Part-Time Work Permits for International Students in Korea (D-2/D-4, 2026)

International students on D-2 (study) and D-4 (language training) can't work freely. To take a part-time job (아르바이트) you need prior permission for part-time employment (시간제취업 허가), a type of permission for activities outside your status (Immigration Act, Art. 20). Working without it breaks the Immigration Act. The government's Study in Korea site cites fines of up to 30 million KRW for working unpermitted at a restaurant. It can also affect your visa, and the employer can be penalized too.

Who can apply (as of Oct 2026)

• D-2 sub-types D-2-1 to D-2-4, D-2-6, D-2-7: from the start of studies.
• D-4-1, D-4-7 language trainees and D-2-8 visiting students: only after 6 months from entry or status change.
• You need your school's international office confirmation, a minimum GPA (commonly C / 2.0 in the previous semester) or attendance rate (language students: 90%+), and the required Korean level for full hours.
• Not eligible: D-2-5 research students, people with past violations, and (with exceptions) those given extra time only because they failed to graduate on time.

Weekly hour limits (2026)

Students at certified universities, or with excellent grades or advanced Korean, may get +5 h on weekdays (e.g., 30 h for bachelor's, 35 h for graduate students). English-track students can use English scores instead (e.g., TOEFL iBT 71, IELTS 5.5). *Source: Study in Korea (studyinkorea.go.kr), Korea Immigration Service's Guide by Status of Stay as summarized on easylaw.go.kr, and university notices. Confirm the current table with your school.*

Workplace limits

D-2 permission is usually for up to 2 workplaces, valid for up to 1 year within your stay. D-4 is up to 1 workplace for up to 6 months.

The full guide covers the exact application steps, the documents, how to check whether a job is allowed, your pay rights (minimum wage, weekly holiday pay), what to do when you change jobs, and the most common ways students get in trouble.

Step 1 — Check the job is allowed

Generally allowed: jobs a student would normally do, such as cafés, restaurants, convenience stores, retail, office assistant work, on-campus jobs, and translation help.

Restricted or banned (typical):

• Manufacturing: allowed only with TOPIK 4 / KIIP 4 or equivalent, per school notices; otherwise banned
• Construction
• Entertainment and adult venues, jobs against public morals
• Private tutoring (개인과외): strictly restricted
• Jobs needing a professional licence or status (E-1~E-7) unless the specific internship rules apply
• Some delivery and driving jobs; check with your school

If the employer's business registration lists both restricted and non-restricted business types, you may work only in the non-restricted part.

Step 2 — Get a proper contract

• Use the standard employment contract (표준근로계약서), which must show hourly wage, working hours and days, and workplace address.
• Hourly wage must be at least the 2026 minimum wage: 10,320 KRW (Minimum Wage Commission / Ministry of Employment and Labor).

Step 3 — School confirmation

Bring your contract and the employer's business registration copy to your international office. They complete the Part-time Employment Confirmation for International Students (외국인 유학생 시간제 취업 확인서), checking your GPA or attendance through FIMS.

Phrase: "시간제 취업 확인서 받으러 왔어요. 근로계약서랑 사업자등록증 사본 가져왔어요." *(I'm here for the part-time work confirmation. I brought the contract and business registration copy.)*

Step 4 — Apply (online or visit)

Online: HiKorea → e-Application → Part-time employment permission for D-2/D-4-1 (유학생 및 어학연수생 시간제취업 허가). Office: book a visit reservation.

Documents

• [ ] Application form, passport, ARC
• [ ] School confirmation form (시간제 취업 확인서)
• [ ] Transcript or attendance certificate (can be skipped if FIMS shows it)
• [ ] Korean proficiency proof (TOPIK, KIIP, Sejong) or English proof for English tracks, if claiming full hours
• [ ] Employer's business registration certificate (사업자등록증) copy
• [ ] Standard employment contract
• [ ] Compliance pledge (시간제 취업 요건 준수 확인서) where required

Fee

The Enforcement Rules (Art. 72) set a 20,000 KRW fee for permission outside one's status for D-2/D-4 part-time work. Several university guides, however, describe the fee as waived (면제). Check with your school or HiKorea at application time.

Step 5 — Wait for approval, then start

Approval comes as a sticker or stamp on your passport/ARC record, or as a printable online permission. Don't work, not even a "trial shift", before approval.

Step 6 — Changes

• New employer: file the change of workplace report (시간제취업 업체변경 신고) on HiKorea before starting there.
• Extra job: you need permission for each workplace, up to the cap.
• Permission expires: reapply. It doesn't renew automatically.

Your pay rights

• Minimum wage: 10,320 KRW/h in 2026.
• Weekly holiday pay (주휴수당): if you work 15+ hours per week as scheduled, you're entitled to an extra paid day's wage per week.
• Pay slip (임금명세서): employers must give one.
• Overtime and night work premiums apply at workplaces with 5+ employees.
• Unpaid wages: call the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 1350 (multilingual), or file online.

Hours math example

A bachelor's 2nd-year student with TOPIK 3 in the middle of the semester can work 25 h on weekdays plus unlimited hours on weekends. Without TOPIK 3, the same student is limited to 10 h, so a 4-hour shift four times a week (16 h) would be a violation.

Penalties for working without permission

• Fines under the Immigration Act for both student and employer.
• Possible refusal of visa extension, loss of permission to work in future, or departure order/deportation for repeated or serious cases.
• Records follow you to future visa applications (e.g. D-10 job-seeker or E-7).

Internships and after graduation

• Paid internships linked to your degree may need a separate permission — check with your school.
• After graduation, the D-10 job-seeker visa allows a job search and limited internship activity; E-7 or other work visas need a sponsoring employer.

Taxes on part-time income

• Employers may withhold income tax (for daily workers, often little or none at low pay).
• Freelance-style jobs paid with 3.3% withholding must be reported in the May comprehensive income tax filing — you may get part of it back.

Common mistakes

• Starting before permission. This is the most common violation.
• Going over weekday hours by covering extra shifts.
• Working at a third workplace, or at a new café without filing the change.
• Cash jobs with no contract. You can't prove hours or pay.
• Assuming vacations are unlimited for everyone. That applies only when you meet the Korean-level requirement.
• Letting your GPA drop below the threshold. Your next permission may be refused.