Korea D-8 Startup & Investment Visa Eligibility

A basic eligibility checklist for foreigners who want a D-8 visa by founding or investing in a company in Korea. Pick your type (D-8-1/3/4) and check the requirements — the OASIS score is unpublished and variable, so this tool guides rather than asserts a number.

D-8 basic eligibility

Select your type and requirements, then check.

What this tool does

The D-8 is Korea's business-investment visa for foreigners who found or invest in a Korean company. It splits into three common types: D-8-1 (set up or invest in a corporation), D-8-3 (invest in a Korean-run company), and D-8-4 (technology startup — found a new company with your own intellectual property). This tool checks the verifiable core requirements for each type. For D-8-4 it deliberately does NOT compute an OASIS score: the official minimum is 60 of 300, but sources disagree (80–120) and the item-by-item table is an internal, unpublished Ministry of Justice manual that changes without notice.

Who uses this

Foreign founders deciding between the investment route (D-8-1) and the startup route (D-8-4)
Entrepreneurs with a patent checking the D-8-4 technology-startup requirements
Investors confirming the ₩100M / 10%-share rule before wiring funds
D-10-2 (startup-prep) holders mapping the jump to D-8-4
Anyone preparing documents before a hikorea or KOTRA consultation

How to use (4 steps)

1Pick your D-8 type: D-8-1 corporate investment, D-8-3 individual investment, or D-8-4 technology startup.
2Tick the core requirements shown for that type (investment & shares & corp registration, or degree & IP & new corp & an OASIS mandatory item).
3Add the common conduct requirement: no criminal record, fewer than 4 immigration violations, no unpaid taxes.
4See what's met and what's missing — then verify your exact eligibility (and, for D-8-4, your OASIS points) at hikorea.go.kr or the Global Startup Immigration Center.

How the OASIS points test works (informational)

OASIS (Overall Assistance for Startup Immigration System) scores D-8-4 applicants. Official pass mark: 60 of 300 — but unofficial sources cite 80–120 as the realistic bar. Mandatory items (need at least one): a registered/pending IP right, government startup funding or OASIS-6/9 participation, ₩100M+ investment raised, or 3+ years as a professor (E-1)/researcher (E-3). Optional items add points: OASIS coursework (OASIS-1/2/4/5/8), TOPIK level, and master's/PhD degrees. ⚠️ The full table is an internal, unpublished MOJ manual that changes yearly, so this tool checks the verifiable requirements only and does NOT assert a score.

Typical scenarios

Founder with a pending patent (D-8-4)

Has an overseas bachelor's, a pending patent, and is forming a new corp — three core items met. Still needs at least one OASIS mandatory item and a clean conduct record. Confirm the points at the Global Startup Immigration Center.

Investor setting up a Korean corp (D-8-1)

Wires ₩100M+, takes 10%+ of voting shares, and completes corp + foreign-investment-enterprise registration. Immigration still examines business substance and source of funds — small investors face closer scrutiny.

Investing in a Korean-run company (D-8-3)

Same ₩100M / 10% rule plus an executive contract. D-8-3 grants the longest single stay among D-8 types (up to 5 years), but the minimum investment is still ₩100M, not ₩300M.

D-8 incorporation & visa-application checklist

Pick your D-8 track

D-8-1 (corporate investor): invest ₩100M+ in a Korean corporation and hold 10%+ of voting shares; grants up to 5 years.
D-8-3 (sole-proprietorship investor): invest ₩100M+ in a business with a Korean co-representative, holding 10%+ of capital; up to 5 years.
D-8-4 (technology startup): a founder with a degree plus intellectual property, via the OASIS program and a points test; 1 year, renewable.
Confirm a real, independent office — shared/virtual offices are not accepted for D-8-1/3 (a coworking desk can suffice for D-8-4).

D-8-1/3 — four-step incorporation

Step 1 — file a Foreign Investment Declaration (외국인투자신고) at a designated foreign-exchange bank or KOTRA.
Step 2 — remit ₩100M+ in foreign currency; the sender name must match the shareholder, with an MT103 SWIFT note 'sent on behalf of [investor]'.
Step 3 — complete corporation establishment registration (법인설립등기), then obtain the Business Registration Certificate (사업자등록증).
Step 4 — complete Foreign-Invested Company Registration (외국인투자기업 등록) at the bank/KOTRA.
Keep the full money trail: corporate bank-account history, proof of source of funds, and the ₩100M remittance record.

D-8-4 — technology-startup prerequisites (OASIS)

Hold a bachelor's degree or higher; a foreign degree must be apostilled.
Secure IP tied to the business — a patent, utility model, or design application/registration (at least a filing is mandatory).
Establish a NEW Korean corporation with you as founder/key executive in a technology field.
Enroll in OASIS and collect course-completion certificates toward your points total.
Reach the required points (cited as 60, though some sources say 80 — verify) and secure a real office or a leased coworking desk.

Documents, filing & the D-10-2 path

Prepare a detailed business plan (authenticity is closely reviewed), plus the application form, passport, photo, and fee.
D-8-1/3 add: investment proof, corporate registry extract, business registration certificate, and proof of fund use.
D-8-4 add: apostilled degree, OASIS certificate(s), IP filing certificate, points-calculation form, and a residence agreement.
Establish and register the company and pay in capital BEFORE applying; convert your entry to an ARC within 90 days of arrival.
Recommended route: enter on D-10-2 (startup-prep, up to 2 years), complete OASIS + file IP + register the company, then change to D-8-4.

Frequently asked questions

What is the D-8 visa?

Korea's business-investment visa for foreigners who run or invest in a Korean company. D-8-1/D-8-3 are investment-based; D-8-4 is for technology startups founded on your own IP.

How much do I need to invest?

For D-8-1 and D-8-3, the legal minimum is ₩100M (about US$73K) with 10%+ voting shares, under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. D-8-4 has no fixed minimum capital in law, but immigration still expects realistic funding.

Why doesn't this tool calculate my OASIS score?

The official minimum is 60, but unofficial sources say 80–120, and the detailed point table is an unpublished MOJ manual that changes yearly. Asserting a wrong score could mislead your application, so we check the verifiable requirements and send you to the official source.

Can I buy an existing company and get a D-8-4?

No. D-8-4 requires founding a NEW corporation. Acquiring an existing company doesn't qualify for the technology-startup route.

Does a patent application (not yet granted) count?

Yes — a pending patent, utility model, or design right counts for D-8-4. You don't have to wait for registration to be completed.

What's the recommended path for founders?

Start on D-10-2 (startup-prep, 6 months up to 2 years), join the OASIS program and set up your corporation, then switch to D-8-4 (issued for 12 months at a time).

Cautions

•OASIS scores and the point table are unofficial/unpublished and change yearly — this is a requirements checklist, not a score calculator.
•Meeting the requirements does not guarantee approval; business substance and source of funds are examined at officer discretion.
•D-8-4 needs a NEW corporation; a virtual-office address is effectively not accepted — a real office is expected.
•The ₩100M minimum is set by law; the ₩300M figure some sources cite is a remittance-rule threshold, not a higher minimum.
•Always verify at hikorea.go.kr, the Immigration Contact Center (1345), or the KOTRA Foreign Investment Support Center.