceptions exist for areas under protection for military use, cultural property protection zones as well as ecosystem preservation districts, for which prior permission is required. (Article 4 of the Foreigner?s Land Acquisition Act)
– In this case, the authorities shall grant permission, if land acquisition located in the
districts and regions subject to prior permission does not obstruct the defined purpose
of the said land.
It is possible to get details about restrictions on a particular piece of land when getting a “confirmation of land use plan” from the competent office in the city, county or district.
Foreigners wanting to enter Korea have to be in possession of a valid passport and a visa issued by a Korean embassy or consulate. However, in the following cases, it is also possible to enter the country without a visa:
– In possession of a permission for re-entry and returning to Korea before its expiration
date;
– Citizen of a country having a visa waiver agreement with Korea, and thus according to
the agreement being exempt from a visa;
– Working for a foreign government or an international organization and without a visa due to unforeseen circumstances;
– Purpose of travel or transit;
– Other reasons determined by the Minister of Justice where the entry to the country will
bring benefits to Korea.
Regarding the visa waiver agreement, it is in principle limited to foreigners for the purpose of short-term travel or visit (less than three months) without conducting profit-making business or any paid activities.
As of end of April 2004, there are a total of 78 countries having concluded a visa waiver agreement with the Korean government including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Singapore and New Zealand. Citizens from these countries receive a B-1 visa waiver with a specific period of sojourn (usually 3 months).Countries with visa-free entry permission to Korea as of April 2004 totaled 50 countries, including the USA, Canada, Japan, and Australia. If citizens from these countries wish to enter the Republic of Korea for the purpose of travel or transit, they will be issued a B-2 visa with a sojourn period of 30 days. However, citizens of Canada are allowed 6 months, and citizens of Australia, Hong Kong and Slovenia are allowed 90 days sojourn (based on reciprocity).Citizens from countries, with which no diplomatic have yet been established, such as Cuba and Macedonia, as well as citizens of countries with many illegal entries to Korea, such as China, Mongolia, the Philippines, Nepal and Nigeria are not allowed entry without a visa.
First, the birth of the child needs to be reported to the respective national embassy in Korea. After obtaining a valid passport, a visa application for the child must be submitted to the immigration official at Invest KOREA or any other immigration office within 30 days of birth.When applying for the visa, an application form, birth certificate, and passport, along with employment certificate of the father or parent as well as a copy of his/her alien registration card must be submitted. In case it is difficult to obtain a passport within 30 days from birth, it is possible to first apply for the visa and submit the passport at a later time. The visa (F-3 visa with a sojourn period equal to that of the parents) will If the period of sojourn in Korea is expected to exceed 90 days from the day of obtaining the visa, then it is also obligatory to apply for alien registration at the immigration office. If the departure date from Korea is expected to be within 30 days after the birth of the child, then only a passport is needed without having to apply for a visa.then be issued after submitting the passport.
