How to Get a Farmland Acquisition Qualification Certificate — Farm Management Plan and 7- or 14-Day Processing

Procedure

1. 1. Check whether the acquisition needs a certificate

   Acquiring farmland by sale, gift or auction requires a certificate from the head of the city, district, eup or myeon where the land lies. Acquisition by inheritance (including bequests), acquisition of mortgaged farmland, farmland for which conversion consultation is complete, merger of agricultural corporations, or partition of co-owned farmland does not require one.

2. 2. Match the purpose and area thresholds

   A person not already farming must use a total of at least 1,000 square meters of farmland after acquisition, or 330 square meters for land with facilities such as greenhouses or livestock sheds, and 165 square meters for insect-rearing facilities. Weekend and hobby farming is allowed only on farmland outside agricultural promotion areas, and the total area owned by all household members must be under 1,000 square meters.

3. 3. Write the Farm Management Plan

   The plan must state the area to be acquired (for co-ownership, each share ratio and location), how labor, farm machinery, equipment and facilities will be secured, the current use of farmland already owned, and the applicant's occupation, farming experience and distance to the farm. The authority reviews crops and farming schedule, funding plan and certificate history over the last 3 years to judge feasibility, and will not issue the certificate if required items are missing.

4. 4. Apply and undergo Farmland Committee review

   Submit the application, plan and attachments to the city, district, eup or myeon where the land is located. Applications for land in land transaction permit zones, first-time acquisitions by people who do not live in that or an adjacent city, county or district, single parcels co-acquired by 3 or more people, agricultural corporations and registered foreign nationals go through Farmland Committee review and are processed within 14 days.

5. 5. Farm after acquisition and register as an agricultural business entity

   If you fail to carry out the Farm Management Plan without a justifiable reason, you become obliged to dispose of the farmland within 1 year. To receive loans and subsidies, register your farm management information (agricultural business entity registration), which is valid for 3 years.

Required documents

• Application for Farmland Acquisition Qualification Certificate
• Farm Management Plan or Weekend and Hobby Farming Plan
• Proof of occupation (certificate of employment, certificate of enrollment, etc., for non-farmer individuals)
• Farmer confirmation certificate (for farmers not registered as agricultural business entities)
• Articles of incorporation, list of officers and proof that at least one third of executives are farmers (agricultural corporations)
• Agreement on divided ownership with drawings (when co-acquiring a single parcel)
• Farmland lease or loan-for-use agreement (when below the area threshold)
• Letter of authorization (when submitted by an agent)

Fees

Industry range from several hundred thousand won to several million won · quoted after consultation depending on the purpose (farm management or weekend farming), whether Farmland Committee review applies and whether agricultural business entity registration is included. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Farmland Act Article 6
• Farmland Act Article 7
• Farmland Act Article 8
• Farmland Act Article 8-2
• Farmland Act Article 8-3
• Farmland Act Article 10
• Farmland Act Article 11
• Farmland Act Article 57
• Farmland Act Article 64
• Enforcement Decree of the Farmland Act Article 7
• Enforcement Rule of the Farmland Act Article 7
• Act on Fostering and Supporting Agricultural and Fisheries Business Entities Article 4
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Fostering and Supporting Agricultural and Fisheries Business Entities Article 3

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-06

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

• Before signing a contract or bidding, check the area thresholds, your residence and whether Farmland Committee review applies.
• Submitted Farm Management Plans are kept for 10 years, and failing to farm as planned can trigger a disposal obligation.

Frequently asked questions