Vision Office
F-6-1

F-6-1 Spouse of Korean National

A residence visa for foreign nationals married to a Korean citizen who wish to live in Korea with their spouse. At Vision Administrative Office, an administrative agent personally checks your documents before submission.

What Is the F-6-1 Visa?

The F-6-1 (Spouse of Korean National) visa is one of the residence statuses (F-6) issued to a foreign spouse who is legally married to a Korean citizen. It initially permits a 1-year stay, allows long-term residence through renewals, and later serves as the basis for applying for F-5 permanent residency.

Not mere cohabitation or a common-law marriage — a legal marital relationship must be proven, and the sponsor (Korean citizen) must meet income and identity requirements. Additional requirements may apply depending on the country and the case, so a professional review is recommended.

Eligibility

1

Legal marriage to a Korean citizen

The marriage must be a legally registered marriage. Even if the marriage is recorded in your home country, it must first be registered through the Korean embassy or a marriage registration filing.

2

Sponsor meets the income requirement

The sponsor must meet the income requirement announced each year by the Minister of Justice (annual income over the past 1 year, with thresholds by household size). A shortfall can be made up by counting 5% of assets as income, among other methods, and the requirement is waived in cases such as when the couple has a child together.

3

Clean immigration history

You must have no history of illegal stay, deportation, or entry bans. You may also apply while staying on a short-term visa; if you have any such history, a prior review is essential.

4

Proof of a genuine marriage

Supporting documents that show a real married life — such as wedding photos, records of living expenses, and communication records — play an important role in the review.

Required Documents

Below are the basic documents required for an F-6-1 visa application. Additional documents may be required depending on your spouse's nationality and the application method (embassy vs. change of status in Korea).

1

Marriage Relationship Certificate

Issued in the home country + notarized Korean translation required

2

Sponsor's Family Relationship Certificate

Issued by a Korean government office

3

Copy of the sponsor's ID

Resident registration card or passport

4

Sponsor's proof of employment and income

Earned income withholding tax receipt or business registration certificate

5

Sponsor's health insurance payment confirmation

Issued by the National Health Insurance Service

6

Criminal record certificate (home country)

Issued by the foreign applicant's home government (notarization required)

7

Passport copy

At least 6 months of validity remaining

8

Passport-size photo

Taken within 6 months, white background

At Vision Administrative Office, an administrative agent personally checks your documents before submission. Please confirm country-specific requirements through a consultation.

Process

  1. 01

    Consultation and document review

    1 – 2 days

    A licensed administrative agent assesses your current situation and confirms the list of required documents, including any country-specific requirements.

  2. 02

    Document collection, translation and notarization

    2 – 4 weeks

    We handle the entire process on your behalf, from support with obtaining home-country documents to Korean translation and notarization.

  3. 03

    Visa application submission

    1 – 3 days

    We submit the documents to the embassy or the immigration office, prepared carefully so nothing is missed.

  4. 04

    Result notification and entry

    Varies by authority

    We inform you of the visa result right away and plan your stay extension schedule after entry in advance.

Who Can Help With a Korea F-6 Marriage Visa Application?

Vision Administrative Office is an administrative agent's office that supports the paperwork side of an F-6-1 application: confirming the required document list, supporting the issuance of home-country documents, Korean translation and notarization, a pre-submission check of the documents by an administrative agent, and filing at the embassy or immigration office. We do not represent clients in lawsuits or court proceedings, and the visa decision is made by the embassy or the immigration office, not by an agent.

For details on what an agent can and cannot do, see the About page and our blog post on choosing an administrative agent for an F-6 marriage visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long does F-6-1 visa processing take?
The review period depends on the embassy, consulate or immigration office where you apply and on whether supplementary documents are requested, so it is difficult to give a single answer. Check with the office that received your application. To reduce requests for supplementary documents, it is advisable to check before submission that every document is within its validity period (within 3 months of issue) and that nothing is missing.
Q. What is the income requirement for the sponsor?
As of 2026, the sponsor's annual income (before tax) over the past 1 year must be at least the threshold for the household size; the threshold for a 2-person household is KRW 25,195,752. A shortfall can be made up by counting 5% of assets as income or with the income of lineal family members in the same household, and the requirement is waived in cases such as when the couple has a child together.
Q. Can my spouse apply after entering Korea on a visitor visa (C-3)?
In principle, this is difficult. The Ministry of Justice Guide Manual for Foreigners' Stay lists short-term visa holders (C-3, etc.) as unable to change status to Spouse of Korean National (F-6-1) inside Korea, and requires them to leave and enter again with a visa obtained at an embassy or consulate. However, if a change inside Korea is judged unavoidable because of pregnancy and childbirth or raising a child born to the couple, a change may be possible after review.
Q. What do I need to get an F-6 visa after marrying a Korean citizen?
For an F-6-1 visa, the basics are a legal marriage to a Korean citizen, a sponsor who meets the income requirement, no record of illegal stay, deportation or entry ban, and materials showing a genuine married life. The basic documents are a Marriage Relationship Certificate issued in your home country (notarized Korean translation required), the sponsor's Family Relationship Certificate, ID copy, proof of employment and income and health insurance payment confirmation, a home-country criminal record certificate (notarization required), a passport copy (valid for at least 6 more months) and an ID photo (taken within 6 months, white background). Additional documents may be requested depending on the foreign spouse's nationality and how you apply (at an embassy or by changing status in Korea).

Related Blog Posts

Other F-6 Visa Guides

F-6-2Child Rearing VisaFor foreign nationals raising children after divorceLearn more →F-6-3Humanitarian Grounds VisaSpecial cases such as the spouse's death or a divorce caused by the spouseLearn more →
Call usConsultation