South Korea Job Seeker Visa for Indians: Who Can Apply

The rules below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026, mainly the KVAC's D-10-1 requirements sheet. For other Korean visas and the general application flow, see our South Korea visa hub for Indians.

Who is eligible for the D-10-1 visa?

You need to meet any one of four conditions. Each has a 3-year look-back, so older experience or degrees do not count.

That rules out most Indian graduates and professionals. A degree from an Indian university outside the THE top 200, or experience at a company not on the Fortune Global 500 list, does not meet the published criteria on its own.

Which jobs can you look for on a D-10-1?

The visa is for people seeking professional work in the E-1 to E-7 fields. The KVAC lists them as professor, foreign-language instructor, researcher, technician, professional, artist or athlete, and special-ability foreign national.

One field is excluded: E-6-2 work at adult entertainment establishments. If an offer you are chasing falls in that category, the job seeker visa cannot be used to look for it.

Once you find an employer, the usual work route for skilled roles is the E-7. Its 2026 minimum annual wages, set by Ministry of Justice Notice 2025-406, run from KRW 25.89 million (E-7-2 and E-7-3) to KRW 31.12 million (E-7-1).

What documents do Indian applicants submit?

The D-10-1 sheet lists general documents plus two that apply specifically to Indian applicants.

• Plan: an employment-seeking outline or employment activity plan.
• CV and education proof: degree certificates; Korean graduates also give a transcript.
• Funds: 6 months' bank statements certified by an Indian bank with sufficient balance. No minimum amount is stated.
• For Indian applicants: a TB certificate from a designated hospital in India.
• For Indian applicants: a letter of invitation and a personal reference (letter of guarantee) from Korea, both notarised by a notary public in Korea.

The general KVAC basics also apply: a passport with more than 6 months' validity, 2 passport-sized colour photographs and the printed e-Form from the Korea Visa Portal.

How long can you stay, and what does it cost?

The D-10-1 is a single-entry visa valid for 3 months, with a period of stay of up to 6 months. You enter once and search from inside Korea.

No separate D-10-1 fee is published. For reference, the Embassy's fees from 1 August 2026 are INR 3,600 for single entry up to 90 days and INR 5,400 for single entry over 90 days; the KVAC does not say which applies to a job seeker, so confirm before you submit. The Chennai/Bengaluru VFS charge is listed as Rs. 1380 on checklists and Rs. 1600 on centre pages.

General KVAC timelines apply while the file is assessed: normal processing is 25 working days minimum in Chennai and 27 in Bengaluru, excluding the day of submission. You can track the file on the Korea Visa Portal with the 14-digit reference number the centre gives you, which starts with 170 for Chennai and 171 for Bengaluru.

What is the new Pre-Top-Tier (D-10) status?

On 16 July 2026, the Embassy posted a Ministry of Justice notice expanding the Top-Tier visa. It says master's-or-higher graduates of the world's top 100 universities can get "Pre-Top-Tier (D-10)" job-seeking status.

This is narrower than the D-10-1 on ranking (top 100, not top 200) but aimed at higher-degree holders. The same notice says Top-Tier holders get F-2 residence and can apply for permanent residency after 3 years. Read the Embassy's Top-Tier notice before choosing between the two.

Where should you submit, and what to check first?

You submit at the Korean Visa Application Centre for the office covering your state.

Before you apply:

• The D-10-1 checklist is published by the Chennai/Bengaluru KVAC. The Mumbai-jurisdiction VFS visa-type list does not show it, so confirm with that centre first.
• Get the Korean notarisation done early; both Korean letters must be notarised in Korea.
• Mumbai-jurisdiction centres accept applications only if travel is within one month of submission (VFS notice, 21 September 2026).

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us on our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can a fresh graduate from an Indian university get the Korean job seeker visa?

Only if the university is in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings top 200 and you graduated within the last 3 years. Otherwise you need one of the other three routes, such as at least 1 year at a Fortune Global 500 company.

How much money must I show for a South Korea job seeker visa?

The KVAC asks for 6 months' bank statements certified by an Indian bank with sufficient balance for living expenses in Korea, but states no amount. Keep the statements consistent and certified by the bank.

Can Indians use a Korean working holiday visa to look for jobs instead?

No. Korea's Working Holiday Program covers 30 countries and regions (list dated May 2026), and India is not one of them.

Can I work while on the D-10-1 visa?

The KVAC describes the D-10-1 as a visa for people looking for professional work in E-1 to E-7 fields. Once you have an offer, the employer-sponsored route is a work visa such as the E-7, issued against a visa issuance number from Korea.