Home › In Korea › Part-time work
Part-time work: permit first, everything else second
Two bodies of law apply at once: whether you may work (Immigration Act) and what you must be paid (Labor Standards & Minimum Wage Acts). Following only one costs you on the other. Pick your visa below.
Choose your visa
The principleWork on D-2 is prohibited by default and allowed only with advance permission (Immigration Act Arts. 18, 20). The permit must exist before your first shift.
The procedure: sequence is everything
- ① Secure the job + get a standard labor contract (stating wage, duties, hours). You also need the business registration copy and the employer’s ID copy.
- ② Get the "part-time employment confirmation" from your school’s international student officer: a prerequisite, so your timeline depends on their response speed.
- ③ Apply on HiKorea e-application (attach transcripts/attendance and Korean-proficiency proof).
- ④ Processing: normally 10 days, up to 2 months if investigation is needed. You may start working only after the permit is issued.
- ⑤ A new employer means a new permit, in advance. D-2 holders may work at up to 2 places within their allowed hours.
Permit length: up to 1 year within your stay. Permission can be limited if your last-semester GPA is below C (2.0).
Based on the Ministry of Justice Stay-Permit Manual, August 2026 edition · Fee: listed as exempt on HiKorea (confirm on the application screen)
Why we do not print the weekly hour capsYour cap depends on program level (bachelor/graduate/language), Korean proficiency (TOPIK etc.), whether your school is certified, and term vs. vacation. But even within MOJ documents, the main table and the annex forms show different values (verified against the 2026-08-07 edition). A wrong number here could cost you your visa, so we leave it blank on purpose. Get your personal cap from ☎1345 and your international office: if they differ, the final call belongs to your local immigration office (1345 is a helpline).
Fields where permits are refused
Read this before the listBelow is the gist of the MOJ manual’s restricted fields. Absence from this list does NOT mean automatic approval: screening is case-by-case and the guidance changes often.
- Manufacturing and construction (E-9 industries): though manufacturing opens exceptionally with Korean level 4 or above
- Courier, delivery riders, designated drivers, insurance sales, door-to-door sales, and similar gig work
- Dispatch, subcontracting, or agency-mediated jobs
- Adult entertainment and similar, long-distance workplaces, and businesses with past illegal-hiring penalties
Some fields open exceptionally (English kids-café safety aides, seasonal farm work, professional-field assistant/intern roles). The lists are examples: the only safe move is confirming your specific job with ☎1345 before starting.
Based on the Ministry of Justice Stay-Permit Manual, August 2026 edition (restricted/exception fields)
What actually happens if you work without a permit
Remember these with the article numbers
- Unpermitted work violates Immigration Act Art. 18(1): Art. 94 allows up to 3 years’ imprisonment or a KRW 30M fine. Administrative fines are tiered by violation length.
- MOJ processing standard (Aug 2026 edition): a minor 1st offense may end with a fine and continued stay; a 2nd means deportation. Construction work: exit order, no exceptions.
- Violating permit conditions has its own ladder: 1st = stern warning → 2nd = part-time work banned for your remaining studies → 3rd = student status cancelled.
- Employers are punishable too (Art. 18(3)). Use that as your legal ground to refuse any boss who suggests starting "just a few days" early.
Our promise on this pageWe never cover how to avoid enforcement: only the legal path and what you stand to lose. Actual dispositions vary by case and history; immigration offices make the call.
As important as the permit: collecting everything you earned
- The 2026 minimum wage is KRW 10,320/hour (all industries, all workplaces). There is no legal basis to pay students less.
- If you average 15+ hours/week over 4 weeks, weekly holiday pay and annual leave apply (Labor Standards Act Arts. 55, 60; Art. 18(3)). These are the most commonly withheld items in part-time jobs.
- A written pay statement is the employer’s legal duty (Art. 48(2)): even at small shops with fewer than 5 staff.
- Unpaid wages? Call ☎1350 (Ministry of Employment and Labor): you can consult and file regardless of your visa situation.
Looking for openings? Browse our jobs info board. We only display postings: no matching, no brokering. Contact employers directly through the posting, and start work only after your permit is issued.