To attract international entrepreneurs, Korea has come up with a unique visa program funded by the government, called OASIS. It’s a mix of classes, mentoring, incubation, funding, and other startup-related ecosystem offerings in English, which is completely geared towards foreigners wanting to start a business in Korea. 

Most importantly, OASIS classes are an easy stepping stone to obtaining a two-step entrepreneur visa: the D-10-2 and the D-8-4. Recently, many digital nomads have found it a great alternative to Korea’s Digital Nomad Visa. 

Here’s all you need to know about it:

🔍 Important Facts

The Overall Assistance for Start-up Immigration System (OASIS) program started in 2013. It is mainly operated by the Global Startup Center, KIPA & KPC and designated by the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Small and Medium Venture Businesses. 

• Why: to help foreigners start a business with little money. 
• How: by taking OASIS classes, you can access a two-step visa system, made of the D-10-2 visa, a startup preparation visa, and the D-8-4, an entrepreneur visa. 

D-10-2 

• ‍What: the D-10-2 is a preparation visa, which allows you to attend OASIS Classes and register your company.
• Who: foreigners (non-Korean passports) who want to prepare to launch a business in Korea.
• ‍How long: maximum 2 years (6 months + 3 renewals).

D-8-4 

• ‍What: the D-8-4 is an advanced technology company visa, which allows you to run a tech business in Korea. It’s often referred to as the entrepreneur visa.
• Who: foreigners (non-Korean passports) who have a registered business in Korea.
• ‍How long: 1 year, renewable (as long as your business is doing well).

👤Eligibility & Requirements

• Be a foreigner.
• Be physically in Korea (you can only apply for these visas in Korea).
• Have an advanced technology business idea or company.
• Have at least a Bachelor's Degree.

• Have enough points to qualify
  • 1 OASIS Class Certificate for the D-10-2 (attending any OASIS class works) 
  • 80 points out of a 200-point system for the D-8-4 (this will change in 2025 to 65 points)

If you are interested in getting the latest news about the OASIS program and the startup Visa, join our community Discord/Whatsapp and subscribe to our newsletter! Many of our members have the visa and can walk you through the procedures or give you tips.

Korean Startup Visa FAQ

Sources: OASIS program classes, OASIS website, our community members. If you have specific questions to ask immigration, you can call their number from your local phone number: 1345. To contact OASIS, here’s their email address: oasis@kpc.or.kr 

What does advanced technology, or tech company mean?

Advanced technology doesn’t mean your business idea needs to be related to high tech. In general, any new technology (mobile app, prototypes, AI, VR, blockchain, games, etc) is very well looked upon, but your idea could also be a service. It’s a bit of a tricky point to explain, and if you’re serious about trying for the visa, we recommend taking OASIS 1 or 4 to get a better understanding of what is possible. You can also reach out to members of our community who attended the classes or got the visa themselves to test out your idea and see if it could be a good fit for the visa.

Do I need to take the OASIS classes in order? 

No, you can take OASIS Classes in the order you want and you don’t have to attend all of them.

Can I attend any OASIS class?

OASIS 1, 2, 4 and 5 are theoretical/mentoring, and accessible to everyone. To apply to the following programs, we recommend to be already advanced in your company creation process: OASIS 3 (funding for IP application), OASIS 6 (pitching  to investors), OASIS 7 (incubation), OASIS 8 (incorporation support), OASIS 9 (funding).

Which OASIS class should I start with first? 

We recommend starting with OASIS 1 or OASIS 4 as the whole program is introduced and explained in both those classes.

What documents do I need to apply for the D-10-2 visa? 

• Passport
• University Diploma/Certificate, at least a Bachelor's degree, apostilled
• Residence Agreement (you need a private local address)
• Business Plan (you have to get the form from the OASIS website. It can be a plan for taking the steps required to get the visa, or a more classic business plan of how to build your product, the business model, etc. It depends.)
• Personal bank statement (the idea is to prove that you have more than 1.100.000KRW per month - so roughly 6.600.000KRW for a 6 months visa. However, it can change. We recommend to ask your OASIS center). 
• OASIS Class Certificate 
• Visa Application Form (you can get this one from the immigration website and fill it up beforehand, or come early and do it at the immigration office).
• Visa Fee - 100.000KRW in cash. You have to pay at the immigration directly.
• Residence Card (ARC) Fee - 30.000 KRW (+4.000 if you want to get it delivered to your address) in cash. You have to pay at the immigration directly.
• Standard ID Picture (you can take the picture at the immigration office usually. It costs around 10.000 wons, bring cash just in case)
• (optional) Additional OASIS documents to show you are serious about your business
• (optional) Additional business documents, like business cards, portfolios, etc. 

What documents do I need to apply for the D-8-4 visa? 

The list is similar to D-10-2. 

• ARC Card
• Passport
• Residence Card
• University Diploma/Certificate, at least a Bachelor's degree, apostilled
• OASIS Certificates (80+ points until 2024, 65+ points in 2025)
• Corporation Registration Certificate
• Business Certificate
• Residence Agreement (your private local adress)
• Office Rent Agreement (if you work at home, you'll still have to rent at least a desk in a coworking space)
• Patent, Utility model, or Design Application (IP is a very important component of the D-8 visa)
• Personal Bank Statement (in Korean)

What documents are needed for visa renewals? 

You can check OASIS’s website visa page to get all the details!

What are the OASIS classes teaching? 

Each module focuses on different aspects of creating a startup in Korea. OASIS 1-3 are covering basic theory. OASIS 4-6 get more practical. And OASIS 7-9 are the last steps to help you launch your corporation. You can check the program details on the OASIS website and the schedule. You can also check the Global Startup Center schedule.

I have a business or want to set up a business to trade products between Korea and abroad. Is this visa for me? 

There is another visa called D-9-1, called the Trade Visa. It is also accessible under the OASIS program and requires you to first go through the D-10-2 visa. 

Can I take OASIS Classes elsewhere than Seoul? 

Yes, there are multiple Global Startup Centers in Korea in Busan Daegu, Gwangju, Jeonju, Jeju... You can find and apply for them on the GSC website.

How long is my OASIS certificate valid?‍

The certificate is valid for 3 years. Once it expires, you can take the same class again if you want the certificate again. 

How much will it cost me to do all the procedures?

It depends a lot on your business and strategy. Count a rough minimum of 5 million wons: you'll have to pay the visa fees, your IP application (which is often refused so you might have to pay more than once), your IP registration (if your application is accepted), an office, an accountant...

Can I change my mind and not launch a company if I have the D-10-2? 

Yes, but we recommend not to do this as it could create precedents and make the visa’s obtention a lot harder for entrepreneurs in the future. 

I just applied for the D-10-2 visa, can I leave the country? 

You can’t leave until you receive your residence card. It usually takes between two weeks and a month to receive the card. 

Why did the government launch the startup visa?

OASIS has two main goals. First, it facilitates innovation in Korea’s business ecosystem. Second, it incubates successful foreign startups so they can hire Korean employees. Before the OASIS program was launched, the only way to start a company in Korea was to have between 100 and 300 million wons to invest. Today it’s already between 70.000 and 200.000 dollars - and back then, the amount was even higher, since the conversion rate was less advantageous for the dollar! 

If you want to know more about living as a Digital Nomad in Korea, we wrote a comprehensive guide on the topic!

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