What can and can't I do with a D-8 (Corporate Investment) visa?

D-8 is a status that lets you do only the activities allowed for your sub-type. Please check the rules below.

What you can do by sub-type

• D-8-1 (Investment in a corporation): You can work as an essential specialist in management, administration, production, or technology at a Korean corporation that has been fully established as a foreign-invested company¹.
• D-8-2 (Venture investment): You can work as the representative of a company that has received venture business confirmation or a technology evaluation¹.
• D-8-3 (Investment in a sole proprietorship): You can work as an essential specialist in management, administration, production, or technology at a foreign-invested company run by a Korean national¹.
• D-8-4 (Technology startup): A person who meets the degree requirement and has intellectual property rights or equivalent technical skills can set up and run a corporation¹.
• Maximum stay period: 5 years for D-8-1 and D-8-3, and 2 years for D-8-2 and D-8-4¹.

What you can do with permission

• A D-8 holder who works as a full-time director or higher at a Korean company can give lectures at a university for up to 90 days. In this case, you must get Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by the Status of Sojourn (체류자격외 활동허가)².
• Studying at a regular educational institution, such as an elementary, middle, or high school or a university, does not need separate permission as long as it does not harm your original purpose of stay².

⚠️ What you must not do

• Other work without permission: In general, you must not work part-time outside the company you invested in, get a job at another company, or work as a freelancer. If you do not get permission in advance, it may be a violation of your status of stay.
• D-8-1 and D-8-3 for people hired in Korea: D-8-1 and D-8-3 are for essential specialists dispatched from overseas. They do not apply to people hired in Korea¹.
• Keeping the status without real activity: In general, if there is no real activity such as investment or running a business, it may count against you in the extension review.

If you are not sure whether an activity is allowed, be sure to check before you start with HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or the Foreigner Support Center (외국인종합안내센터, 1345). If you have already worked without permission, please use the K-VISA AI Administrative Agent consultation (Visa Service in the app).