Korea's F-3 Dependent Visa: How to Bring Your Family (2026)

The F-3 (동반) is Korea's dependent visa for the spouse and unmarried children under 20 of qualifying foreign residents. Since April 2025, the Ministry of Justice no longer accepts change-of-status applications for F-3 from inside Korea. Family members must now apply at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad (재외공관), except in narrow humanitarian circumstances. A second wave of changes on July 1, 2025 added financial thresholds and stricter document requirements. If your family is currently in Korea on a tourist entry and you were planning to switch their status, read this guide before making any further plans.

Who F-3 covers and who can sponsor it

F-3 is issued to the spouse and unmarried children under 20 of a qualifying principal visa holder. The principal's visa category determines eligibility. The table below lists which categories can sponsor F-3 dependents (as of 2025, verify at HiKorea).

E-9 and E-10 ineligibility is a pre-existing rule. The 2025 changes did not alter it.

If the principal holds F-4, they can sponsor an F-3 for family members who are not themselves overseas Koreans. See the F-4 visa guide for more on F-4 holder rights.

For the spouse of a Korean citizen, the relevant visa is F-6, not F-3. F-3 covers the spouse of a foreign resident. See the F-6 visa guide for the distinction.

The April 2025 change explained

The Ministry of Justice notice published April 15, 2025 states:

"Change of stay status to Dependent (F-3) visa from within Korea is, in principle, not permitted."

In plain terms: if your family member is already inside Korea when you decide to bring them onto F-3, they cannot simply file a status-change (체류자격 변경) at the local immigration office. That route is closed. They must leave Korea and apply at a Korean consulate in their home country (or another Korean diplomatic mission abroad).

The precursor to this change came in August 2024, when KOTRA Seoul stopped accepting separate F-3 applications. The April 2025 rule extended that closure to all in-country status-change routes, according to Fragomen's April 2025 alert.

Humanitarian exceptions apply. If your family member in Korea is pregnant, recently gave birth, or is seriously ill, they may be able to file from inside Korea with supporting documentation. These exceptions are narrow. Do not rely on them without confirming your specific situation at 1345 or your local immigration office.

The July 2025 financial thresholds

From July 1, 2025, new F-3 applications for intended stays of 12 months or more require proof that the principal holder earns above a minimum annual income. These thresholds are set by household size (as of July 2025, verify at KPMG 2025-141 or the Korea Immigration Bureau before applying).

Accepted proof of income

Immigration will accept one or more of the following as financial proof:

• NTS (National Tax Service) income certificate
• Employment contract
• Certificate of Dispatch with recent payslips
• Bank deposit certificates covering at least 6 months

Who is exempt from the financial thresholds

Certain visa categories are exempt from the income requirement: E-1 (professor), E-3 (researcher), E-4 (technology transfer), E-5 (professional), and D-8 investors who have invested USD 500,000 or more in Korea. These exemptions apply only to the financial threshold. All other requirements, including the overseas application rule and apostille documents, still apply.

Two pathways: VICN route vs. direct consular route

Since in-country status change is no longer available, all F-3 applications must go through one of two consular pathways.

Pathway 1: VICN route (사증발급인정번호)

Use this route when the principal holder and the dependent are applying at the same time, for example, when an employer is filing a new work visa for the principal.

1. The principal's employer or sponsor files for the principal's work visa with the Korea Immigration Service.
2. At the same time, they submit a separate F-3 application for each dependent, requesting a Visa Issuance Confirmation Number (사증발급인정번호).
3. Immigration processes both simultaneously and issues a VICN for each dependent.
4. The dependent takes the VICN to a Korean diplomatic mission abroad (재외공관) and collects the F-3 visa there.

The VICN route avoids a separate full review at the consulate. It is faster when everything is filed together.

Pathway 2: Direct consular route

Use this route when the principal is already in Korea on a valid visa and the family now needs to apply for F-3.

1. The family member is currently outside Korea (or must first depart if inside Korea).
2. The principal prepares all required documents in Korea and sends them to the family member.
3. The family member submits the full application package at a Korean embassy or consulate in their home country.
4. The consulate reviews and issues the F-3 visa.

Whether the application must be filed at the consulate of the applicant's home country specifically, or any Korean consulate, has not been explicitly confirmed in published guidance. Confirm the correct consulate with the Korea Immigration Bureau or 1345 before submitting.

Required documents

All F-3 applications now require:

• Marriage certificate or birth certificate with an apostille (아포스티유) or consular legalization. Unstamped originals are no longer accepted. Apostille is the correct authentication for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. For countries outside the Convention, consular legalization is required.
• Letter of Guarantee (신원보증서) from the principal holder or their sponsoring employer.
• Proof of accommodation in Korea (lease contract, accommodation letter from employer, or similar).
• Financial proof per the July 2025 thresholds listed above.
• Standard application form, valid passport, and passport-sized photo.

Check the specific document list for your situation with your local Korean consulate or at HiKorea (하이코리아) before submitting, as requirements can vary by applicant nationality and consulate location.

For existing F-3 holders: the simultaneous-renewal rule

If your family is already in Korea on a valid F-3, the new rules affect your next renewal.

From 2025, the F-3 extension must be filed at the same time as the principal holder's renewal. You cannot extend F-3 independently. Missing this timing means the dependent's extension falls out of sync with the principal's application.

The July 2025 financial thresholds and the apostille requirement on family documents both apply at renewal, even for existing holders.

Whether existing F-3 holders must physically depart Korea to renew has not been explicitly stated in any published MOJ or immigration-firm guidance reviewed for this guide. The simultaneous-filing requirement is confirmed. Departure is not confirmed as required. Verify your specific renewal situation at 1345 or your local immigration office well before the expiry date.

Scenarios: which rule applies to your situation

Humanitarian exceptions

The InvestKorea/MOJ notice and Fragomen's April 2025 alert confirm three humanitarian exceptions for short-term and visa-waiver entrants inside Korea who would otherwise have to depart:

• Pregnancy: with medical documentation confirming the pregnancy.
• Recent childbirth: with a birth record and medical documentation.
• Serious illness: with a medical certificate from a Korean hospital.

These exceptions apply specifically to short-term or visa-waiver entrants. Whether they extend to long-term visa holders in different circumstances has not been publicly confirmed. Do not rely on an exception without presenting documentation to your local immigration office and getting explicit confirmation.

Processing time and fees

Fragomen's July 2025 update notes that the additional requirements have pushed the average F-3 processing time from roughly 3 months to roughly 4 months.

Visa fees are set by the Korean government and vary by nationality. Check the current fee schedule at visa.go.kr before paying. Do not rely on third-party fee quotes, as fees can change.

Plan your application timeline early. A 4-month processing window, combined with the time needed to gather apostilled documents, means starting the process at least 5 to 6 months before the intended arrival date is safer.

Who to contact

• 1345 (Korea Immigration Contact Center): Available in Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. For questions about your specific situation, document requirements, and consulate location.
• Your local Korean consulate: The correct consulate for your home country. Most Korean embassies list F-3 requirements on their websites. Confirm before submitting documents.
• Korea Immigration Bureau: immigration.go.kr for official forms and guidance.
• HiKorea (하이코리아): hikorea.go.kr for status queries and online services.

Related guides

• F-2 resident visa guide: If the principal holder is building toward long-term residency, this covers the F-2 pathway and what F-3 dependents inherit at renewal.
• F-4 overseas Korean visa guide: F-4 holders can sponsor F-3 for non-Korean-heritage family members. This guide covers F-4 rights and scope.
• F-6 marriage migrant visa guide: If you are married to a Korean citizen, F-6, not F-3, is the right category. The distinction matters for work rights and the path to permanent residency.
• E-9 visa guide: E-9 holders cannot sponsor F-3. This guide covers what options do exist.

Frequently asked questions

Can my family member switch from tourist entry to F-3 inside Korea?

No, in principle. Since April 2025, change-of-status to F-3 from inside Korea is not permitted. The only exceptions are pregnancy, recent childbirth, or serious illness, each with documentation. Your family member must depart Korea and apply at a Korean consulate abroad.

My spouse entered on a K-ETA visa waiver. Do they need to leave?

Yes. K-ETA entries are treated as short-term or visa-waiver entrants. The April 2025 in-country application ban applies. Your spouse must depart and apply for F-3 at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad, unless a humanitarian exception applies.

We have two children. Do both need separate F-3 applications?

Yes. Each dependent (spouse and each child) requires a separate F-3 application. Financial thresholds apply per household size, so the income requirement rises with each additional dependent. Each applicant also needs their own apostilled documents.

Does F-3 allow my family to work in Korea?

F-3 dependents have limited work rights. They cannot take up employment freely like F-2 or F-6 holders. If your family member plans to work, check whether they qualify for their own work visa category. See the work rights guide for F-series visas for what F-3 holders can and cannot do.

Can an F-3 holder eventually get their own independent visa status?

F-3 holders do not directly convert to F-2 status. Long-term F-3 holders who accumulate years of continuous residence may, depending on circumstances, build toward F-2-99 or other pathways. The path from F-3 to independent residence status requires meeting the conditions of a qualifying visa category on its own terms. Confirm your specific pathway with 1345 or an immigration professional.

What if I cannot meet the July 2025 income thresholds?

If your income falls below the threshold for your household size, your F-3 application for a 12-month or longer stay may be refused. Shorter-stay applications may be processed differently. If you hold an E-1, E-3, E-4, E-5, or D-8 investor visa with a qualifying investment amount, the financial threshold does not apply to you. Otherwise, verify your options with the Korea Immigration Bureau or 1345 before applying.

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Rules confirmed against InvestKorea/MOJ notice (April 2025), Fragomen alerts (April and July 2025), and KPMG Flash Alert 2025-141. Regulatory figures are as of the sources' publication dates. Verify at HiKorea or 1345 before acting.

What's changed

• 2026-05-07: Guide first published.