The minimum legal capital of the Foreign Invested Corporation is KRW100,000,000 (USD75,000). However, it is recommended to invest KRW300,000,000 (USD222,000) for the immigration inspection and the operating expenses if you want to obtain an Investor Visa D8 quickly.

A foreign company that establishes a Foreign Invested Corporation in Korea can dispatch its executives and employees to the FIC in Korea. In principle, one professional employee can be dispatched for every KRW100,000,000 (USD75,000 equivalent) of the investment. However, the number of employees dispatched can be increased by submitting the necessary and supporting documents of the FIC.

The Foreign Invested Corporation has no limits on the business scope like regular domestic corporations in Korea. Therefore, the FIC can engage in all business activities including international trade.

The Korea Branch has no limits on the business scope like the Foreign Invested Corporations and domestic corporations in Korea. Therefore, the Korea Branch can engage in all business activities including international trade.

The Foreign company having the Korea branch can dispatch professional employees who have worked for at least one year. However, the number of dispatched employees may be increased by proving that they are essential operators of the Korea branch.

Dispatched Staff Visa D7 Holders can applied to Residence Visa F2, Permanent Residence Visa F5, or Korean Citizenship if legal stay duration, Income requirement and other requirements are qualified.

The Korea Liaison Office cannot issue a tax receipt for business transactions and is only allowed non profit business activity such as client counseling, supervising, and market research. Therefore, the Korea Liaison Office is not allowed to engage in international trading.

The Foreign company having the Korea Liaison Office can dispatch Representative as well as professional employees for the Operation of the Korea Liaison Office.

Dispatched Staff Visa D7 Holders can applied to Residence Visa F2, Permanent Residence Visa F5, or Korean Citizenship if legal stay duration, Income requirement and other requirements are qualified.

While the Investment Amount on the Public Bond Investment is 100% guaranteed by the Korean Government, that of the Real Estate Investment would be decreased or increased depending on its bond operation and the land prices.

You can get a Residence Visa F2 upon the investment and change to a Permanent Residence Visa F5 after 5 years on the Public Bond Investment and the Real Estate Investment. if you want to get Permanent Residence Visa F5 faster than 5 years, you are recommended to choose the Public Bond Investment for F5 because you are granted a F5 upon the investment instantly.

Yes, you can transfer the investment amount returned after 5 years while maintaining your F5 visa.

Since the Investment Amount on the Public Bond Investment is 100% guaranteed by the Korean Government, you can get a full refund by maintaining your Permanent Residence Visa F5 after the Investment maturity of 5 years.

You are instantly granted a Long-Term Residence Visa F2 upon the investment and can change to a Permanent Residence Visa F5 after 5 years of the investment maintenance. However, your Long-Term Residence Visa F2 should be canceled if you cancel the investment contract or withdraw any part of the investment amount from the bond.

Yes, you can transfer the investment amount returned after 5 years while maintaining your F5 visa.

While the Investment Amount on the Public Bond Investment is 100% guaranteed by the Korean Government, that of the Real Estate Investment would be decreased or increased depending on its bond operation and the land prices.

You are instantly granted a Long-Term Residence Visa F2 upon the investment and can change to a Permanent Residence Visa F5 after 5 years of the investment maintenance. However, your Residence Visa F2 should be canceled if you cancel the investment contract or violate against the terms and condition of the investment contract.

Yes, you can transfer the amount for the sale of the real estate aboard after 5 years while maintaining your F5 visa.

D8 visa is issued or permitted if a Certificate of Foreign Invested Corporation is issued under normal condition. the D8 visa is not allowed or issued due to one of the following problem below.

1. if the capital is withdrawn in the legal process
2. if the legal capital is unfairly used or there is no proper evidences such as legal contracts, legal tax receipts, etc.
3. if you fail to prove that the legal capital is from your own sources
4. if you or the FIC is imposed a penalty in violation of the Laws

The foreign company that establishes a Foreign Invested Corporation (FIC) in Korea company can dispatch its executives and employees to the FIC in Korea. Although one professional employee can be dispatched for every KRW100 million of the legal Capital, the number of employees dispatched may be increased by submitting the necessary documents.

Investor Visa D8 can be applied to (1) the Korean Embassy in the Head Office of the Foreign Company or (2) the Immigration Office in Korea.

D7 visa is issued or permitted under normal condition after the Branch or the Liaison Office is established.  Your D7 Visa application is not issued or rejected due to one of the following problem below.

1. if you fail to prove the professionals requirement for the operation,
2. if you work for the head office less than 1 year or,
3. if you or your company is imposed a penalty in violation of the Laws

The foreign company can dispatch 2 (two) executives and employees to the Branch or the Liaison Office (Rep. Office) in Korea, including the representative. In addition, the number of employees dispatched may be increased by submitting the necessary documents.

Dispatched Staff Visa D7 can be applied to (1) the Korean Embassy in the Head Office of the Foreign Company or (2) the Immigration Office in Korea.

Employment Visa E7 visa is issued or permitted under normal condition. Your E7 Visa application is not issued or rejected due to one of the following problem below.

1. if your company fails to explain sufficiently the necessity of your Employment in the Letter of Employment,
2. if the occupation code for E7 application is incorrectly selected,
3. if the requirement of you or your company is insufficient,
4. if your Employment Reason is not matched with the current status of the company in an On-Site Inspection or
5. if you or your company is imposed a penalty in violation of the Laws

Your company can hire 1 foreign worker on E7 visa if your company hires 5 Korean workers, provided that the E7 quota is granted in the range of 20% of the Korean workers. However, your company may apply to E7 quota in the range of 50% of Korean workers, depending on the company situation or company status.

Those are required only for some designated jobs. However, we suggest you to prepare two documents as well as a Business Plan for utilizing the foreign worker to facilitate your E7 visa process as well as to be exempted from On-Site Inspection of the Immigration.

You need to have the GNI income, except for F5-1 & R&D applicants required GNI 2 times income.

You need to complete the Level 5 in KIIP or pass the Comprehensive Tests by getting min. 60 points. However, if you plan to invest or have special talents, you are exempted from KIIP Requirement.

If you are an investor approved by the Immigration, your family members are automatically granted F5 with you. Except Investor’s family members, other family members can apply to F5 after 2 years by exempting Income Certificate. However, they still required to KIIP certificate.

You are not allowed to apply to Korean Citizenship directly if you do not have F5.

You need to have the GNI income.  However, it is possible to apply to F2 in case of lower of GNI income because Residence Visa F2-7 on the Point System is calculated on other items, such as age, degree, KIIP completion, domestic university graduation, community service, and recommendation letter, and Residence Visa F2-99 for Long-Term Stayers is considered to combine family member’s income.

Residence Visa F2-7 on the Point System does not require Certificate of KIIP. However, Residence Visa F2-99 for Long-Term Stayers is exempted from KIIP if the applicant graduated from an elementary school, a middle school, a high school, a university, a graduate school in Korea.

Your foreign spouse needs to apply to the Marriage Visa F6 at the Korean Embassy or the Consulate General in the home country of your foreign spouse or the nearest country. However, your foreign spouse can apply it to the Immigration Office in Korea (1) if your foreign spouse is staying in Korea with a long-term visa, or (2) if your foreign spouse has the humanitarian reasons such as pregnancy or childbirth, etc.

You need to submit an Income Certificate with KRW 20 miilion for 2 persons for your spouse invitation on Marriage Visa F6. If you are a freelancer, a farmer, a job seeker, and a student having problems on the income requirement, you would utilize the following options (1) the incomes of your direct family members on the same address (2) 5% of the net assets deducted the debts from the total assets, which you have owned for more than six months or (3) Estimated Income calculated from the annual payment of the Health Insurance.

If you communicate with your foreign spouse in a foreign language such as English in the following conditions, your foreign spouse is not required a certificate of the Korean Proficiency Test.

• You live in a country for more than 1 year where the official language is English if your foreign spouse’s native language is
• You and your foreign spouse live in a country for more than 1 year where the official language is English if your foreign spouse’s native language is not English

Cosmetics had been classified into the category of Pharmaceuticals, and it has been independently classified into the category of Cosmetics since 2002 after the Cosmetics Act enacted. and managed separately. Your product would be treated as raw materials for pharmaceuticals and need to get 3 Certificates of Import Report, Product Report and Overseas Manufacturing Plant Registration in order to export to Korea.

Your sprayer would be regarded as a Medical Device. Thus, you need to get both certificates for (1) functional cosmetics certification as well as (2) medical device certification.

Foreign companies must apply for the certification of KFDA under the name of the Korean office for Consumer Protection and Recall. Thus, you need to set up a corporation or Branch in Korea. However, your Agents in Korea would apply for those certificates under their names if you appoint any Korean company as your agent, which fulfills those requirements, such as Facility Requirement and HR Requirement.

General cosmetics such as skin lotion can be exported to Europe by registering CE and attaching CE Mark. However, sunscreens and other functional cosmetics must be certified by NB and obtained COC.

According to Directive 2016/425 (Personal Protective Equipment Directive 89/686/EEC), Sunglasses and Goggles are considered as Personal Protective Equipments (PPE), meaning that “a tool or device designed to be worn or carried by an individual to protect a user from one or more risks that threaten health and safety”. Thus, CE certification must be carried out with (1) Application to NB (2) Grade Determination (3) DOC or COC issuance under the PPE Directive.

PPE is applied to CE Directive 2016/425 (PPE), the Personal Protective Equipment Directive (89/686/EEC), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is classified as follows.

• Category 1 : Minimum Protection / Simple Design : Goggles, Sunglasses, Cleaning Gloves, etc.
• Category 2 : Intermediate Protection Helmets, Welding Goggles, PU-coated Gloves, etc.

• Category 3 : Maximum Protection / Complex Design Respirators, Harness, Slings, Oxygen Mask such as Equipment having a significant impact on the human body.

General cosmetics can be exported to the USA with Facility Registration in FDA. However, Sunscreens regarded as OTC products are required to the OTC Registration of FDA for US Export.

If your cosmetic products contains any functional ingredients for wrinkle improvement, anti-wrinkle, regeneration, skin elasticity or the skin and body functions, your cosmetics products must be registered in FDA’s OTC in order to pass US Custom Clearance.

128 countries have signed up to the Apostille Treaty as of January 11, 2024, and you can check the List of Apostille in the ‘Status of the Apostille / Consular Certification in the MOFA Korea.

https://www.apostille.go.kr/gd/intro/appIntro.do

Official documents issued in English can get Apostille without notarization. However, official documents issued in Korean must be translated into English and then notarized before being applying to Apostille.

Since educational institutions including national universities are not public organizations, the documents issued from Universities are considered as private documents and must be notarized for Apostille.

It is the best way to notarize a money consumption loan contract or a loan certificate. However, you can use a Fact Confirmation Certificate of a Public Administrative Attorney as evidence to prove that you lent the money although you did not fill out the loan certificate.

A Fact Confirmation Certificate has the legal effects as evidence to verify and prove the basic facts of civil and criminal litigation.

You need to get either Translation Notarization from a Notary or Translation Certificate from a Certified Public Translation Attorney for the Korean translation according to Article 5-2 (Submission of Foreign Family Relations) of Notification 2021-253 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Korean documents must be translated into English with Certificate of Translation and Affidavit. The translation certification procedure is (1) getting Apostille from Korean MOFA (2) translating those Korean documents into English (3) attaching Certificate of Translation and Affidavit from a Certified Public Translation Attorney.

UAE is not a member of the Apostille Treaty. Thus, you need to get the Attestation of the UAE Embassy, not Apostille, and take the following procedure for the Attestation of the UAE Embassy.  (1) preparing English documents or translating Korean documents into English (2) translation Notarization for the translated documents (3) getting Confirmation of Korean MOFA (4) paying document attestation fee to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (5) submitting those documents to the UAE Embassy.