Re-entry Permit Exemption Period — 2 Years for Permanent Residents (F-5), 1 Year for Other Registered Foreigners, and How to Count the Remaining Period of Stay

Procedure

1. 1. Check the exemption period for your status

   Permanent residents (F-5) are exempt from a re-entry permit if they return within 2 years from the date of departure. For statuses in Annex 1-2 of the Enforcement Decree from Diplomacy (A-1) to Accompanying (F-3) and from Marriage Migrant (F-6) to Miscellaneous (G-1), the standard is 1 year from the date of departure. Overseas Korean (F-4) is not on this list, and if you have filed a domestic residence report, no re-entry permit is needed under the Overseas Koreans Act when you return within your period of stay.

2. 2. Count the remaining period of stay and the time abroad

   For general statuses, if the remaining period of stay is shorter than 1 year, you must return within that remaining period for the exemption to apply. For example, if your period of stay expires 8 months after the date of departure, the exemption period is also 8 months. Compare the expiry date on your residence card with your planned return date, and if the expiry date will arrive while you are abroad, also check before departure whether an extension of stay is possible.

3. 3. Check whether you are excluded from the exemption

   Foreigners prohibited from entry under Article 11 of the Immigration Act and persons falling under any item of Article 10 of the Enforcement Rule are excluded from the exemption regardless of status. Article 10 of the Enforcement Rule covers nationals of countries that restrict visa issuance to Korean nationals, persons designated as subject to visa issuance restrictions requiring the approval of the Minister of Justice, nationals of countries separately designated by the Minister of Justice, and others. If you fall under these, obtain a re-entry permit before departure even for a short trip.

4. 4. Apply for a re-entry permit before departure if you will exceed the exemption period

   Mark the re-entry permit (single, multiple) item on the integrated application form, enter the intended re-entry period, and submit it to the immigration office having jurisdiction over your place of stay. In principle a re-entry permit is applied for without attached documents, while holders of Diplomacy (A-1), Official Duty (A-2) and Agreement (A-3) status attach proof of employment. The fee is 30,000 won for a single re-entry permit and 50,000 won for a multiple re-entry permit, and the permit period is set within the permitted period of stay.

5. 5. If you cannot return within the period while abroad

   If illness or another unavoidable reason prevents you from returning within the permitted period, apply to the head of the Korean diplomatic mission for an extension of the re-entry permit period before it ends, attaching documents explaining the reason. The extension is set within 3 months from the expiry date of the re-entry permit period and cannot exceed the permitted period of stay, and the fee is the amount equivalent to 20 US dollars. The same procedure applies to extending the re-entry permit exemption period.

Required documents

• Integrated Application Form (Report Form) (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 34, with 'Re-entry Permit (single, multiple)' marked)
• Passport
• Residence card
• Proof of employment (only for Diplomacy (A-1), Official Duty (A-2) and Agreement (A-3) status holders)
• Re-entry permit fee (single 30,000 won, multiple 50,000 won)
• Application for Extension of Re-entry Permit Period (Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 61, when extending abroad) and documents explaining the reason

Fees

Industry range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of won. We provide a quote after consultation, based on whether only a re-entry permit is needed or an extension of stay is prepared together, the length of time abroad, and the number of family members. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Immigration Act, Article 11
• Immigration Act, Article 30
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 10
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 39-7
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 39-8
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 44-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 72
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 34
• Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Form No. 61
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Annex 1-2
• Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans, Article 10

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-16

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

• The exemption period is counted from the date of departure, and for general statuses the remaining period of stay is the limit if it is shorter than 1 year, so set your return date based on the expiry date of your period of stay.
• Because the re-entry permit period cannot exceed the permitted period of stay, a re-entry permit alone does not lengthen your period of stay if it expires during a long absence.

Frequently asked questions