GlobeQuest

Moving from Solomon Islands to South Korea

What your passport gets you at the border — and what it takes to actually stay.

Solomon IslandsSouth KoreaShort stay
Travel authorisation

Solomon Islands passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation before flying to South Korea. It's an online form, usually approved quickly, and lighter than a full e-visa.

This is short-stay visitor policy only. It does not let you work, study or settle in South Korea — that needs a residence permit.

Passport Index · updated 17 February 2026South Korea's official immigration service
Long stay

How you actually move to South Korea

Digital nomadHigh confidenceVerified July 2026

F-1-D Digital Nomad (Workation) visa

Remote workers employed or contracted outside Korea. Piloted from 2024 and formally launched on 30 June 2026.

What you need
  • Income tied to Korea's GNI per capita: applicants aged 35 and over living in Seoul, Incheon or Gyeonggi must earn at least 2× GNI per capita — roughly US$65,800 a year on 2025 figures
  • Younger applicants, and those settling in non-metropolitan areas or regions with declining population, face a relaxed bar of between 1× and 2× GNI per capita
  • At least one year of continuous experience in your field
  • Private health insurance with coverage in Korea
  • Work for a non-Korean employer or clients; no Korean-source employment
How long it lasts
Up to 1 year, extendable by a further year.
Path to permanent residence
None. F-1 is a visitor-class status, so time on it does not build toward the F-5 permanent residence you would get from a work or points-based route.
Cost
Modest application fee at a Korean mission.
Processing time
Several weeks.
Worth knowing
  • The regional discount is the headline: moving somewhere outside the Seoul capital region can halve the income you need to qualify. Almost no other country prices its nomad visa by geography.
  • Age matters too — under-35s face a lower bar than over-35s in the same city.
  • It is explicitly not a route to settling in Korea. If that is the goal, E-7 then F-2-7 is the path.
Sources:Ministry of Justice — Korea Immigration ServiceKorea Visa Portal
Work / sponsoredMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

E-7 visa (specially designated activities)

Skilled professionals with a Korean employer. The main work route for foreign white-collar staff.

What you need
  • Job offer in one of the designated E-7 occupations — the list is specific and updated periodically
  • A degree in a related field plus 1 year of experience, or 5 years of experience without a matching degree
  • Salary generally benchmarked against a proportion of GNI per capita
  • The employer must meet Korean-to-foreign staffing ratio rules
How long it lasts
Up to 3 years, renewable.
Path to permanent residence
Feeds the F-2-7 points-based residence visa, which in turn leads to F-5 permanent residence. Direct F-5 is otherwise available after 5 years of qualifying residence.
Cost
Application fees are modest; the employer bears the sponsorship burden.
Processing time
Several weeks to a couple of months, including the employer's confirmation of visa issuance.
Worth knowing
  • The occupation must map onto a designated E-7 category. A job that is real and well-paid but outside the list simply cannot be sponsored on this visa.
  • Employer staffing-ratio rules mean small Korean startups often cannot hire foreigners even when they want to.
  • Changing employer requires permission, not merely notification.
Sources:Hi Korea — official immigration portalMinistry of Justice — Korea Immigration Service
Work / sponsoredMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

F-2-7 points-based residence visa

People already in Korea on a work visa who want status that is not tied to an employer. The intended stepping stone to permanent residence.

What you need
  • A points score across age, education, Korean language ability (TOPIK or KIIP completion), income, and work experience
  • Existing qualifying status in Korea, usually E-7 or similar
  • Clean record and no immigration violations
How long it lasts
3 years, renewable.
Path to permanent residence
F-5 permanent residence after 3 years holding F-2-7 — faster than the general 5-year route, and the reason this visa exists.
Cost
Modest government fees.
Processing time
Weeks to a couple of months at an immigration office.
Worth knowing
  • F-2 status decouples you from your employer, which is the practical prize — you can change jobs freely.
  • Korean language ability is worth a large share of the points. Completing the KIIP social-integration programme is the most reliable way to close a scoring gap.
Sources:Hi Korea — official immigration portal
InvestmentMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

D-8 corporate investment visa

Founders and investors establishing a Korean company, including the D-8-4 startup variant.

What you need
  • Investment in a Korean corporation — commonly cited at a minimum of KRW 100 million for the standard D-8
  • Foreign-investment registration with KOTRA and a registered Korean entity
  • For the D-8-4 technology-startup variant, a bachelor's degree plus intellectual property or an OASIS programme score instead of the capital threshold
How long it lasts
Up to 5 years depending on the sub-category, renewable.
Path to permanent residence
Counts toward F-5; substantial investors have a dedicated faster F-5 sub-category.
Cost
The investment itself plus incorporation and registration costs.
Processing time
Months, dominated by the investment registration rather than the visa.
Worth knowing
  • The capital must be genuinely remitted and registered as foreign investment — moving money into a Korean account is not sufficient.
  • The D-8-4 startup route is the one worth knowing about: it substitutes IP and programme participation for cash, which is a very different proposition.
Sources:Hi Korea — official immigration portalMinistry of Justice — Korea Immigration Service
StudentMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

D-2 student visa

Students at accredited Korean universities.

What you need
  • Admission to an accredited institution
  • Proof of funds for tuition and living costs
  • Tuberculosis screening for some nationalities
How long it lasts
Course length, renewed annually.
Path to permanent residence
Study time counts only partially toward F-5, but graduates of Korean degrees earn significant F-2-7 points, which is the more useful effect.
Cost
Application fee plus tuition.
Processing time
Several weeks once the institution issues its confirmation.
Worth knowing
  • Part-time work is permitted with permission and is capped by hours and by your Korean level.
  • Graduating from a Korean university plus TOPIK level is close to the ideal F-2-7 profile — worth planning for from the start of the degree.
Sources:Hi Korea — official immigration portal
On the ground

Where you'd land in South Korea

Seoul

Hyper-connected megacity — palaces and street food beside K-pop, all-night cafés and the world's fastest internet.

Full Seoul guide
Busan

Korea's port and second city — beaches, a blunt dialect, and rents well below Seoul's.

Full Busan guide
Incheon

Korea's gateway airport, a treaty port, and Songdo's reclaimed-land free economic zone.

Full Incheon guide
Daegu

Korea's textile city in a hot inland basin, with the cheapest big-city rents in the country.

Full Daegu guide

South Korea at a glance

Capital
Seoul
Population
51.7M
Languages
Korean
Currency
KRW

Where else your Solomon Islands passport takes you

ArgentinaVisa requiredAustraliae-VisaBhutane-VisaBrazilVisa requiredCanadaTravel authorisationChileVisa requiredColombiaVisa-free · 90 daysCzechiaVisa-free · 90 days