How to Get the F2-7 Visa in Korea: The Complete Points Guide

If you've been on an E2 visa for a few years, you already know the deal. You can teach conversational English and that's more or less it. Your visa is tied to your employer, which means if the job goes sideways, you've got 14 days to sort something out or leave the country. It's a setup that keeps you dependent on whoever signed your contract, and most people who plan to stay in Korea longer than a year or two eventually start looking for a way out.

For those not married to a Korean national, the F2-7 is usually the answer.

The F2-7 is a points-based long-term residence visa. Get 80 points across six categories, meet the baseline eligibility requirements, and you're no longer tied to any employer. You can work anywhere, start a business, freelance, or change jobs without touching your visa status. It's a significant shift in how you live here.

This guide covers everything: the eligibility requirements, how the points work, how to improve your score, and what actually changes once you have it.

Before the points even matter, you need to clear a baseline requirement: 3 consecutive years on the same visa type.

This is where people get caught out. If you spent two years on an E2, switched to a D10 (job seeker) for a few months, then went back to E2, those years don't combine. It has to be three uninterrupted years on the same visa.

There are exceptions to the three-year same-visa rule:

• You earn 40 million KRW or more per year
• You have a recommendation letter from a relevant ministry
• You completed a Master's degree in Korea while on a D2 or D10-1 visa for more than 3 years

If you clear the baseline, you move on to the points system. You need 80 out of a possible 120 points to qualify.

Note: Additional points are capped at 40 even if you qualify for more.

The younger you are, the more points you get. The biggest penalty hits at 40, where you lose 8 points in one jump. There's nothing you can do about this one, but it's worth knowing where you stand.

Required proof: Your passport

Science and engineering degrees score higher, and having multiple degrees helps. The breakdown:

Graduating from a Top 500 university adds bonus points (covered under Additional Points below).

Required proof: Degree certificate.

Both TOPIK and KIIP earn the same points per level:

The key difference: TOPIK certificates expire after 2 years. KIIP certificates don't expire. If you're planning your F2-7 application over a longer timeline, KIIP is the safer bet. There's also a 10-point bonus in the Additional Points section for completing KIIP Level 5, which TOPIK can't give you.

Required proof: TOPIK certificate (valid, not expired) or KIIP certificate downloadable from socinet.go.kr.

This is the most important category. It carries the highest possible points and it's also where people make the most expensive mistakes.

The critical word is taxed. Only income reported on your year-end tax return counts. Untaxed allowances don't.

Here's how this bites people: say you earn 2.5 million KRW a month. Sounds like 30 million a year — which would get you 30 points. But if 100,000 KRW per month is listed as a "lunch allowance" in your contract, your taxed income is actually 28.8 million KRW. You fall just short of the 30 million threshold and lose 20 points you thought you had.

If you're negotiating a new contract, push to have everything taxed as a flat salary. "3 million KRW per month" is better than "2.5 million KRW + 500,000 KRW housing allowance" even if the total is the same.

Required proof: Year-end tax return (근로소득 원천징수영수증).

Several categories can earn you bonus points, but the total counted from this section is capped at 40 regardless of how many you qualify for.

Restricted to people from countries that supported Korea during the Korean War, studying through the GKS program with the right documentation. High points, very specific eligibility.

Required proof: A NIIED recommendation and GKS documentation.

A recommendation from a government official at the ministry level. Rare in practice, but not impossible if you have the right connections.

Required proof: Official letter from a ministry-level government official.

This is the reason most people say KIIP is worth choosing over TOPIK if you have the time. TOPIK Level 5 and KIIP Level 5 give the same 20 points in the language section. But finishing KIIP Level 5 also gives you 10 extra points here. Pass the KIIP Level 5 exam and you can claim both.

Required proof: KIIP Level 5 Completion Certificate from socinet.go.kr.

• Korean university degree: 5–10 points depending on level
• Top 500 global university degree: 15–30 points

Important: the Top 500 list is reassessed annually, and what matters is where your university ranks at the time of your application, not when you graduated. To check your university's current standing you can use these websites:

• www.timeshighereducation.com
• www.topuniversities.com

Points from multiple degrees don't stack. If you have two degrees that could each qualify for different bonuses, you can only use one.

Required proof: Korean degree certificate, or a printout of the current Top 500 ranking showing your university.

• 1–2 years: 1 point
• 2–3 years: 5 points
• Over 3 years: 7 points

Volunteering must be officially registered on 1365.go.kr or vms.or.kr. To count as one year, you need at least 50 hours spread across at least 6 separate occasions. One long block doesn't qualify. Donating blood counts toward your volunteering hours.

Required proof: Certificate from one of the official volunteering websites.

Fines cost you points. Sometimes a lot of them

Criminal fines (e.g. traffic violations):

• Under 2 million KRW: –20 points
• Over 3 million KRW: –40 points

Immigration fines (e.g. overstaying):

• 500,000 to 1 million KRW: –10 points
• Over 3 million KRW: –30 points

A 20-point deduction is enough to push someone from qualifying to not qualifying. Keep your record clean.

TOPIK is the faster route if you need points quickly. The exam is held several times a year, and the website has improved significantly. The test rewards exam practice as much as actual Korean ability — especially the writing section. TOPIK I covers Levels 1–2, TOPIK II covers Levels 3–6.

A few things to know: create your TOPIK account well before registration opens, as spots fill fast. Certificates are only valid for two years, so time your exam with your visa timeline in mind.

KIIP is the slower but more rewarding path. Completing Level 5 gives you the 10 bonus points that TOPIK can't. You'll need to register at socinet.go.kr and kiiptest.org (separate accounts for each). If you have a valid TOPIK certificate, you can register it with KIIP and skip straight to the appropriate level. If not, you'll sit a pre-evaluation exam.

Note: KIIP is no longer free. Check socinet.go.kr for current fees by level.

New KIIP semester classes are usually announced in mid-January. Popular locations fill up fast, but there are usually multiple time slots.

If you're changing jobs, negotiate for a flat salary with no untaxed allowances. Read your current contract carefully and get your year-end tax return before you calculate your points — don't assume the number on your contract is the number that shows up on your tax return.

The F2-7 is valid for 2–3 years and renewable. After 5 continuous years on F2-7 status, you become eligible to apply for F5 (Permanent residence).

In practical terms, getting F2-7 means:

You can work anywhere. No employer sponsorship needed. You can change jobs, work multiple jobs, or work for yourself without any visa implications.

You can start a business. Freelancing and self-employment are both possible.

You're no longer on a 14-day clock. Lose your job on an E2 and you have two weeks to find another or leave. On F2-7, your visa doesn't move when your employment does.

It's a different way of living here.

Use the F2-7 Point Calculator to add up your current score and see where you stand.

The process has a lot of moving parts and the details change. These groups are worth joining:

• F2-7 Visa Holders in Korea (Facebook) — check the files section for the current visa manual and points list before posting questions
• Korean Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP) (Facebook) — KIIP-specific advice, study materials, exam schedules