Permanent Residence for Marriage Migrants (F-5-2): Application Requirements and Documents — Income, Period of Stay and Basic Knowledge

Procedure

1. 1. Checking the period of stay

   Check whether you have stayed in Korea lawfully for 2 years or more under marriage migrant status after marriage. If you were abroad for long periods or your status of stay changed along the way, the calculation of the period may differ, so start with your entry and departure records.

2. 2. Checking the income requirement

   The standard is income at or above the previous year's gross national income (GNI) per capita announced by the Bank of Korea. Your own income and your Korean spouse's income can be recognized, and it must be income confirmed by official documents such as the receipt for wage and salary income tax withholding or the Certificate of Income (sodeuk geumaek jeungmyeongwon).

3. 3. Preparing for the basic knowledge requirement

   Prove your level of Korean language and understanding of Korean society through completion of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program, the comprehensive evaluation for permanent residence or similar means. Check the accepted standards against the immigration guidance in force at the time of application.

4. 4. Preparing documents and applying

   Apply for permission to change status of stay either by booking a visit on Hi Korea or through the e-application service. The review takes a long time, so work out the expiry date of your period of stay and the timing of the application together.

5. 5. Management after permission

   The permanent resident card must be reissued every 10 years, and if you move, you must file a report of change of place of stay within 15 days from the date of moving in. If you re-enter within 2 years after departure, you are exempt from the re-entry permit.

Required documents

• Integrated application form, passport, residence card (residence card), photograph
• Marriage relation certificate; spouse's certified copy of resident registration (deungbon) and family relation certificate
• Proof of income (receipt for wage and salary income tax withholding, Certificate of Income, etc.)
• Proof of basic knowledge (Korea Immigration and Integration Program certificate of completion, comprehensive evaluation pass certificate, etc.)
• Proof of place of stay (lease contract, etc.)
• Fee

Fees

The fee for change to permanent residence status is 200,000 won. In the industry, fees for preparing the application and documents are in the range of several hundred thousand won and vary with the difficulty of proving income and whether supplementary documents are requested. We will advise you after a consultation based on your stay history and income documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, attached Table 1-3
• Immigration Act, Article 33
• Immigration Act, Article 36
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 44-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 72

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-05

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

• If the expiry date of your period of stay is near, first check whether an extension is needed, separately from the permanent residence application.
• If submission of false documents is confirmed, not only is the application refused, but your later stay is also adversely affected.

Frequently asked questions