Guide to Permission for Change of Status of Stay
A safety checklist organizing the basic principles for changing your status of stay in Korea, the application timing, common documents, and cautions for electronic civil applications, based on HiKorea (하이코리아).
Direct answer
A safety checklist organizing the basic principles for changing your status of stay in Korea, the application timing, common documents, and cautions for electronic civil applications, based on HiKorea (하이코리아).
- How far this is checked
- Partly verified — confirm the details with the official sources below before you act.
Sources
Application situation
In Korea · Registration, extension or change
Task
Change of status
Visa
All visas
Program
General
Region
Nationwide
AI direct answer: Disabled. A change of status of stay is a high-risk civil application whose outcome varies depending on your current status of stay, the activity you intend to undertake, the timing of your application, your stay expiry date, the permission requirements, and the judgment of the competent office.
Key Summary
A change of status of stay (체류자격변경) refers to a case where a foreigner residing in the Republic of Korea stops the activity corresponding to their current status of stay and intends to engage in an activity corresponding to a different status of stay. Under HiKorea (하이코리아), the principle is to leave the country, obtain the VISA (사증) for that status of stay, and then re-enter. However, if the requirements necessary for changing to that status of stay can be met within Korea, a change of status of stay may be granted on a limited basis after a strict review.
Therefore, this guide does not advise on the likelihood of success, cost, processing period, scores, or recommendation for individual transition paths such as D-2 to D-10, D-10 to E-7, E-9 to E-7-4, or F-4 to F-5. The requirements and documents to submit for each status of stay you wish to change to must be confirmed through HiKorea's latest Integrated Guidance Manual by Status of Stay (체류자격별 통합 안내 매뉴얼), 1345, and the immigration office (출입국·외국인관서) with jurisdiction over your place of residence.
Difference Between Extension and Change
| Category | Meaning | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Extension of period of stay | A civil application to keep maintaining the period permitted under the same status of stay | Check the application period before the expiry date and the attached documents by status of stay. |
| Change of status of stay | A civil application to stop the activity of the current status and engage in the activity of a different status | You must obtain permission before engaging in the activity corresponding to the different status of stay. |
| Change/addition of workplace | This may be a separate civil application when the workplace or employment relationship changes | For employment statuses of stay, this may differ from a simple change/extension. |
| Activity outside the status of stay | A case where separate activity permission is required while maintaining your current status of stay |
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