F-6 holder — do I need extra permits to work remotely for an overseas company?

I got my F-6 in September after marrying my husband (he is from 부산) in March. My old company in Hanoi has been asking me to help them open Korean wholesale buyer accounts for their clothing brand. Mostly online — emails, video calls — but maybe a few in-person meetings with shop owners here.

Is this counted as working under F-6? Do I need to register a business or get an extra permit? My friend told me F-6 has no restrictions but I don't want to make a mistake because my Korean is still very basic and I cannot read all the immigration documents myself.

Also if I do this for a foreign company and they pay me to my Vietnamese account, does this need to be declared in Korea?

2 replies

u/AnnaTutorSeoul

Verified · F-6 resident · Freelance tutor·1d ago

Quick answer: yes you can do this, F-6 covers it. The longer answer is honestly more about taxes than visa.

Visa side: F-6 is one of the most flexible visas in Korea. You can work for any employer (Korean or foreign), you can be self-employed, you can do remote work for an overseas company. No separate work permit. The only things you can't do are visa-restricted activities like teaching at an EPIK position that's reserved for E-2 holders — that kind of thing doesn't apply to you.

Tax side: if you're paid into a Vietnam account from a Vietnam company, technically that's still Korean tax-resident income because you live in Korea (over 183 days). You're supposed to declare it on your 종합소득세 in May. Most people in your situation either:
- Declare it themselves (income tax software in English exists)
- Hire an accountant for the first year and copy their work
- Just receive smaller amounts and not bother (not officially recommended, but reality)

If you start receiving meaningful amounts (say 1M+/month), get the accountant for at least one filing season. Costs maybe 200-400k for the year, saves you a lot of "did I do this right" anxiety.

u/SeojinVisaHelp

Verified expert · Immigration paralegal·1d ago

Confirming what user above said about the visa — F-6 covers everything you're describing.

One technical note that might come up later: if the Vietnam company wants you to sign contracts on their behalf with Korean buyers — like, you're authorized to bind them legally — that can trigger "permanent establishment" rules under the Korea-Vietnam tax treaty. Their Vietnam business could end up having to pay Korean corporate tax. Usually only matters when revenue gets large or contracts are long-term, but worth knowing.

For the work you described (intro/sales, casual meetings) you're well below that line. You're acting as their introducer/representative, not their legal arm in Korea.

Paperwork-wise: nothing required to start. If you want to scale up later, you can register as 개인사업자 (sole proprietor) — free, takes 10 minutes at the local 세무서 (tax office), gives you a 사업자등록증 you can use for invoicing. The 사업자 status doesn't change your visa, just makes business activities tidier.

For the immigration English help — the Immigration Contact Center is 1345, you can press for English language. Patient + accurate, free service.