Work in a licensed profession in Korea — medicine, aviation, maritime, and more.
Vérifié par rapport à
James Chae, 행정사 (Korean Licensed Administrative Attorney). Licence n° 220-06-06463 · 대한행정사회 (Association coréenne des agents administratifs). Verifie selon le manuel HiKorea 사증·체류업무 자격별 안내 매뉴얼 et recoupe avec les publications du Ministere de la Justice.
Dernière vérification
4 septembre 2026
Références des sources
Prudence pour le dépôt
Les exigences peuvent varier selon la nationalite, le bureau d'immigration competent et le canal de depot. Avant de deposer, confirmez les exigences exactes avec HiKorea, le consulat coreen competent ou un specialiste de l'immigration habilite.
Durée de séjour
Up to 2 years (renewable, tied to employment or training contract)
Traitement
2–4 weeks
Frais de visa
≈ 69 € (status change) / 41 € (extension)
Frais et délais sourcés de HiKorea & Ministère de la Justice. Les chiffres sont mis à jour périodiquement mais peuvent changer — vérifiez avant de soumettre.
Bilan de préparation
Utilisez cette vérification rapide avant de remplir des formulaires ou de réserver une consultation pour Professional Employment Visa.
Prochaine priorité
Adéquation aux critères d'éligibilité
Je remplis les conditions essentielles du visa E-5 et je comprends les exigences applicables en matière de parrainage, de diplôme, de revenu, de situation familiale ou d'expérience.
The E-5 visa covers foreign nationals licensed to practice specific professions recognized under Korean law. In practice, the main E-5 use cases are: commercial airline pilots employed by Korean airlines (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recommendation required), foreign doctors and Korean traditional medicine doctors (한의사) with advanced expertise practicing at Korean government or non-profit hospitals (Ministry of Health recommendation required), foreign medical/dental/oriental medicine students doing accredited internships or residencies at Korean institutions, and foreign ship officers (해기사) employed by Korean shipping companies. Note: as of October 2025, Korean traditional medicine doctors (한의사) are explicitly included in the E-5 qualifying professions.
Foreign pilots hired by Korean airlines, foreign doctors and Korean traditional medicine doctors (한의사) with specialized expertise hired at government or non-profit Korean hospitals, foreign medical/dental/oriental medicine students doing residencies at Korean teaching hospitals, and foreign ship officers employed on Korean-registered vessels. Note: Korean traditional medicine doctors (한의사) were added to the E-5 qualifying professions in October 2025. Foreign lawyers and accountants more commonly use the E-7 visa.
Pilots: must hold a valid license recognized under Korean aviation law; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부) employment recommendation required
Doctors and Korean traditional medicine doctors (한의사): must be recognized as having advanced/cutting-edge expertise; Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) employment recommendation required; can only work at government, medical corporation, or non-profit hospital (한의사 added to qualifying professions October 2025)
Medical/dental residency students: must be enrolled at a Korean medical, dental, or oriental medicine university; internship must be at an affiliated or Ministry-designated hospital
Ship officers: must hold a valid marine officer license (해기사 면허) or equivalent; Korea has mutual recognition MOUs with 30+ countries; Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (해양수산부) recommendation required
All: valid passport, no criminal record, employment contract or training contract with a qualifying Korean institution
Risques de retard et de refus
Work-visa delays usually come from job-scope mismatch, sponsor weakness, salary issues, or unauthorized activity.
Korean work visas are activity-specific. A broad title or informal role description is weaker than a contract and duties that match the status precisely.
Base du manuel : The manuals organize work statuses by permitted activity and sponsor/occupation requirements.
Business registration, tax, employment, wage, or compliance problems at the sponsor can affect the applicant's review.
Base du manuel : Work-status manuals repeatedly include employer documents, hiring restrictions, and sponsor review.
Prior overstays, fines, unauthorized work, tax delinquency, or criminal history can trigger closer review even when the basic visa category looks correct.
Base du manuel : The stay manuals repeatedly reference status restrictions, law-violation review, criminal-record checks, tax/payment issues, and status-change limits.
Note sur la source
Il s'agit de facteurs de risque pratiques pour le Professional Employment Visa, et non d'une liste exhaustive des motifs légaux de refus. L'examen final peut varier selon la nationalité, le canal de dépôt, le consulat, le bureau de l'immigration et les circonstances propres à chaque dossier.
Valid passport + completed visa application form + passport photo
Employment contract or training contract from the Korean institution
Professional license or qualification certificate (apostilled) — pilot license, marine officer license, or medical degree as applicable
Government ministry employment recommendation letter (고용추천서) — from Ministry of Land (pilots), Ministry of Health and Welfare (doctors and Korean traditional medicine doctors), or Ministry of Oceans (ship officers)
Criminal background check (apostilled, issued within 3 months)
Employer's or institution's business registration documents
A Certificate of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) is required for all E-5 cases except those at the consular officer's discretion
Secure a position and obtain the ministry recommendation
Your Korean employer (airline, hospital, shipping company) must obtain a government ministry employment recommendation (고용추천서) before you can apply. This is mandatory for all main E-5 categories.
Employer applies for Certificate of Visa Issuance
The Korean institution applies to the local immigration office for a 사증발급인정서. This authorizes the consulate to issue your visa.
Apply at the Korean consulate
Present the Certificate of Visa Issuance, your professional license, ministry recommendation, employment contract, and other documents at the Korean embassy or consulate.
Register after arrival
Register at the local immigration office within 90 days of arrival to obtain your Alien Registration Card (ARC).
Consultez des locations verifiees et des guides logement pour vous installer en Coree.
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Procédure de visa
Carte d'enregistrement des étrangers (ARC)
La carte d'enregistrement des étrangers (ARC) est la pièce d'identité officielle délivrée aux ressortissants étrangers séjournant en Corée du Sud pendant 91 jours ou plus. Elle est indispensable pour ouvrir un compte bancaire, souscrire un forfait téléphonique et accéder à la plupart des services publics.
Procédure de visa
HiKorea
Guide HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) — Comment demander en ligne prolongations de visa, changements de statut et renouvellement d'ARC. Délai de traitement : 3-10 jours ouvrés.
Procédure de visa
Prolongation de visa (체류기간 연장)
Une prolongation de visa — officiellement appelée « prolongation de la période de séjour » (체류기간 연장) dans le droit coréen de l'immigration — permet à un étranger de rester légalement en Corée au-delà de la date d'expiration de son visa ou de son ARC, sans quitter le pays.
Procédure de visa
Changement de statut de séjour (체류자격 변경)
Un changement de statut de séjour permet à un étranger déjà présent en Corée du Sud de passer d'une catégorie de visa à une autre sans quitter le pays — par exemple, d'un visa étudiant D-2 à un visa de travailleur qualifié E-7 après l'obtention du diplôme et l'embauche.
Generally no — in practice, E-5 is used for pilots, doctors (including Korean traditional medicine doctors / 한의사 since October 2025) at government/non-profit hospitals, medical residents, and ship officers. Foreign lawyers advising on home-country law and foreign accountants at Korean offices of international firms typically apply under E-7 (Designated Activities). Only a narrow set of licensed professions use E-5.
Yes. E-5 is a narrow category for specific licensed professions requiring a government ministry recommendation. E-7 covers 94 designated occupations across a much broader range of skilled and professional work, and doesn't necessarily require a ministry recommendation.
No. The E-5 for foreign doctors is restricted to government hospitals, medical corporation hospitals, and non-profit hospitals — private clinics are excluded. Foreign doctors at private institutions would need a different arrangement, typically E-7 if there is a qualifying occupation match.
Yes — as of April 1, 2025, Korea lifted all special restrictions on Cuban nationals for E-5 (and E-1, E-3, D-8, D-9, D-2, D-6, D-7). Cuban licensed professionals qualifying for E-5 can now apply under standard eligibility criteria.
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