Temporary protection: South Korea
🛰️ Varta monitors 6 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: Immigration Act of the Republic of Korea + Ministry of Justice special humanitarian measure for Ukrainians already in Korea (since March 2022) • there is no single national date — permits are extended individually
Steps
- 1
Obtain a visa before travelling (there is NO visa-free entry)
Ukraine is not on the K-ETA list, so entry is by visa only. Apply at an embassy/consulate of the Republic of Korea in your current country. The most common is the short-term C-3 (up to 90 days, NO work rights). Korean missions do not issue "refugee" visas.
📍 Embassy/consulate of the Republic of Korea⏰ Before travelling💳 Visa fee (depends on visa type; exemptions announced for Koryo-saram) - 2
Already in Korea and cannot return — use the MOJ special measure
Ukrainians lawfully staying in Korea may extend their stay and work until the situation in Ukraine stabilises. Those who overstayed because of the war are not deported. Contact your local immigration office or call 1345 — they will advise which status (extension of your current one or a temporary status, including humanitarian G-1) applies in your case.
▸ More details›
The measure does NOT apply to people with violations (including unpaid health insurance premiums or taxes).📍 Your local immigration office / HiKorea⏰ Before your current permitted stay expires💳 Standard extension fees (check on HiKorea) - 3
Staying over 90 days — registration and residence card
Foreigners staying in Korea for more than 90 days must register and obtain a residence card (외국인등록증) at their local immigration office. Book a visit via HiKorea.
📍 Local immigration office (booking via hikorea.go.kr)⏰ Within 90 days of entry💳 Card issuance fee (check on HiKorea) - 4
Korean descent — apply for F-4 status
Ukrainians of Korean descent (Koryo-saram) may qualify for Overseas Korean F-4 status: long-term stay, work rights (except certain unskilled jobs on a designated list), and a path to F-5 (permanent residence). Documentary proof of descent is required. Requirements for people from post-Soviet states have been relaxed in recent years — check the current conditions with an immigration office or by calling 1345.
📍 Korean embassy (abroad) or an immigration office (in Korea)⏰ No fixed deadline💳 Fee exemptions were announced for Ukrainian Koryo-saram - 5
Healthcare and school
Registered foreigners who have lived in Korea for 6 months are subject to mandatory NHIS health insurance (monthly premiums; non-payment disqualifies you from the special measure). Before registration, healthcare is paid. Children can attend Korean schools regardless of status — contact the local education office.
📍 NHIS (health insurance) / local school⏰ NHIS — automatic after 6 months of residence💳 Monthly NHIS premiums
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredValid at least for the planned period of stay.
Visa application form + photo + fee
requiredFiled with an embassy/consulate of the Republic of Korea. Visa type depends on purpose: C-3 (short-term, no work), D-2 (study), E-series (work), etc.
Proof of purpose of travel and funds
requiredInvitation, bookings, bank statements — check the exact list with the specific mission.
Proof of Korean descent (for F-4)
if availableAncestors’ birth certificates, family registers, archival records proving descent from Korean nationals. Visa fee exemptions were announced for Ukrainians of Korean descent.
Stay extension application (for those already in Korea)
if availableFiled via HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or at your local immigration office; under the MOJ special measure a stay extension with work permission is possible.
Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
Surname and given name in LATIN letters exactly as in the passport.
Enter "UKRAINE".
Your real purpose: family visit, study, work. Do NOT write "refuge" — no such category exists; it will lead to refusal.
According to the visa type (C-3 — up to 90 days).
Address of your host or accommodation.
❌ Purpose "seeking asylum" — guaranteed refusal (no such visa exists) ❌ Name does not match the passport ❌ Missing proof of funds or invitation ❌ Expecting EU-style visa-free entry
Tick the relevant box: stay extension (체류기간 연장) or foreigner registration (외국인등록).
In Latin letters as in the passport + passport number and expiry.
Enter your current status (C-3, G-1, etc.) — see your stamp/residence card.
State inability to return due to the war in Ukraine — the basis for the MOJ special measure.
Your actual address; report address changes within 15 days.
❌ Filing after overstay without explaining war circumstances ❌ Unpaid NHIS premiums or taxes (disqualify you from the special measure) ❌ Visiting without a prior HiKorea booking
Benefits
HONESTLY: there is NO state aid programme for Ukrainians
The MOJ special measure only grants the right to stay and work — no payments, housing or integration programmes. Aid comes only via NGOs, churches and Koryo-saram community organisations.
How to apply: Contact local NGOs and communities
Work rights (under the special measure or an appropriate visa)
Ukrainians already in Korea granted a stay extension with work permission; holders of work visas or F-4 (with restrictions per the designated job list).
How to apply: Via an immigration office / 1345 (permission is recorded in your status)
NHIS health insurance
Registered foreigners after 6 months of stay; premiums are paid monthly.
How to apply: Enrolment is automatic; questions — NHIS (tel. 033-811-2000, English line 1577-1000)
Wise — transfers without hidden fees
A multi-currency account and transfers between Ukraine and Europe at the real exchange rate. Handy for receiving salary and sending money to family.
Open a Wise accountThe price for you does not change; the commission supports our free guides.
Where to apply
Seoul Immigration Office (서울출입국·외국인청)
Immigration Contact Centre 1345
HiKorea — e-government portal for immigration services
Contacts
What happens after protection ends
There is no temporary protection in Korea, so "after TP" = long-term routes: 1) F-4 → F-5 (permanent residence) for people of Korean descent; 2) E-series work visas (E-7 skilled professionals, E-9 under EPS quotas) — an employer is needed; 3) study D-2/D-4 with later switch to work statuses; 4) marriage/family (F-6, etc.); 5) asylum under the Refugee Act (application at an immigration office; G-1 during the procedure; Korea’s recognition rate is historically very low — this is NOT a reliable path).
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Work-based residence — South Korea
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Seoul Immigration Office (서울출입국·외국인청).
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Seoul Immigration Office (서울출입국·외국인청)
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Visa required (K-ETA not for Ukrainians); F-4 for Korean descent.
🎓 Study — South Korea
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Seoul Immigration Office (서울출입국·외국인청)
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Visa required (K-ETA not for Ukrainians); F-4 for Korean descent.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — South Korea
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
Seoul Immigration Office (서울출입국·외국인청)
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Visa required (K-ETA not for Ukrainians); F-4 for Korean descent.
🏢 Self-employment/business — South Korea
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
Seoul Immigration Office (서울출입국·외국인청)
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Visa required (K-ETA not for Ukrainians); F-4 for Korean descent.
🏠 Permanent residence — South Korea
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
Seoul Immigration Office (서울출입국·외국인청)
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
4 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
South Korea has no EU-directive temporary protection and no common deadline for Ukrainians. Your deadline is the date on your Alien Registration Card (ARC) or visa, and it does not renew itself: you must apply for an extension of stay (체류기간 연장허가). WHEN. The filing window runs from 4 months before the expiry date up to and including the expiry date: "현재의 체류기간이 만료하기 전 4개월부터 만료 당일까지 신청하여야 합니다". Check your date today; do not leave it to the last day. WHERE. In person at your local immigration office (출입국·외국인청 / 사무소 / 출장소; a 방문예약 booking is normally required), or online via the HiKorea portal, hikorea.go.kr. Note: for short-term stay extensions HiKorea accepts an online application no later than 1 working day before the expiry date (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays). Check the document list for your status in the "체류자격별 안내매뉴얼" on HiKorea, or call the foreigner information line 1345. IF YOU FILE LATE. An application after the expiry date means you have already overstayed: a penalty payment (범칙금) is imposed, and the law allows forced removal (Immigration Act art. 46(1)8) and up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 30 million (art. 94(17)). IF YOUR CURRENT STATUS CANNOT BE EXTENDED (studies finished, short-term visa). Say so at the office and ask directly about the Ministry of Justice humanitarian special stay measure for Ukrainians of 28.02.2022. Under it, Ukrainians unable to return were switched to a temporary status with the right to work, "until the situation in Ukraine stabilises", with no end date; those who had already overstayed were promised no forced departure. The figure "3,843 people as of 31.01.2022" in the press release is a headcount, not an eligibility condition — the Ministry named no cut-off date. The Ministry later continued humanitarian concessions (e.g. on 30.01.2023 for stateless persons from Ukraine holding G-1 status with an expired travel certificate). But there is no current official page confirming the measure still applies today. So do not plan around it: first check at the office or on 1345 whether it applies in your case. And remember: a promise not to deport does NOT restore lawful status and does NOT grant the right to work. Sources: hikorea.go.kr and gov.kr (filing window and method), easylaw.go.kr (procedure and penalties), the Ministry of Justice press release of 28.02.2022 on moj.go.kr. Source: https://www.hikorea.go.kr/info/InfoDatail.pt?CAT_SEQ=181&PARENT_ID=140 (checked 03.09.2026).
Can I enter Korea without a visa?
NO. Ukraine is not on the visa-waiver/K-ETA list. A visa must be obtained in advance from an embassy or consulate of the Republic of Korea. Without a visa you will not be allowed to board.
Is there humanitarian protection for Ukrainians in Korea?
There is NO general programme. Only the MOJ special measure applies to those ALREADY in Korea: stay extensions with work rights and non-deportation for war-caused overstay. New arrivals get no "war refugee" status — only regular visas.
Who can get the F-4 visa?
People of Korean descent (Koryo-saram) and their descendants who can document descent from Korean nationals (family registers, ancestors’ certificates, archival records). F-4 grants long-term stay, work rights (except a designated job list) and a path to F-5 permanent residence. Visa fee exemptions were announced for Ukrainian Koryo-saram.
I am in Korea, my visa is expiring, and I cannot return. What should I do?
Do NOT wait for overstay. Contact your local immigration office in advance (book via hikorea.go.kr) or call 1345. Under the MOJ special measure your stay will be extended with work permission. Condition: no violations — keep NHIS premiums and taxes paid.
What state support will I get?
HONESTLY: the Korean state provides no cash payments, housing or integration programmes for Ukrainians. Plan to rely on work and your own funds. Healthcare — via NHIS (premiums) after 6 months. Aid comes only from NGOs and Koryo-saram communities.
- Korea Immigration Service (Мін’юст Кореї) — офіційний сайт ✓
- HiKorea — електронний портал імміграційних послуг ✓
- UNHCR Republic of Korea — спецзахід для українців
- МЗС України — режим в’їзду громадян України до країн світу ✓
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.