Changing from D-10 to F-2-7 or F-5 as a Doctoral Degree Holder — Points-Based Residence vs. Doctoral Permanent Residence: Timing and Documents

Procedure

1. 1. Check the current D-10 period of stay and the type of degree

   Check the D-10 sub-category and the expiry date of the period of stay using the residence card and permit history. The maximum period of stay for D-10 is 1 year (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 1), so the change application should be scheduled before expiry. The permanent residence provision to review depends on whether the doctorate was earned through a regular graduate program in Korea or abroad, and on the field of study.

2. 2. Calculate eligibility for F-2-7 points-based residence

   F-2-7 covers a person 'whose age, education, income and other factors meet the criteria set and publicly notified by the Minister of Justice' under Annex 1-2, item 24(ja) of the Enforcement Decree. Using the Ministry of Justice points table, add up age, education, Korean language ability, income and bonus points to see whether the threshold is met, and also check the eligible occupations and whether employment is confirmed under the notice. Income points are calculated from income documents, so without income records you need to examine whether other items and bonus points can make up the required score.

3. 3. Check eligibility for doctoral permanent residence (F-5)

   Annex 1-3, item 7(a) of the Enforcement Decree covers a person who obtained a doctorate in a certain field abroad and is employed by a Korean company or similar when applying for permanent residence, and item 7(b) covers a person who completed a regular graduate program at a Korean graduate school and obtained a doctorate, in each case as recognized by the Minister of Justice. Permanent residence also requires good conduct, the ability to support oneself, such as the combined income of the applicant or family members sharing a livelihood being at least the previous year's per capita gross national income (GNI) or household assets at or above the median level, and basic knowledge such as completion of the Social Integration Program (Enforcement Rule, Article 18-4). Item 7 is not on the list of persons eligible for relaxation or exemption under Article 12-2(2) of the Enforcement Decree, so employment and income criteria and any relaxation should be checked against the latest Ministry of Justice criteria before applying.

4. 4. Decide the route and timing of the application

   If the F-5 requirements are already met, consider changing to permanent residence; if employment or income criteria are not yet met, consider changing to F-2-7 first. There is also a route of applying for permanent residence under Annex 1-3, item 13 after staying 3 years or more under F-2 (residence) item (ja) status and being recognized as needing to continue living in Korea. Activities under the new status may begin only after the change of status permit is granted (Immigration Act, Article 24(1)), so the planned hiring date and permit timing should be aligned.

5. 5. Prepare the integrated application form and submit it to the immigration office

   Enter the desired status in the change of status section of the integrated application form, attach the documents required for the route, and submit to the immigration office with jurisdiction over the place of stay (Enforcement Decree, Article 30(1)). The fee is 100,000 won for a change of status permit and 200,000 won for a change to permanent residence (F-5) (Enforcement Rule, Article 72, item 5). Once granted, the change is reflected by reissuing the residence card.

Required documents

• Integrated application form (report form) (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 34, with the change of status section marked)
• Passport and residence card
• Doctoral diploma or certificate of degree (to confirm whether it is a regular Korean graduate program and the field of study)
• Proof of Korean language ability (Social Integration Program completion certificate or comprehensive evaluation result, etc.)
• Income documents (certificate of income amount, etc.) and certificate of career
• Employment contract, certificate of employment or other documents proving employment by a Korean company and the need to reside (if employment is confirmed or ongoing)
• For F-5 applications, proof of ability to support oneself (income or household asset records)
• For permanent residence under Annex 1-3, item 13 after 3 years of F-2 item (ja) stay, a criminal record certificate from the country of nationality
• Fees (100,000 won for change of status, 200,000 won for change to permanent residence)

Fees

Typically in the range of several hundred thousand won to around one million won across the industry, depending on the number of routes reviewed (F-2-7, F-5), points calculation, and the scope of organizing stay history, degree and income records; quoted after consultation. Immigration fees (100,000 won for change, 200,000 won for change to permanent residence) are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Immigration Act, Article 10-3
• Immigration Act, Article 20
• Immigration Act, Article 24
• Immigration Act, Article 26
• Immigration Act, Article 79-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 12-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 30
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Annex 1-2
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Annex 1-3
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 18-4
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 72
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 76
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 1
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 34

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-14

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Preparing or submitting a certificate of employment or payroll records when no actual employment relationship exists, or encouraging such conduct, violates Article 26 of the Immigration Act and may be grounds for revoking a permit, so employment documents are used only where actual work and wage payment take place.
• The change application must be filed before the D-10 period of stay expires, and work under the new status must not begin after filing until the permit is granted.

Frequently asked questions