Can you work part-time on a student visa in Korea? Yes — but permission comes first
ENEnglishThe short answer, because that is what you came for:
Yes, students on D-2 or D-4 can work part-time. But you need permission BEFORE you
start, not after. Working first and asking later is the mistake that costs people
money and, later, their extension.
You need two approvals: your school's international office, and immigration.
How many hours you may work depends on your Korean ability and your level of study.
That last part surprises people, so it is worth reading properly.
PERMISSION FIRST. THIS IS THE WHOLE POINT.
Most obligations in Korea are reports you file after something happens — you moved, you
changed jobs. This one is different. 자격외활동허가 (permission for activity outside
your status) is granted in advance, and you may only start once it is approved.
Not when you applied. When it is approved.
A part-time job, tutoring, a weekend shift, freelance work on the side — if it is not
what your visa is for, it needs permission first. "I didn't know" is expensive: fines
for unauthorised activity run from 100,000 to 2,000,000 KRW depending on how long it
went on, and the record follows you into your next extension.
HOW MANY HOURS (AS OF 2026)
Hours are tied to Korean language ability, measured by TOPIK level. As of 2026:
Undergraduate, years 1–2, TOPIK level 3 or above up to 25 hours per week
Undergraduate, years 3–4, TOPIK level 4 or above up to 25 hours per week
Graduate students (master's/doctoral), TOPIK 4+ up to 30 hours per week
Not meeting the language requirement up to 10 hours per week
During vacations, weekends and public holidays, students who meet the language
requirement may work without the weekly hour limit — but still only in the workplace and
job type your permission covers.
These figures were revised in 2026 and will be revised again. Confirm the current numbers
before you rely on them:
https://www.hikorea.go.kr
Note what the language rule really means: improving your TOPIK level does not just help
your studies, it directly changes how much you are allowed to earn.
NOT EVERY JOB QUALIFIES
Permission is granted for a specific workplace and a specific type of work. Some
industries are excluded entirely, and manual or adult-entertainment sectors are the
usual examples.
Two consequences people miss:
- Changing employer means the permission does not automatically carry over. Ask before
you switch, not after.
- Working somewhere not covered by your permission counts as unauthorised activity
even though you technically "have permission".
HOW TO APPLY
1. Get a job offer first. The application names the employer, so you cannot apply in
the abstract.
2. Go to your school's international office. They confirm you are attending properly
and that your grades and attendance are in order. Schools handle this constantly —
they are your best first stop, and they will tell you the current requirements.
3. Apply to immigration, usually through HiKorea, with the school's confirmation and
your employer's details.
4. Wait for approval. Then start.
Keep the approval document. If anyone asks — a labour inspection, a future extension —
it is the thing that proves you did this properly.
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED WITHOUT PERMISSION
Do not simply keep going and hope. The exposure grows the longer it continues, because
the fine scales with duration, and an extension review sees the whole picture.
Talk to your school's international office first. They have seen this before and they
are not immigration enforcement. 1345 also answers questions like this with
interpretation, free.
And separately: if you worked and were not paid, that is a wage claim, and your right to
be paid does not depend on having had the right permission. Those are two different
matters handled by two different offices — the labour guide on this site covers it.
BEFORE YOU TAKE THE JOB
- Get the working hours in writing and check them against your limit. Going over is
your problem, not the employer's, and some employers will not track it for you.
- Make sure the hours actually fit around your classes. Attendance and grades are
conditions of the permission — losing them can cost you both the job and the visa.
- Keep a record of hours worked. It protects you in both directions.
WHERE TO CHECK
HiKorea (application, current rules): https://www.hikorea.go.kr
Immigration Contact Center: 1345 (interpretation available, free)
Plain-language legal guide (Korean): https://easylaw.go.kr
Ministry of Employment and Labour: https://www.moel.go.kr
Your school's international office is often faster and more specific than any of these,
because they know your programme and deal with this every week.
Written by the Go Korea team, accurate to the best of our knowledge as of September 2026.
Hour limits and language requirements were revised during 2026 and will change again;
requirements also differ by school and programme. Confirm with your international office
or HiKorea before acting. This is general information, not immigration advice.
If the rules you were given differed from this page, please reply and say so. This is an
area where practice varies between schools and offices, and hearing what actually
happened is worth more than a summary.