Options for South Korea Nationals
South Korea holds one of the world's most powerful passports, offering near-universal visa-free travel. However, its restrictive dual citizenship rules and mandatory military service obligations for males make renunciation or naturalization a carefully considered decision for Korean nationals living abroad.
Your Passport
Passport Rank
#2
Visa-Free
193
destinations
restricted
residence based
Key Considerations for South Korea Nationals
- 01Male dual nationals must complete mandatory military service (18ā21 months) before they can renounce Korean citizenship; failure to do so results in legal consequences
- 02Dual citizenship is only permitted for those born with it who formally choose to retain it before age 22; naturalized citizens must renounce prior nationality
- 03South Korea taxes worldwide income for residents, with progressive rates up to 45% plus local surtax
- 04Complex inheritance and gift tax regime with rates up to 50%; family-held business succession rules are strict
- 05National Pension Service contributions are mandatory for employed residents; treaty provisions vary by country
- 06South Korea has an extensive tax treaty network but exit tax rules apply to high-net-worth individuals departing with significant assets
Program Restrictions
general: Requires renunciation of prior citizenship for most applicants; exceptions only for those born with dual nationality
general: Male dual nationals born after 1 January 1951 must fulfill or be exempted from military service before any renunciation of Korean citizenship is permitted
Visa Programs Available to You
68 programsPortugal D7 Passive Income Visa
Portugal PRT
Processing
2mo
Min. Income
$820
Citizenship
5y
Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa
Portugal PRT
Processing
2mo
Min. Income
$3,280
Citizenship
5y
Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
Portugal PRT
Processing
6mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
5y
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Spain ESP
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$2,800
Citizenship
10y
Spain Digital Nomad Visa
Spain ESP
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$2,800
Citizenship
10y
Italy Elective Residence Visa
Italy ITA
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$33,000
Citizenship
10y
Greece Golden Visa
Greece GRC
Processing
4mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
7y
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)
Malta MLT
Processing
6mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
No
Banking That Accepts Your Passport
10 optionsWise (formerly TransferWise)
multi currency account
40 currencies
Free
Revolut
digital bank
36 currencies
Free
N26
digital bank
1 currencies
Free
Chase UK
digital bank
1 currencies
Free
HSBC Expat
traditional bank
19 currencies
$35/mo
Interactive Brokers
brokerage
23 currencies
Free
Charles Schwab International
brokerage
1 currencies
Free
Standard Chartered
traditional bank
12 currencies
$10/mo
DBS Bank Singapore
traditional bank
13 currencies
$7/mo
Emirates NBD
traditional bank
6 currencies
Free
Company Formation Jurisdictions
12 jurisdictionsUK Private Limited Company (Ltd)
Setup: $50
25% (19% for profits under GBP 50,000; marginal relief between GBP 50,000ā250,000)
Banking: moderate
US Delaware LLC
Setup: $200
0% at state level (no Delaware state income tax on out-of-state activity); federal tax depends on election (pass-through by default or C-Corp election)
Banking: moderate
US Wyoming LLC
Setup: $100
0% at state level (no Wyoming state income tax); federal tax depends on entity election
Banking: moderate
Estonia OĆ (Private Limited Company)
Setup: $265
0% on retained earnings; 20% on distributed profits (unique deferred distribution tax model)
Banking: difficult
Dubai DMCC Free Zone Company
Setup: $8,500
9% UAE Corporate Tax (effective June 2023) on taxable profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons meeting substance requirements
Banking: moderate
Dubai IFZA Free Zone Company
Setup: $5,500
9% UAE Corporate Tax on profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons on qualifying income
Banking: moderate
Singapore Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)
Setup: $400
17% headline rate; effective rate often 8ā10% due to startup tax exemptions (75% exemption on first SGD 100,000 for first 3 years)
Banking: moderate
Hong Kong Private Limited Company
Setup: $500
16.5% standard; 8.25% on first HKD 2 million of assessable profits (two-tiered regime)
Banking: difficult
BVI Business Company (BC)
Setup: $2,000
0% (no corporate income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax)
Banking: difficult
Cayman Islands LLC
Setup: $3,500
0% (no corporate tax, income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax; 20-year tax exemption certificate available)
Banking: difficult
Portugal Lda (Sociedade por Quotas)
Setup: $1,200
21% standard IRC; 17% on first EUR 25,000 for SMEs; municipal surcharge up to 1.5%; RFAI and other incentives available
Banking: moderate
Georgia Individual Entrepreneur (IE) with Virtual Zone
Setup: $50
1% on turnover up to GEL 500,000/year (Small Business Status); 0% on IT/software exports for Virtual Zone Person status; standard rate 15% corporate + 5% dividend withholding
Banking: easy
Citizenship by Investment
10 programsMalta Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment
Malta
From
$690,000
Processing
14mo
Visa-Free
186
Due Diligence
extensive
St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment
St Kitts and Nevis
From
$250,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
157
Due Diligence
enhanced
Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment
Dominica
From
$100,000
Processing
5mo
Visa-Free
144
Due Diligence
enhanced
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment
Antigua and Barbuda
From
$130,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
151
Due Diligence
enhanced
Grenada Citizenship by Investment
Grenada
From
$150,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
148
Due Diligence
enhanced
St Lucia Citizenship by Investment
St Lucia
From
$100,000
Processing
5mo
Visa-Free
146
Due Diligence
enhanced
Turkish Citizenship by Investment
Turkey
From
$400,000
Processing
4mo
Visa-Free
110
Due Diligence
standard
Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment (DSP / VDSP)
Vanuatu
From
$130,000
Processing
2mo
Visa-Free
113
Due Diligence
standard
Egyptian Citizenship by Investment
Egypt
From
$300,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
53
Due Diligence
standard
Jordanian Citizenship by Investment
Jordan
From
$750,000
Processing
9mo
Visa-Free
57
Due Diligence
enhanced