Korea’s Working Holiday Visa — officially the H-1 — lets you live and work in Korea for up to a year without needing a job offer, a degree, or a Korean company to sponsor you. For most people, it’s the easiest legal path into Korea as a working adult. You can pick up jobs, travel on weekends, study some Korean, and figure out whether you want to stay longer.
The catch: Korea only offers this to citizens of specific countries, and quotas fill fast for popular nationalities. Here’s what to know before you apply.
Which Countries Are Eligible?
As of 2026, Korea has working holiday agreements with 26 countries:
- Asia-Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong
- North America: Canada, United States (limited lottery program)
- Europe: UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
- Other: Israel, Chile, Argentina, Mexico
Age limits are 18–30 for most countries. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand allow up to 35 under expanded agreements. The annual quota and exact requirements differ by nationality — check your country’s bilateral agreement directly at the Korean embassy website.
What You Can and Cannot Do
The H-1 lets you work for money in Korea, but with limits.
Allowed: Most regular jobs — English teaching, café work, retail, factory work, office contracts, hospitality. You can study Korean, but only for up to 3 months total. You can travel in and out of Korea freely on the H-1.
Not allowed: Working at the same employer for more than 6 months (exceptions exist for programs like EPIK public school teaching). Working in adult entertainment, massage parlors, or gambling venues. Registering and running your own business.
In practice, most H-1 holders do a mix — some tutoring or café work while getting settled, weekends exploring, and toward the end they’re either leaving or sorting out a longer-term visa. The 6-month employer limit is rarely enforced as strictly as it sounds on paper, but don’t count on that.
How to Apply
You apply at the Korean embassy or consulate in your home country. The process varies by nationality but follows this general pattern:
- Check your embassy’s working holiday page for the current year’s quota and application window. Some nationalities open applications on a specific date and fill the quota within days.
- Gather documents: valid passport, proof of funds (usually around KRW 3,000,000 equivalent — enough to support yourself on arrival), return airfare or funds to buy it, passport photos, completed application form (통합신청서).
- Some nationalities also need a criminal background check, medical certificate, or travel insurance. Check your embassy’s specific list.
- Pay the visa fee (roughly USD 45–90 depending on nationality).
- Once approved, you get a single-entry H-1 visa valid for 3 months. Enter Korea within that window.
- Your H-1 status runs for 1 year from your date of entry.
You cannot apply from inside Korea. The application must go through an embassy in your country of citizenship — switching from a tourist visa to H-1 while in Korea is not possible.
First Week in Korea
Get your Alien Registration Card (ARC) as soon as you have a fixed address. You have 90 days from entry to register, but earlier is better — you need the ARC to open a bank account, get a proper SIM plan, and work through payroll. Visit your local immigration office (출입국·외국인청) with your passport and address proof.
For accommodation on arrival, most H-1 holders start in a goshiwon (고시원) — small furnished rooms for ₩300,000–₩500,000/month — while they sort themselves out. It’s not spacious, but it’s flexible and you won’t be locked into a lease before you know where you want to be.
Finding Work
English tutoring is the most accessible option for native English speakers — private lessons run ₩20,000–₩40,000/hour, though finding students takes a few weeks of networking or posting on local Facebook groups and Craigslist Seoul. Private academies (hagwons) hire H-1 holders for part-time contracts.
Cafés and restaurants in expat-heavy areas (Itaewon, Hongdae, Haebangchon) regularly hire foreign staff for cashier or floor roles. Your Korean doesn’t need to be perfect, but basic conversational ability helps. For office or tech work, some companies take H-1 holders on short-term contracts for translation, content, or digital marketing roles.
Whatever you earn, your employer will withhold Korean income tax. Foreign workers in Korea generally have the option of paying a flat 19% income tax rate rather than the progressive rate — worth looking into if your earnings are modest.
Sending Money Home
Once you have income coming in, you’ll want to move some back to your home bank account. Korean bank wire transfers charge ₩5,000–₩10,000 in fees plus apply a worse-than-market exchange rate. Wise is what most H-1 holders use — it charges a small percentage fee and uses the mid-market rate, which beats bank quotes by 1–2% on most transfers.
What Comes After H-1
The H-1 cannot be renewed. When it expires, you either leave or you’ve already switched to a different status. Common next steps:
| Next Visa | What You Need |
|---|---|
| E-2 (English teacher) | Bachelor’s degree, background check, TEFL/TESOL certification |
| D-4 (Language study) | Enrollment at approved Korean language institute |
| D-2 (University) | Acceptance at a Korean university or graduate program |
| E-7 (Specialty work) | Job offer from Korean company, degree in relevant field |
| F-6 (Marriage) | Legal marriage to a Korean citizen |
Start the transition process at least 2–3 months before your H-1 expires. Korean immigration offices process at their own pace and an extension is not automatic just because your application is in.
A Few Practical Notes
Get a proper Korean SIM card, not a tourist plan. MVNOs like KT M-Mobile or HelloMobile use the same towers as the major carriers at 30–40% lower cost. You need your ARC for a postpaid plan — prepaid airport SIMs work fine until you have it.
Some streaming services and banking apps from your home country block Korean IP addresses. A VPN like NordVPN handles this cleanly if you’re relying on home-country services while abroad.
Keep copies of your employment contracts and payslips from Korea. If you apply for a longer-term work visa later, documented Korean work history is useful — immigration officers do ask.
FAQ
Can I do a second Working Holiday in Korea?
No. Korea issues one H-1 per person, per lifetime. There’s no second-year farm work extension like Australia or New Zealand offer.
Can my partner join me on H-1?
Not as a dependent. H-1 doesn’t grant dependent status. Your partner needs their own visa — their own H-1 if eligible, or another visa type.
What if I overstay?
A fine, forced departure, and a ban from entering Korea — typically 1–3 years depending on how long you overstayed. It also damages any future Korean visa applications. Don’t do it.
Can I work remotely on H-1?
Working remotely for a foreign employer while in Korea is a legal grey area under Korean immigration law — technically not clearly authorized without a proper work visa. In practice it happens, but if you’re invoicing Korean clients, you need proper work status.
Sources
- Korea Immigration Service — H-1 Working Holiday Visa: www.immigration.go.kr
- HiKorea Online Service Center — Visa and Status Guide: www.hikorea.go.kr
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs Korea — Working Holiday Program Bilateral Agreements (2026)
- Korea Tourism Organization — Entry Requirements: english.visitkorea.or.kr