D-2 students may work in Korea, but only after Korea Immigration Service issues a part-time work permit and only within hours tied to their Korean level. A bachelor's student with TOPIK 3 in years 1–2, or TOPIK 4 in years 3–4, may work up to 25 hours on weekdays and without an hourly cap at weekends, on public holidays and in vacations. Without the required level, the limit is 10 hours a week (15 for graduate students). The minimum wage is $7.56 (KRW 10,320) an hour in 2026 and $7.84 (KRW 10,700) from 2027.
Below: the hours table by year and TOPIK level, how to get the permit, prohibited jobs, penalties, realistic earnings, tax, and what changes after graduation. Checked against the Hi Korea stay manual (revision of 18 September 2026) and Ministry of Employment and Labor documents on 23 September 2026.
Who can work and when
| Status | When you can apply | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Junior college, bachelor's, master's, PhD (D-2-1 to D-2-4) | Immediately after registering in Korea | Full-time study, previous-semester GPA of C (2.0) or above, university confirmation |
| Exchange (D-2-6), work-study (D-2-7) | Immediately | Case-by-case review |
| Visiting student (D-2-8), language course (D-4-1, D-4-7) | Six months after entry or status change | Language courses: attendance of at least 90% |
| Research programme (D-2-5) | Not covered by the student part-time rules | Separate permission for the specific activity |
"Immediately" still means after your Alien Registration Card, the university's confirmation and the immigration permit. In the first semester there is no previous-semester GPA to check; the regional pilot rules state this exception explicitly.
Students who have finished the standard length of a bachelor's but stay on to make up credits are not eligible. The exception is master's and PhD candidates writing a thesis after completing coursework: up to 30 hours a week, without unlimited weekends or vacations.
Permitted hours
These limits have applied since July 2023 and are unchanged in the 2026 Hi Korea manual.
| Programme | Korean level required | Without it | With it: weekdays | With it: weekends, holidays, vacations | Bonus (weekdays) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior college | TOPIK 3 | 10 h | 25 h | No cap | 30 h |
| Bachelor's, years 1–2 | TOPIK 3 | 10 h | 25 h | No cap | 30 h |
| Bachelor's, years 3–4 | TOPIK 4 | 10 h | 25 h | No cap | 30 h |
| Master's, PhD | TOPIK 4 | 15 h | 30 h | No cap | 35 h |
TOPIK alternatives. Instead of TOPIK 3: KIIP stage 3 (or 61 points on its pre-assessment) or a King Sejong Institute intermediate 1 course. Instead of TOPIK 4: KIIP stage 4 (81 points) or intermediate 2. On English tracks, where at least half of the credits are taught in English, TOEFL iBT 71, IELTS 5.5, CEFR B2 or TEPS 601 count in any year; nationals of native English-speaking countries are exempt.
The +5-hour bonus goes to students who meet the language requirement and also study at a certified university, had an A average last semester, or hold TOPIK 5 (KIIP stage 5).
Language courses (D-4). Permits come after six months of study, for up to six months and one workplace only. The university confirmation form states a limit of 20 hours a week for language students, and there is no unlimited weekend or vacation rule.
Regional pilots. Under the 2025–2026 regional visa pilots, some cities raised limits for students in selected departments; in Seoul this covers core science and engineering fields such as robotics, AI, biotech and fintech. Hi Korea publishes the list of universities and departments. The pilot runs until 31 December 2026.
Your TOPIK level directly affects income: the difference between 10 and 25 hours a week is more than double. See our TOPIK exam guide.
Getting the permit in five steps
- Agree terms with the employer and sign a standard employment contract stating the hourly wage, address, duties, term, days and hours. Set the start date with a margin: you may not work before the permit.
- Get the university's confirmation. The international office completes the part-time work confirmation for international students and states your hour limit.
- Prepare the file: application form, passport, ARC, transcript or attendance record (unless available through the FIMS system), language certificate, copies of the employer's business registration and ID, and the contract. If the business registration lists manufacturing or construction, add the employer's compliance declaration.
- Apply online on Hi Korea or by appointment at immigration. There is no fee for D-2 and D-4 students.
- Start only after the decision. A submission receipt is not a permit. Check that the permit names your employer, address, duties and period.
A D-2 permit lasts up to one year within your visa period, with no more than two workplaces at a time; hours across workplaces are added together. If your employer or workplace changes, get a new permit before starting.
Prohibited work
The Hi Korea manual does not permit:
- construction, without exception;
- manufacturing and other E-9 sectors (subject to the exceptions below) and work on fishing vessels;
- professional activities at E-1 to E-7 level, including teaching languages and private tutoring;
- courier and delivery-platform work, designated driving, insurance sales, home-study tutoring and door-to-door sales;
- work through staffing agencies, subcontracting or brokers;
- workplaces far from your university or home;
- employers previously sanctioned for illegal hiring;
- businesses contrary to public morals.
Exceptions: manufacturing with TOPIK 4 or above for a specific approved workplace; safety or play assistant roles at English kids' cafés and camps, if you do not teach; seasonal work under the government seasonal-worker scheme; assistant work in E-1 to E-7 fields, plus internships (during study for work-study students, during vacations for other degree students). If a profession is licensed in Korea, interns need the licence too.
Work that needs no separate permit
- Paid research assistance at your own university when it is linked to your studies (unrelated work needs a permit).
- Compulsory placements in your curriculum and the Ministry of Education's standard field-practice semester.
- One-off honoraria, prizes and similar everyday payments.
Research work outside your own university follows separate rules. If it is linked to your studies, you need the ordinary part-time permit; if not, a separate permit for activities outside your status. You cannot work as a staff researcher at a company, including a university's industry-cooperation foundation, on a D-2: that requires a change of status. Master's and PhD students hired as "student researchers" by government-funded research institutes follow a separate procedure.
Penalties
| Violation | First time | Second time | Third time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working without a permit | Fine if minor; allowed to stay | Deportation | — |
| Illegal work in construction | Departure order at once | — | — |
| Breaching permit conditions (hours, place, type of work) | Formal warning | No part-time work for the rest of your studies | Cancellation of student status |
Employers who hire students without a permit are also liable.
How much you can earn
The minimum wage is $7.56 (KRW 10,320) an hour in 2026 and $7.84 (KRW 10,700) in 2027, as confirmed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on 5 August 2026. If you work at least 15 hours a week on average for one employer, the law also requires a paid weekly day off, pro rata to your hours.
| Pattern (2026 minimum wage) | Per week | Per month, approx. |
|---|---|---|
| 10 h a week, no paid day off | $76 (KRW 103,200) | $328 (KRW 448,000) |
| 25 h a week + paid day off | $227 (KRW 309,600) | $985 (KRW 1,345,000) |
| 30 h a week + paid day off | $272 (KRW 371,520) | $1,182 (KRW 1,614,000) |
Our calculation, before tax and contributions, using "weekly hours ÷ 40 × 8 paid hours" for the weekly day off and the average number of weeks per month. Actual pay may exceed the minimum, especially with good Korean.
Tax. Korea's National Tax Service distinguishes two cases. If you work for one employer for less than three months and are paid by the day or hour, you are a daily worker: tax is withheld only on the part of a day's pay above $110 (KRW 150,000), and no year-end return is needed, so students on the minimum wage usually pay none. With a contract of three months or more, or a monthly salary, the employer withholds tax using the simplified table and settles it at year end.
Practical points: even 25 hours a week will not pay private-university tuition in Seoul, though it can cover a real share of living costs (see cost of studying in Korea); future earnings do not replace the funds you must show for the visa; and wages are usually paid into a Korean bank account, which is easier to open once you have your ARC.
Typical student jobs
Permits usually cover work compatible with study: café and restaurant help, retail and duty-free, office and event assistance, tour-guide assistance and assistant translation or interpreting. The manual stresses relevance to your major and compatibility with study, so the closer the job is to your programme, the easier it is to justify. Most jobs need conversational Korean; in the first year, campus jobs and roles using your native language are more realistic.
After graduation: D-10 and work
D-2 ends with your studies. To stay and look for work, graduates switch to the D-10 job-seeker visa:
- The first switch after a Korean degree (junior college or above) is exempt from the points test and gives one year. You can also leave and apply for a D-10 from abroad without points within one year of graduating.
- Graduates with TOPIK 4 or KIIP stage 4 within three years of graduation can stay on D-10 for up to three years, one year at a time.
- Part-time work on D-10 is possible with a Korean degree less than three years old and TOPIK 4 or KIIP stage 4: up to 25 weekday hours, no cap at weekends, or 30 hours with KIIP stage 5. The permit fee is $88 (KRW 120,000).
- Internships on D-10 are allowed at companies eligible to hire foreigners, up to one year in total with the same company.
Moving to an E-7 work visa requires a job offer meeting the Ministry of Justice's occupation and salary criteria; immigration decides.
Common mistakes
- Starting work as soon as the employer agrees, before the permit.
- Moving to another café without a new permit.
- Assuming everyone gets unlimited weekends; only D-2 students who meet the language requirement do.
- Taking motorbike delivery or teaching English to children.
- Working so much that your GPA drops below C and the permit is not renewed.
- Counting on earnings in your first months, before any permit exists.
FAQ
Yes, on D-2-1 to D-2-4 there is no six-month wait. Without TOPIK 3 the limit is 10 hours a week. Language-course and visiting students must wait six months.
D-2 students who meet the language requirement have no hourly cap in vacations, at weekends and on public holidays. Language-course students and those without the required level keep their term-time limit.
No, if you hold TOEFL iBT 71, IELTS 5.5, CEFR B2 or TEPS 601; these count instead of TOPIK in any year.
No. Language teaching is professional E-2 activity and is not allowed on D-2 or D-4. You may work as an assistant at an English kids' café or camp if you do not teach.
Nothing for D-2 and D-4 students. For graduates on a D-10 visa the fee is $88 (KRW 120,000).
The Hi Korea manual has no specific rule on remote work by students. Any paid work on a D-2 requires permission, so check with immigration before accepting.
We do not place students in jobs. Under a service agreement we help you choose a university and programme with a clear view of part-time limits and the D-10 route after graduation. Permits are issued by Korea Immigration Service. See studying in South Korea.
Sources
- Hi Korea: stay manual (revision of 18.09.2026) — D-2 and D-4 part-time rules, hour limits, prohibitions, penalties, D-10, regional pilots, fees; checked 23.09.2026
- Korea.kr (Ministry of Employment and Labor): 2027 minimum wage $7.84 (KRW 10,700), notice of 05.08.2026 and the notice on the Ministry site — checked 23.09.2026
- Ministry of Employment and Labor, 1350 helpline: paid weekly holiday conditions (Labor Standards Act, Art. 55) — checked 23.09.2026
- National Tax Service: daily vs regular employment income and withholding — checked 23.09.2026
- Study in Korea: employment in Korea — checked 23.09.2026
- Exchange rate: ECB reference rate of 23.09.2026, EUR 1 = USD 1.1411 = KRW 1,558.00, i.e. USD 1 ≈ KRW 1,365
Next steps
- TOPIK Exam Guide 2026–2027: Levels, Scores, Test Dates and Where to Sit It
- Cost of Studying in Korea 2026: Tuition per Semester, Living Costs and a First-Year Budget
- Studying in South Korea for international applicants
- Bachelor's Degrees in Korea: How to Apply After High School and What It Costs
- China or Korea for Studying: Costs, Language, Admission, Scholarships and Work Compared
- Master's in Korea: Requirements, Application Windows and Funding for 2027
