Holding an F-series Residence Card in South Korea does not automatically clear you to step into an English classroom tomorrow. Whether you can sign a contract and start teaching immediately depends on two separate legal checkpoints: Ministry of Justice work authorization (Immigration Act Articles 18 and 20) and local Office of Education instructor registration (Private Teaching Institutes Act Article 13-2).
F-1 and F-3 holders must obtain prior immigration permission before their first class, while F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-6 holders skip immigration approval entirely but still need physical degree, criminal-record, and medical documents so their school can register them with the district education office.
Your visa does not include automatic work rights. Before teaching a single class, you must qualify under the exact same nationality, degree, criminal-record, and medical rules as an E-2 teacher and receive Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by Status (체류자격 외 활동허가) from your local immigration office.
You can sign a teaching contract and change employers without asking immigration for permission (unless you hold a region-locked F-2-R visa). However, every licensed hagwon is legally required by the Office of Education (MOE) to collect your apostilled degree, home-country criminal record, and medical check before registering you as an instructor.
01F-Visa Teaching Eligibility Matrix (F-1 through F-6)
Job boards and school directors frequently group all F-series visas together as "independent visas." In Korean administrative practice, your exact visa code determines whether you deal with both the Ministry of Justice (HiKorea) and the local Office of Education (교육지원청), or only the Office of Education.
| Visa Code | Clearance Track | Immigration Permit Needed | MOE Registration Docs | Key Conditions & Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 · 방문동거 (Visiting/Joining) | Track A | Yes (Prior Article 20 permit; ₩120,000) | Required (same set used for immigration) | Must meet E-2 7-country nationality + bachelor's degree rules; permit tied to principal visa holder's stay; private tutoring prohibited. |
| F-3 · 동반 (Dependent Family) | Track A | Yes (Prior Article 20 permit; ₩120,000) | Required (same set used for immigration) | Must meet full E-2 qualifications; spouse/principal visa holder must maintain valid status; each additional workplace needs prior permission. |
| F-2 · 거주 (Resident: F-2-7 / F-2-R) | Track B | No (for F-2-7 points / standard F-2) | Required for school's MOE filing | F-2-7 has nationwide employer freedom. F-2-R (Region-Specific) is restricted to designated population-decline municipalities. |
| F-4 · 재외동포 (Overseas Korean) | Track B | No (teaching is professional, not simple labor) | Required for school's MOE filing | No employer sponsorship needed; many former E-2 or Korean-American/Canadian teachers use the 90-day document reuse shortcut if eligible. |
| F-5 · 영주 (Permanent Resident) | Track B | No | Required for school's MOE filing | Full employment freedom across hagwons, schools, corporate classes, and registered private tutoring. |
| F-6 · 결혼이민 (Marriage Migrant) | Track B | No | Required for school's MOE filing | No immigration work permit required, but MOE still requires an apostilled bachelor's degree, home-country criminal record, and medical check. |
02Track A: F-1 & F-3 Holders Must Get Prior Immigration Permission (Article 20)
Under Article 18(1) of the Korean Immigration Act and Article 23(1) of the Enforcement Decree, Visiting/Joining Family (F-1) and Dependent Family (F-3) statuses are non-working residence categories. You cannot legally teach; even for a paid trial week or substitute shift; on your base visa alone.
To teach English without giving up your F-1 or F-3 visa, you must apply for Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by Status (체류자격 외 활동허가) under Immigration Act Article 20 before your start date. Once approved, you keep your F-1 or F-3 status while holding specific authorization to teach foreign-language conversation (회화지도, E-2 scope) at that named workplace.
Eligibility & Required Documents for F-1 / F-3 Work Permission
Under Enforcement Rule Table 5-2 (출입국관리법 시행규칙 별표5의2), an F-1 or F-3 holder applying for conversation-instruction permission must satisfy the exact same qualification standards as a standard E-2 visa applicant:
| Who Prepares | Required Document | Verification Standard & Practical Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher (F-1 / F-3) | 7-Country Passport & Residence Card (ARC) | For English conversation instruction, nationality must be from one of the 7 designated English-speaking countries (US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa). Bring original passport and ARC. |
| Teacher (F-1 / F-3) | Apostilled Bachelor's Degree (학위증) | Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited university in a designated English-speaking country, authenticated with a government Apostille (or Korean consular confirmation where applicable). Degrees earned at an accredited Korean university are exempt from Apostille. |
| Teacher (F-1 / F-3) | Apostilled Nationwide Criminal Record Check (범죄경력증명서) | National-level background check (such as an FBI check for US citizens or RCMP check for Canadians) issued within 6 months of application and apostilled by your home government. |
| Teacher (F-1 / F-3) | Employment Medical Check Including Drug Test (채용신체검사서) | Issued by a Ministry of Justice-designated hospital in Korea, including the mandatory 4-panel drug screen (methamphetamine, cocaine, opium, and cannabis) and TB check. Keep the hospital envelope sealed; opening it invalidates the report. |
| Teacher (F-1 / F-3) | Integrated Application Form (Form 34) & Principal Spouse Documents | Check "Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by Status." Include a copy of the principal visa holder's (spouse's or family member's) Residence Card and proof of family relationship if requested by the officer. |
| Hiring School | Signed Employment Contract, Business Registration & Academy License | Employment contract (고용계약서) stating salary, schedule, and contract dates, plus the school's Business Registration Certificate (사업자등록증), Academy Registration Certificate (학원설립·운영등록증), and weekly teaching schedule. |
Three Rules Specific to F-1 and F-3 Teachers
- Your permit is tied to the principal visa holder's stay: Permission is granted within your remaining F-1 or F-3 stay period and your passport validity (typically up to 1 year per grant). If your spouse's E-series, D-series, or F-series status expires or ends, your F-3 status and teaching permission cannot extend past it.
- Only licensed schools and academies qualify: Immigration grants E-2 conversation-instruction permission only for properly registered educational institutions (such as licensed foreign-language hagwons, elementary/middle/high schools, university language institutes, or registered lifelong-education facilities). Private 1-on-1 tutoring, home visits, and study-cafe lessons are strictly illegal on an F-1 or F-3 visa.
- Adding a second school requires prior permission: If you work part-time at two different hagwons, you must obtain prior immigration permission for each workplace before teaching there. The statutory government fee for Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by Status is ₩120,000 under Enforcement Rule Article 72.
Order extra copies for the Office of Education: Even after immigration approves your Article 20 permit, your hiring hagwon must still register you with the local Office of Education (교육지원청). Before submitting your original apostilled degree and criminal record to immigration, ask your school whether the local education office accepts immigration-certified copies (원본대조필) and order a second sealed medical report from the hospital.
03Track B: Why F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-6 Teachers Still Need Apostilled Documents for the MOE
Teachers holding Resident (F-2), Overseas Korean (F-4), Permanent Resident (F-5), or Marriage Migrant (F-6) status often hear that they need zero paperwork to work in Korea. That is true for corporate or non-teaching jobs, because these four visas already carry broad employment rights under the Immigration Act (apart from simple manual labor restrictions on F-4, which do not restrict foreign-language teaching).
However, working at a licensed English academy (학원) triggers a second law administered by a completely different government body: Article 13-2 of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons (학원의 설립·운영 및 과외교습에 관한 법률 제13조의2).
MOE Document Checklist for Track B (F-2, F-4, F-5, F-6)
When a hagwon hires you on an F-2, F-4, F-5, or F-6 visa, the school must submit the following documents to its local Office of Education (deadlines and exact forms are set by provincial ordinance, so schools verify the checklist with their district office):
| Document for MOE Filing | Validity Window | What F-2 / F-4 / F-5 / F-6 Teachers Must Know |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Apostilled Bachelor's Degree (학력증명서 아포스티유 원본) | Permanent (once issued) | Original bachelor's degree with home-country Apostille (or Korean consulate confirmation). If immigration already holds your apostilled degree from a past E-2 or F-4 filing, see the certified-copy reuse shortcut in Section 4. |
| 2. Apostilled Home-Country Criminal Record (자국 범죄경력조회서 아포스티유 원본) | Typically 6 months from issue (unless reusing an archived copy) | While Private Teaching Institutes Act Article 13-2(1) contains a statutory proviso for E-2 holders who were just screened by immigration, F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-6 holders were not screened for E-2 by immigration; so education offices require your apostilled home-country criminal check (or an accepted immigration archive copy + entry/exit record). |
| 3. Medical Check Including Drug Test (건강진단서 원본) | Issued within 1 month of hiring (Article 13-2(1)2) | Must be issued within 30 days of employment and include cannabis and drug test results (대마 및 약물 검사 결과 포함). Even if you have lived in Korea for 10 years on an F-5 or F-6 visa, you must take a fresh medical check when hired. |
| 4. Domestic Sexual Crime & Child Abuse Background Consent (성범죄·아동학대 경력조회 동의서) | Reply valid for 3 months from issue | You sign a consent form (성범죄 경력 조회 동의서), and the school requests the domestic clearance directly from the local Korean police station. |
| 5. Residence Card (ARC), Passport & Passport Photos | Valid at time of filing | Front and back copy of your Residence Card (외국인등록증) or Domestic Residence Card (국내거소신고증 for F-4), passport bio page, and standard ID photos for the school's instructor registry. |
Important check for F-2-R (Region-Specific Resident) holders: Unlike standard F-2-7 (points) or F-2-99 visas, the F-2-R visa requires you to reside and work within a designated population-decline municipality (인구감소지역). Before signing with a hagwon, verify that the school's address falls inside your permitted F-2-R jurisdiction.
04The 90-Day Overseas Stay Rule & How to Reuse Archived Documents
Ordering a new FBI or RCMP background check and getting a fresh Apostille from abroad can take 4 to 10 weeks. However, if you previously taught in Korea on an E-2 visa (or submitted your apostilled degree and criminal record to Korean immigration for an F-4 or other status) and have remained in Korea since then, you may not need to order new documents from your home country.
Many District Offices of Education (교육지원청); and immigration offices handling status changes; allow teachers to reuse their archived documents if they have not stayed outside South Korea for 90 consecutive days or longer since those documents were filed.
If you previously held an E-2 visa or submitted authenticated originals to a Korean immigration office, your scanned files are stored in the Ministry of Justice archive. If you have never submitted them in Korea, you must prepare new apostilled originals from your home country.
Short vacations (such as a 2-week trip home or a 1-week trip to Japan) do not break continuous residence. Leaving Korea for 90+ consecutive days invalidates the archived criminal background check.
Reuse via Certified Archive Copy + Entry/Exit Record
- Request Immigration Certified Copies (출입국 원본대조필 / 정보공개청구·열람등사): Visit an immigration office (or file an Information Disclosure Request at open.go.kr) to obtain official certified copies of your previously submitted apostilled degree and criminal record.
- Print a Certificate of Entry & Exit (출입국에 관한 사실증명): Issue this at any community center (주민센터/동사무소, ₩2,000 fee) or free online via Gov24 (gov.kr) covering the entire period from your original entry date to the present, proving you never left Korea for 90+ days.
- Take a Fresh 1-Month Medical Check: Archived medical checks cannot be reused for MOE registration; visit a hospital for a current drug-screen medical report.
Full Home-Country Document Preparation
- New Home-Country Criminal Record + Apostille: Because you spent 90 or more days outside Korea (or never filed one with Korean immigration), your previous background check is no longer accepted. Order a fresh nationwide background check (issued within 6 months) and Apostille.
- Degree Apostille: Unlike criminal records, a university degree does not expire. If immigration already holds your apostilled degree on file, you can still request a certified copy (원본대조필) of the degree even if you need a new criminal record check.
- Third-Country Residence Rule: If you lived in a third country outside your home country for an extended period (typically 1 year or more as an adult, or 90+ days depending on local office rules), verify whether an additional background check from that country is required.
05Korean Counter Terms You Need at Immigration & the Community Center
When collecting your archived files at an immigration office or printing your travel history at a neighborhood community center (주민센터), clerks recognize the exact Korean statutory names much faster than English translations. Show these terms directly at the counter:
(Immigration Act Art. 20)
Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by Status: The mandatory prior work permit required for F-1 and F-3 visa holders before teaching at a hagwon or school (₩120,000 government fee).
원본대조필
Information Disclosure Request & Certified True Copy Stamp: The procedure used at a Korean immigration office (or open.go.kr) to obtain official copies of the apostilled degree and criminal background check you submitted during an earlier E-2 or F-4 visa application.
(Gov24 / Community Center)
Certificate of Entry & Exit: Official border-crossing ledger proving you have not stayed outside South Korea for 90 consecutive days or longer since your archived criminal record was submitted. Ask the clerk to set the start date (조회 시작일) to the year you first entered Korea on your previous visa.
(Private Teaching Institutes Act Art. 13-2)
Foreign Instructor Employment Notification: The mandatory registration your hiring hagwon files with its local District Office of Education (교육지원청) using your degree, criminal record, 1-month medical check, and domestic police check consent.
For related visa and arrival steps, see our E-2 Visa Document Checklist, Korea Employment Medical Check Guide, D-10 Job-Seeker Visa Guide, and Korean Health Insurance (NHIS) for Foreign Teachers.
06Frequently Asked Questions
Can I teach English in Korea on an F-3 dependent spouse visa or F-1 visa?
Yes, provided you meet all standard E-2 teacher qualifications (citizenship from one of the 7 designated English-speaking countries, an apostilled bachelor's degree, an apostilled home-country criminal record check, and a sealed employment medical check with a 4-panel drug screen) and obtain prior Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by Status (체류자격 외 활동허가, Immigration Act Article 20) from immigration before your first day of work. Private tutoring is strictly prohibited on an F-1 or F-3 visa.
Why does a hagwon ask for an apostilled degree and criminal background check if I have an F-4, F-5, F-6, or F-2 visa?
While F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-6 visa holders do not need an immigration work permit to teach at an academy, Article 13-2 of the Private Teaching Institutes Act (학원법 제13조의2) legally requires every hagwon to verify a foreign instructor's apostilled degree, home-country criminal record, and 1-month drug-screen health certificate; and to submit them to the local District Office of Education (교육지원청); before registering the teacher.
How can I reuse my old E-2 apostilled degree and criminal record check after switching to an F-visa?
If Korean immigration already holds your apostilled degree and criminal background check from a previous visa and you have not stayed outside South Korea for 90 consecutive days or longer since filing them, you can request certified archive copies (원본대조필 / 정보공개청구) from immigration and pair them with a Certificate of Entry & Exit (출입국에 관한 사실증명) from a community center (주민센터) or Gov24 (gov.kr). Because acceptance varies by region, always have your hiring school confirm with its local District Office of Education by phone first.
Do F-visa teachers still need a drug test and medical check to work at a Korean hagwon?
Yes. Under Private Teaching Institutes Act Article 13-2(1)2, all foreign instructors hired by a hagwon must submit an original health certificate (건강진단서) issued within 1 month of hiring that includes cannabis and drug test results. For F-1 and F-3 holders applying for Article 20 work permission at immigration, the medical check must be completed at a Ministry of Justice-designated hospital and submitted in its sealed envelope.
Can F-visa holders legally do private 1-on-1 English tutoring in Korea?
It depends on which F-visa you hold. F-1 and F-3 visa holders are strictly barred from private tutoring, home-visit lessons, and unregistered study-cafe teaching; they may only teach at licensed educational institutions approved under their Article 20 permit. F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-6 holders may conduct private tutoring only if they first register as a Private Tutor (개인과외교습자 신고) with their local District Office of Education when tutoring minors or students.
Can an F-2-R (Region-Specific Resident) visa holder teach at a hagwon in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do?
Only if the hagwon is located inside the specific population-decline municipality (인구감소지역) designated on the teacher's F-2-R visa conditions. Unlike the points-based F-2-7 visa, which allows employment anywhere in South Korea, the F-2-R visa ties both your registered address and your workplace to the approved regional district.
Official Sources & Statutory Basis
- Korean Immigration Act (출입국관리법, law.go.kr): Article 18 (Employment Restrictions) & Article 20 (Permission to Engage in Activities Not Covered by Status)
- Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법 시행규칙, law.go.kr): Article 72 (₩120,000 Permission Fee) & Table 5-2 (별표5의2 Required Documents for E-2 Conversation Instruction)
- Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes (학원의 설립·운영 및 과외교습에 관한 법률, law.go.kr): Article 13-2 (Verification & Registration of Foreign Instructors)
- Government24 (정부24, gov.kr): Certificate of Entry & Exit (출입국에 관한 사실증명) Issuance Guide & HiKorea e-Government Portal for Foreigners (hikorea.go.kr)
Reviewed 10 November 2026 by OK Recruiting. Because local District Offices of Education (교육지원청) and regional immigration offices apply their own verification standards to archived documents, always confirm your exact document checklist with 1345 (Immigration Contact Center) and your hiring school's local education office before ordering replacements.
We match F-series and E-2 English teachers with licensed academies and schools across South Korea and help verify immigration and Office of Education document requirements before you sign. View current English teaching jobs in Korea.
