Can I keep living in Korea if my Korean spouse dies?

Yes, you can keep living in Korea. If your Korean spouse has died, you can stay with the marriage-breakdown status (F-6-3). What matters is that you kept a normal married life until your spouse died.

These are the conditions

• You must have kept a normal married life with your Korean spouse until your spouse died.
• You must be staying in Korea legally now.
• Short-term visitors cannot get this status.
• People with a criminal record cannot get it. But if you only received a simple fine, it is okay.
• People who received a stay extension permit in order to leave Korea cannot get it.

How to apply depends on your current visa

• If you already have the marriage immigrant visa (F-6-1) → Apply for a stay extension permit. The fee is 30,000 KRW.
• If you have another status → Apply for a change of status permit to F-6-3. The fee is 100,000 KRW.
• If you are approved, you can stay 1 year at a time.
• You can apply from 4 months before your stay period ends until the end date.

Prepare these documents

• Basic documents (application form, passport, Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증), 1 photo, fee)
• Proof that your spouse died: death certificate, or your spouse's basic certificate (기본증명서) that shows the death
• Proof of family relationship: marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서), etc.
• Criminal record certificate and health checkup certificate: You do not need to submit them again if you already submitted them before and have not stayed abroad for 6 months or more in a row since then.

💡 Good to know

If you have a child with your spouse who has Korean nationality and you are raising the child, you can also get the child-raising (F-6-2) status. Apply at the immigration office in charge of your address or at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr). If your stay period ends soon or your situation is complicated, try the K-VISA AI administrative agent consultation (visa service in the app).

Approval is decided by individual review. Check again at HiKorea or 1345 before you apply.