Seoul expands visa

Seoul will expand startup support for foreign residents as more international residents say they want to stay in the city but struggle to find economic opportunities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it will introduce two new programs to support foreign entrepreneurs.

One will provide practical education on starting and running a business in Korea, covering taxation, accounting, legal issues and Korean business culture.

The other will connect promising foreign entrepreneurs with investors, giving startup founders opportunities to pitch their business ideas and attract funding.

The programs will be held at the Seoul Global Center in central Seoul under the Overall Assistance for Startup Immigration System, or OASIS, jointly run by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

The nationwide OASIS framework consists of nine programs. The Seoul Global Center will operate eight of them, including the two new courses, the highest number among OASIS centers across the country.

“Understanding Korea’s institutional and business environment is just as important as having a good business idea,” a Seoul government official said.

“We will continue building a startup ecosystem for foreign entrepreneurs while providing systematic support, from strengthening startup capabilities to commercialization.”

The OASIS program gives foreign nationals advantages when applying for the startup visa (D-8-4) and startup preparation visa (D-10-2), depending on their program completion records, making it a key pathway for those hoping to launch businesses in Korea.

Since July 2023, the Seoul Global Center has supported 529 prospective entrepreneurs. It has also helped foreign nationals establish 27 companies and 21 incorporated organizations.

The expansion comes as more foreign residents express interest in remaining in Seoul for the long term, while many continue to cite limited economic opportunities as a major challenge.

According to the city’s 2025 survey of 2,500 foreign residents, 75 percent said they intend to continue living in Seoul, up 19 percentage points from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, 81.8 percent said they would recommend Seoul to family members or relatives. The city said the growing interest has been driven in part by the global popularity of Korean culture, alongside Seoul’s reputation for safety and convenient public transportation.

However, 31.1 percent said it remains difficult to find economic opportunities in Seoul. In response, the city is expanding employment and entrepreneurship support programs, including OASIS and job-readiness lectures, through foreign resident centers across the city.

The number of foreign residents in Seoul rose 15 percent over the past five years to 279,629 in 2025. Residents from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh recorded particularly sharp increases of 362 percent, 262 percent and 97 percent, respectively.