Re-entry permit exemption in Korea: who can leave and return within 1 or 2 years without a permit
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
A registered foreigner who leaves Korea normally needs a re-entry permit to come back within the stay period, but the Ministry of Justice rule exempts two groups. Permanent residents (F-5) are exempt if they re-enter within 2 years of the day they left. Holders of statuses A-1 through F-3 and F-6 through G-1 are exempt if they re-enter within 1 year of leaving, or within the remaining stay period if that is shorter than a year. People barred from entry are excluded. If you are not exempt, a single-entry permit lasts up to 1 year and a multiple-entry permit up to 2 years, never beyond the permitted stay.
Law text: Immigration Act Article 30 (shown as "[시행 2026. 10. 2.] [법률 제21857호, 2026. 8. 4., 타법개정]") and Enforcement Rule Articles 39-7, 39-8, 41 and 44-2 (shown as "[시행 2026. 9. 15.] [법무부령 제1125호, 2026. 9. 15., 일부개정]"), plus a Ministry of Justice notice dated 2022-03-24. Read on 2026-10-19. Not legal advice; confirm with immigration (1345) before you travel.
Decision table
| Your situation | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident (F-5), back within 2 years of the day you left | Re-entry permit exemption can apply | Rule Art. 44-2(1) item 1 |
| Status A-1 through F-3, or F-6 through G-1, back within 1 year of the day you left | Exemption can apply. If your remaining stay is shorter than 1 year, the remaining stay is the limit. | Rule Art. 44-2(1) item 2 |
| Barred from entry under Act Art. 11, or one of the cases in Rule Art. 10 | Not eligible for the exemption | Rule Art. 44-2(1), proviso |
| Any other registered foreigner, or you will be away longer than the window | Apply for a re-entry permit before you leave | Act Art. 30(1) |
Check your trip
Enter your dates. The check applies only the two windows above (1 year or 2 years from the day of departure, and the stay expiry date for the 1-year group). It does not know whether you are barred from entry, and it does not cover overseas Koreans (F-4), refugee travel documents or the country-based exemptions in the 2022 notice. The rule says "within 1 year (or 2 years) of the departure date" without spelling out how the last day is counted, so leave a margin.
If you need a permit
- Who may get one: Act Article 30(1): a registered foreigner (or one exempt from registration) who leaves within the stay period and wants to return can apply, and the Minister of Justice may grant a re-entry permit. A permit is either single-entry (one return) or multiple-entry (two or more returns).
- How long: Rule Article 41(1): the longest is 1 year for a single-entry permit and 2 years for a multiple-entry permit. Rule Article 41(2) raises the multiple-entry maximum to 3 years for two groups: D-8 investors who invested at least an amount set by the Minister, and F-2 holders who invested a set amount for a set period and continue business activity. The amounts are set by the Minister and are not printed in the rule text.
- Not beyond your stay: Rule Article 39-7(3): the re-entry period is set within the permitted stay period.
- How to apply: Rule Article 39-7(1): submit a re-entry permit application with documents explaining the reason to the immigration office, branch or sub-office. Multiple-entry criteria are set separately by the Minister, with reciprocity taken into account (Rule Article 40).
- If you cannot return in time: Act Article 30(3): if illness or another unavoidable reason stops you returning within the permitted period, you must get an extension from the Minister before that period ends. Rule Article 39-8: apply to the Korean embassy or consulate; the extension can run up to 3 months from the expiry date and cannot go beyond your permitted stay.
- Cost: see the immigration fee table; we do not repeat fees here.
Where the pages differ
| Item | Rule in force (2026-09-15) | Ministry notice dated 2022-03-24 | What we show |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year group | A-1 through F-3 and F-6 through G-1 (as numbered in the decree table) | A-1 through A-3, D-1 through F-3, F-6 through H-2 | The dated rule is the headline. The groups are described differently; if your status is near the edges (for example H-2 or G-1), ask immigration. |
| Permanent residents | 2 years from the departure date | 2 years from the date of departure | Agree. |
| Overseas Koreans (F-4) | Not named in Art. 44-2 | "For re-entry within authorized period of stay" | Not in our table; the notice is older than the rule, so check with immigration. |
| Remaining stay under 1 year | Remaining stay period is the limit | "Re-entry will be allowed until the validity of stay for persons with period of stay of less than 1 year" | Agree. |
| Other exemptions | Not in Art. 44-2 | Refugee travel document holders (within validity); nationals of 13 listed countries in D-7, D-8, D-9 (within authorized stay) | Not covered by our check; the notice is older, so confirm they still apply. |
See also alien registration and the residence card and visa-free entry (Act Article 7 also lets someone with a valid re-entry permit or exemption enter without a visa). This page summarises public texts and is not legal advice.
Checked 2026-10-19.
Official sources
- National Law Information Center — Immigration Act, Article 30 — re-entry permit, single or multiple, exemption power, extension; in force 2026-10-02 (checked 2026-10-19)
- National Law Information Center — Enforcement Rule, Article 44-2 — who is exempt: F-5 within 2 years; A-1 to F-3 and F-6 to G-1 within 1 year; in force 2026-09-15 (checked 2026-10-19)
- National Law Information Center — Enforcement Rule, Article 41 — longest permit: 1 year single, 2 years multiple, 3 years for two investor groups (checked 2026-10-19)
- National Law Information Center — Enforcement Rule, Articles 39-7 and 39-8 — how to apply; permit period within the stay; extension up to 3 months (Art. 39-8 is branch 08 of the same article) (checked 2026-10-19)
- National Law Information Center — Enforcement Rule, Article 40 — multiple-entry criteria set separately by the Minister (checked 2026-10-19)
- Ministry of Justice (Immigration) — Announcement Regarding Re-Entry Permit, 2022-03-24 — English notice, dated 2022.03.24: reinstated the exemption from 2022-04-01; groups and exempt countries (older than the rule) (checked 2026-10-19)
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