F-6 marriage visa in Korea: 2026 income rule, documents and status change

This guide is for foreigners married to Korean citizens and for the Korean spouses who invite them. Marriage migrant status, F-6 (결혼이민), lets you live in Korea with your spouse and take any job. Figures are for 2026 and follow the Ministry of Justice (법무부) manuals of October 2026.

Who can get F-6

F-6 holders are free of the job limits that apply to other statuses (Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 23(2)). Each grant of stay is capped at 3 years.

The 2026 income requirement

The Korean spouse who invites (the inviter) needs pre-tax income for the past year at or above the figure for the household size. These figures apply from January 1, 2026 (Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2025-534).

For 8 or more people, add ₩5,755,188 per extra person. The 2027 figures had not been posted on HiKorea (하이코리아), the immigration website, as of October 23, 2026.

• Household size: the inviter and the foreign spouse count as 2. Direct family who share the inviter's household in the resident registration (주민등록), such as parents or children, are added.
• Income that counts: wages, business income (including farming and fishing), rent, interest, dividends and pensions. Irregular income is left out.
• Assets: if income falls short, 5% of net assets (deposits, insurance, securities, bonds, real estate) counts as income. Only assets held for 6 months or more count, and debts are deducted.
• Family support: income or assets of direct family in the same household, or the invited spouse's own Korean income or assets from the past year, can be added, but not those of siblings.
• Exemptions: a child born to the couple, 1 year or more living together abroad with no Korean income, an earlier F-6 stay with the same spouse without a break in the marriage, or a special decision of the Minister of Justice.

Language, housing and relationship checks

The foreign spouse must show basic Korean: TOPIK level 1 or higher, a course of 120 hours or more (Korean Education Center level 2, or King Sejong Institute (세종학당) Beginner 1A and 1B), a Korean-related degree, or 1 year or more of continuous stay in Korea. Proof of another shared language also works, such as 1 year or more lived in a country where that language is official, a test score, or a passed embassy interview. Couples with a child together are exempt.

The home must be owned or rented in the name of the Korean spouse or the spouse's direct family or siblings, at the address on the resident registration. Company housing can be accepted. A gosiwon (고시원, a tiny rented room), a motel or a vinyl greenhouse does not count (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 9-5).

Everyone submits proof of the relationship, such as photos and chat histories, on up to 5 A4 pages. Couples who met through a marriage agency add copies of its registration, guarantee insurance policy and contract. Couples introduced by a friend add the introducer's ID copy.

A Korean spouse inviting a national of China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan or Thailand must complete the international marriage guidance program (국제결혼 안내프로그램). In all cases, the Korean spouse submits a health certificate issued within 6 months, and the foreign spouse submits a criminal record certificate issued within 3 months and a health certificate with a tuberculosis test issued within 6 months. The program and these papers are waived if the couple dated while the inviter lived 6 months or more in the spouse's country, or while the foreign spouse stayed legally in Korea on a long-term status for 91 days or more, or for pregnancy, birth or other humanitarian reasons. A tuberculosis certificate may still be required.

Forms, validity and refusals

• Forms: visa application Form No. 17 (별지 제17호서식); invitation letter for a foreign spouse Form No. 19-2 (별지 제19호의2서식), written in Korean by the Korean spouse; the foreign spouse's personal details Form No. 19-3 (별지 제19호의3서식). The inviter also signs a personal guarantee (신원보증서) and becomes the guarantor by law.
• Papers must be issued or written within 3 months unless another period applies.
• The embassy may ask for more papers, interview the couple, or ask the immigration office (출입국·외국인관서) to check facts.
• After a refusal, you can apply again only once 6 months have passed, unless childbirth or another urgent reason requires entry (Enforcement Rule, Article 9-5(3)).
• Forged papers or false applications can lead to up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to ₩30,000,000 (Immigration Act, Articles 7-2, 26 and 94).

Changing to F-6 inside Korea

A foreigner staying legally in Korea can apply at the immigration office to change to F-6-1, for up to 1 year. As a rule, this is not possible for people who entered visa-free or on a short-term visa (B-1, B-2, C-1 to C-4), working holiday (H-1) holders, people staying illegally, people given an extension only to prepare their departure, or people with a criminal record beyond a simple fine. They must get a visa at an embassy, although the office may allow a change after review for pregnancy, childbirth or raising the couple's child.

F-6-2 applicants prove the parent-child link (the child's family relation certificate, a birth certificate or a DNA test) and that they raise the child, for example with a custody judgment. F-6-3 applicants submit a death certificate, a court declaration of disappearance, or divorce papers with proof of the other spouse's fault. Both start with 1 year.

After you arrive

An F-6-1 or F-6-2 visa from an embassy is single-entry, with a stay of 90 days or less. Within 90 days of entry, register as a foreigner and extend your stay at the immigration office for your address. The first permit runs 1 year from entry. Nationals of the 7 program countries get 2 years if they completed the early adaptation program (조기적응프로그램), or 6 months at a time up to 2 years if not. Later F-6-1 extensions run up to 1 year, or 3 years if you raise a child born to the couple. Fees in Korea are ₩100,000 for a change of status, ₩30,000 for an F-6 extension and ₩35,000 for the residence card (Enforcement Rule, Article 72).

After 2 years of continuous stay on F-6, you may apply for permanent residence (F-5-2) if you also meet conduct, livelihood and basic knowledge requirements. Simplified naturalization is possible after 2 years of continuous residence in Korea while married, or 3 years after the marriage with 1 year of continuous residence while married (Nationality Act, Article 6(2)). People naturalized this way may pledge not to use their foreign nationality in Korea instead of giving it up (Article 10(2)).

Checklist

• Confirm the household size and the 2026 income figure, or an exemption.
• Prepare Korean or shared-language proof and the housing papers.
• Complete the guidance program if the spouse is from one of the 7 countries.
• Get criminal record and health certificates within their validity periods.
• Register and extend your stay within 90 days of entry.