If you want to earn money here, the rules on work visas in Korea start with the status of stay written on your visa, not with your job offer. The official Immigration and Stay Guide sorts work by how long you stay and what you will actually do. For paid activity of a short duration, it lists a separate group called Work (Less than 90 days), and inside that group it names Temporary employment (C-4).
This guide covers what that status covers and the rules on working under it. It also covers the permission-to-stay information the same guide gives for people recognised as refugees. Where the detail depends on your own case, such as fees and document checks, confirm it on the official page instead of guessing.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who it applies to | Anyone asking about work visas in Korea, including people coming for paid work of less than 90 days |
| Short-term work status | Temporary employment (C-4), listed under Work (Less than 90 days) |
| What C-4 covers | Temporary employment such as short-term entertainment, advertisement, fashion model, lecture, research or technical training |
| Entry documents for C-4 | Passport, visa and a disembarkation card |
| Extension of stay for C-4 | Passport |
| Refugee route | Once recognised as a refugee, change your visa to F-2 Resident or apply for the status of stay from the immigration office with jurisdiction over your place of stay |
| Address change after refugee recognition | Report the new place of stay within 14 days of moving |
| Cost | A processing fee is charged for the refugee status of stay application; check the current amount on the official page |
Who This Applies To and Which Status Decides Your Work
The official guide groups stay information by purpose. For paid activity, one group is called Work (Less than 90 days), and the status listed inside it is Temporary employment (C-4). The guide lists C-4 for those seeking temporary employment of the kinds it names, such as short-term entertainment, advertisement, fashion model, lecture, research or technical training.
An employer can offer you work that falls outside the status you hold. If what you were hired to do does not match the activities the guide names for your status, ask the immigration office before you start.
Check these four things first
- The status of stay written on your visa, for example Temporary employment (C-4)
- How long that status allows you to stay, since C-4 sits in the group for work of less than 90 days
- Whether the activity you were hired to do matches what the guide lists for your status
- Which immigration office has jurisdiction over your place of stay, because that is where you deal with your stay
⚠️ If you are not sure which status covers your work, call the 1345 Immigration Contact Center before you sign anything. It is open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 22:00, excluding public holidays, and the call is charged.
Work Visas in Korea for Stays of Less Than 90 Days
Temporary employment (C-4) is the status the guide lists under Work (Less than 90 days). It is described as being for those seeking temporary employment such as short-term entertainment, advertisement, fashion model, lecture, research or technical training. The word temporary is the key part, because the status sits in the short-stay group.
Activities the official guide names for C-4
- Short-term entertainment
- Advertisement
- Fashion model work
- Lecture
- Research
- Technical training
- Other temporary employment of a similar kind
If your planned activity is clearly one of these, C-4 is the status to look at first. If it is close but not the same, treat that as a question for the immigration office rather than something to decide yourself. The guide gives a separate eligibility, procedure and document page for this status, so read that page for your own case.
| Stage | What the official guide lists for C-4 |
|---|---|
| Qualifications | Those seeking temporary employment of the kinds listed above |
| Entry | Passport, visa and disembarkation card |
| Staying in Korea | Extension of stay |
| Document for extension of stay | Passport |
| Eligibility, procedure and documents | Set out on the official page, so check it for your own case |
⚠️ The guide links C-4 to work of less than 90 days. Ask about an extension before your permitted period runs out, not after.
Work Visas in Korea: The Rules While You Are Working
The rules on work visas in Korea come back to one idea: stay inside the activity your status covers and inside your permitted period. The guide groups Temporary employment (C-4) under work of less than 90 days, so both what you do and how long you stay matter.
- Confirm the status of stay on your visa before you accept the work
- Check that the activity matches what the guide lists for the status, for example that short-term lecture or research work matches Temporary employment (C-4)
- Enter Korea with your passport, your visa and a disembarkation card if you hold C-4
- Do the work the status covers, and keep your stay inside the period you were given
- If you need more time, apply for an extension of stay; the guide lists your passport as the document for that
- Confirm the fee and the documents on the official page before you go to the office
For Temporary employment (C-4), the guide points you to a separate eligibility, procedure and document page for that status. Treat any list you find elsewhere as a starting point and that official page as the final word, and do not guess at amounts of money or at waiting times.
What to Prepare Before You Apply
The documents named in the official guide are specific to the status and the application. Bring your passport to anything involving your stay, because it appears in the guide for both entry and extension of stay.
Documents named for entry and extension
- Passport, for entry and for an extension of stay
- Visa, for entry
- Disembarkation card, for entry
Documents named for a recognised refugee
- Certificate of Refugee Status Recognition
- Application form, Annex No. 34
- An identification photo
- Passport, or a statement explaining the reasons if a passport is not available
- Proof of residence
Read the official page before you travel to an office. The guide points to an eligibility, procedure and document page for Temporary employment (C-4), so use that page to confirm what your own application needs. HiKorea also provides online application services, which can save you a trip.
Refugee Recognition and Permission to Stay
The official guide defines several terms that are often mixed up. Recognition as a refugee is what opens the permission-to-stay route described below; an application alone is a different status. The definitions come from the Refugee Act.
| Term | How the guide defines it |
|---|---|
| Refugee | A foreign national who is unable or unwilling to use the protection of their country of nationality because of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; or who, having no nationality, cannot or will not return for that reason to their country of habitual residence before entering Korea |
| Recognized refugee | A foreign national recognised as a refugee in accordance with the Refugee Act |
| Humanitarian status holder | A foreign national who does not qualify as a refugee, but for whom there are reasonable grounds to believe their life or personal freedom may be egregiously violated by torture, other inhumane treatment or punishment, or other circumstances, and who is given permission to stay by the Minister of Justice or the head of an immigration office or branch office |
| Refugee status applicant | A foreign national whose application is under examination, or who is still inside the filing period for an appeal, administrative appeal or administrative litigation, or whose administrative appeal or litigation is ongoing |
| Refugee seeking resettlement | A refugee outside Korea who wishes to resettle in Korea |
| Alien | A person who is not a national of Korea; this includes a stateless person, but a multiple nationality holder who also holds Korean nationality is not a foreign national |
Once you are recognised as a refugee, the guide gives you two routes for your stay: have your visa changed to F-2 Resident, or apply for the status of stay from the immigration office with jurisdiction over your place of stay. The documents are listed in the section above, and a processing fee is charged, so confirm the current amount on the official page.
The definitions matter here because the permission-to-stay route in the guide follows recognition. A refugee status applicant, as the guide defines that term, is someone whose application is still under examination or still inside an appeal or litigation period, which is not the same thing as a recognized refugee.
On how long this lasts, the guide says you may be allowed to stay in Korea for an extended period of time until the circumstances related to your refugee status cease to exist. That is a condition, not a fixed number of years, so keep your paperwork and your address details up to date.
⚠️ If you are a recognised refugee and you move, report your new place of stay within 14 days of the move, to the head of the si, gun or gu of the new place of stay or to the head of the local immigration office with jurisdiction over it.
Common Mistakes and What Depends on Your Case
Most problems come from assuming that a job offer, or a friend’s experience, settles the question. Check the status written on your visa against what the official guide says that status covers.
- Assuming a signed contract answers the question, instead of reading the status of stay on your visa and what the guide lists for it
- Treating Temporary employment (C-4) as a long-term status. The guide lists it under work of less than 90 days
- Starting an activity that does not match the activities named for your status, instead of asking the immigration office first
- Guessing a fee. A processing fee is charged for the refugee status of stay application, so check the current amount on the official page
- Missing the 14-day report after moving, if you are a recognised refugee
- Going to an office that does not have jurisdiction over your place of stay
- Confusing a refugee status applicant with a recognized refugee. The guide defines them separately
For the detail of your own application, work from the official page for the status you need, such as the eligibility, procedure and document page the guide gives for Temporary employment (C-4). Use HiKorea, which provides online application services, where that is possible.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Korea for less than 90 days?
The official guide has a category called Work (Less than 90 days), and the status it lists there is Temporary employment (C-4). It covers temporary employment such as short-term entertainment, advertisement, fashion model, lecture, research or technical training. Check the eligibility, procedure and document page for your own activity before you commit to the work.
What documents do I need to enter Korea on a C-4 visa?
For entry, the guide lists a passport, a visa and a disembarkation card. For an extension of stay while you are here, it lists your passport. Anything beyond that depends on your case, so confirm the current requirement on the official page.
How much do work visas in Korea cost to apply for?
The fee the guide names is the processing fee charged for the refugee status of stay application. For Temporary employment (C-4), confirm the current fee on the official page before you go to the office, and do not rely on an amount you read somewhere else.
Can a recognised refugee stay in Korea?
Once you are recognised as a refugee, you can have your visa changed to F-2 Resident, or apply for the status of stay from the immigration office with jurisdiction over your place of stay. You may be allowed to stay for an extended period of time until the circumstances related to your refugee status cease to exist.
I moved house after being recognised as a refugee. What do I do?
Report the change within 14 days of the day you moved. You report to the head of the si, gun or gu of your new place of stay, or to the head of the local immigration office with jurisdiction over that address.
Start by reading the status written on your visa, then match it against what the official guide says that status covers. For short paid work, look at Temporary employment (C-4) and the entry documents listed for it; for refugee recognition, look at the F-2 Resident change or the status of stay application. Rules and fees for work visas in Korea can change, so confirm the current details on the official page below before you apply.
Last checked: October 13, 2026. Rules, fees and required documents in Korea change often, and some depend on your visa type and district office. Always confirm the current details on the official pages below before you go.