To apply for a marriage-migrant (F-6-1) visa, or to change status to Spouse of Korean National (F-6-1) inside Korea, the Korean spouse (the sponsor) must prove a minimum annual income over the past year. The threshold changes every year, and there are separate rules for topping up with assets or family income and for exemptions — this is the part first-time applicants most often get wrong.
This guide is based only on what is written in the Ministry of Justice (Korea Immigration Service) "Guide Manual for Foreigners' Stay" (September 2026 edition) and the "Visa Issuance Guide Manual". No figures or assumptions outside those manuals are added.
When the income requirement applies
- Applying for an F-6-1 visa at a Korean embassy or consulate — the sponsor's income is assessed as of the visa application date.
- Changing status to Spouse of Korean National (F-6-1) while legally staying in Korea — the manual says the documents for a change of status follow "the documents required for issuing an F-6-1 visa", so income documents are prepared on the same basis.
- Extending an F-6-1 period of stay — the manual's document list for an extension (application form, passport, Marriage Relationship Certificate, Resident Registration Certificate, foreigner's occupation report, proof of residence, etc.) does not include income documents. However, you may be asked for "other documents deemed necessary for review".
2026 income thresholds by household size
The sponsor's annual income over the past year (before tax) must be at least the amount below.
| Household size | Annual income threshold (before tax, KRW) |
|---|---|
| 2 persons | 25,195,752 |
| 3 persons | 32,154,216 |
| 4 persons | 38,968,428 |
| 5 persons | 45,340,314 |
| 6 persons | 51,335,712 |
| 7 persons | 57,090,900 |
For households of 8 or more, add KRW 5,755,188 for each additional member.
Source: Ministry of Justice "Guide Manual for Foreigners' Stay" (Sept 2026), Marriage Migrant (F-6) change-of-status section, and the "Visa Issuance Guide Manual", Marriage Migrant (F-6) section — 2026 figures. Another section of the same manual still shows the 2024 table (Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2023-648). Thresholds change by official notice, so check HiKorea or the competent embassy right before you apply.
How to count household members
- If the sponsor lives with no other family, it is a 2-person household (sponsor + foreign spouse).
- Lineal family members registered in the same household on the resident register as the sponsor (children from a previous marriage, parents, etc.) are added to the count.
A larger household means a higher threshold, so if your parents are registered in the same household, include them when reading the table.
What counts as income — and what does not
Recognised income is the sum of the sponsor's earned income + business income (including agriculture, forestry and fishery income) + real-estate rental income + interest income + dividend income + pension income over the past year. Other irregular income is excluded.
Two points apply to business income:
- In principle it is judged by the amount on the National Tax Service income certificate. If actual income is higher, file an amended return with the tax office and submit the amended certificate.
- Because business income is reported in May of the following year, an exception is allowed if the most recent year on the income certificate meets the threshold and the sponsor is still running the same business — even if it is not the income for the year immediately before the application. A site inspection may be carried out in this case.
Short on income? Topping up with assets or family income
Even if income falls short, you can make up the difference in the ways below, and the income and assets of the sponsor and family may be combined.
1) 5% of the sponsor's assets counted as income
5% of the sponsor's assets — deposits, insurance, securities, bonds, real estate, etc. — is recognised as income.
- Only assets held for 6 months or more from the date of acquisition are recognised (to prevent disguised deposits).
- Only net assets after deducting debts are recognised.
- Deposits, insurance, securities and bonds count only if they are KRW 1,000,000 or more and have been held for 6 months or more; for real estate, submit the registry certificate and the official price notice.
The formula is income over the past year + (net assets × 5%) ≥ threshold for your household size.
2) Income or assets of lineal family in the same household
Income or assets of lineal family members registered in the same household as the sponsor (parents, grandparents, children, etc.) can be used. Only income and assets in Korea over the past year are recognised.
- Lineal family registered in a separate household cannot be used.
- Brothers and sisters are not lineal family and cannot be used.
3) The foreign spouse's own income or assets in Korea
The invited foreign spouse's income earned in Korea over the past year or assets located in Korea are also recognised.
When the income requirement is waived
- The couple has a child born between them — submit the child's Family Relationship Certificate (or a birth certificate if the child was born before the marriage and has not yet acquired nationality).
- The couple has lived together abroad for 1 year or more after marriage (de facto marriage excluded), so the sponsor could not have had income in Korea over the past year — submit proof of living together.
- The foreign spouse has previously stayed in Korea with marriage-migrant (F-6) status — this does not apply if the spouse has changed, or if the marriage with the same spouse was ever interrupted.
- Other cases the Minister of Justice specifically recognises as needing an exemption.
If you are exempt, you do not need the income documents below, but you must submit evidence of the exemption ground.
Income document checklist
You do not need every document — prepare only the common required documents + the documents for the items the sponsor is using to meet the threshold.
| Category | Documents | Where to get / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common (required) | Original income certificate | National Tax Service Hometax or tax office |
| Common (required) | Credit information report, 1 copy | Korea Credit Information Services website |
| Earned income | Withholding tax record for earned income, certificate of employment, copy of business registration | Current or former workplace |
| Business income | Copy of business registration certificate | Not required for agriculture, forestry and fishery |
| Other income | Rental: registry certificate and lease contract / Interest: bank statements, etc. | — |
| Assets | Proof of deposits, insurance, securities, bonds; real-estate registry certificate and official price notice | Held 6 months or more |
| Family income or assets | Statement of the sponsor's family income + supporting documents | Embassy or HiKorea form |
The sponsor writes income and asset details in the "Invitation Letter for a Foreign Spouse" (Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act, Form No. 19-2) and proves them with the documents above. Unless stated otherwise, submitted documents such as the invitation letter and Marriage Relationship Certificate are valid for 3 months from the date of writing or issue.
Common mistakes
- The threshold is before-tax annual income. Do not calculate it from the net amount paid into your bank account.
- A deposit held for less than 6 months is not recognised as an asset.
- To use your parents' income, they must be in the same household on the resident register; siblings' income cannot be used.
- The exemption for living together abroad applies only to 1 year or more after legal marriage; de facto marriage periods are not counted.
- Lineal family in the same household count toward household size even if you do not use their income. Do not leave them out when choosing the threshold.
For the full F-6-1 requirements, see Spouse of Korean National (F-6-1).
Consultation
If the household count, asset conversion or an exemption ground is unclear, it is safer to check before you submit.
- Vision Administrative Office — 3F, Seongwoo Building, 324 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
- Phone +82-2-363-2251 · Email [email protected]
- Consultation languages: Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese
- Hours: weekdays 09:30–17:30 (KST)
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