Jeju to halve salary requirement, triple stay limit for 'workcations' in bid to attract more digital nomads

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Foreigners visiting Jeju Island for a “workcation” may soon see their visa-free stay limit tripled to 90 days alongside a halved income requirement, a policy shift aimed at lowering entry barriers for global remote workers.

Under the proposed guidelines, eligible travelers entering the island without a visa will be allowed to extend their stay up to 90 days, provided they secure a recommendation from the provincial governor and meet the newly relaxed financial threshold. Currently, international tourists from all but 23 designated countries are permitted to enter and remain on Jeju visa-free for only 30 days.

According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on Monday, the Ministry of Justice recently accepted the local government's proposals to overhaul the existing visa exemption framework. The planned administrative adjustment aims to lengthen the temporary stay period and substantially relax the income threshold required under the national digital nomad visa, officially known as the F-1-D visa.

The policy shift addresses a primary criticism of Korea's broader digital nomad initiative. Launched as a pilot program in January 2024, the nationwide F-1-D visa requires applicants to earn at least twice Korea’s per capita gross national income (GNI) from the previous year. This translates to a strict annual threshold of 98.76 million won ($66,000), or roughly 8.32 million won per month.

By comparison, Malaysia sets its digital nomad income cap at a much lower annual rate of $24,000, while Spain requires twice its national minimum wage, amounting to 34,188 euros ($40,000) per year. Japan, meanwhile, introduced a similar annual threshold of around $65,000 in March 2024, which grants eligible remote workers a six-month stay.

The anticipated Jeju-exclusive adjustment will slash the current income requirement by half, allowing remote workers earning 4.16 million won or more per month to secure the 90-day extension.

“We plan to review each application based on an official recommendation letter issued by the Jeju provincial government,” a Ministry of Justice official said, adding that the province is expected to first vet candidate documents to verify that applicants are genuinely arriving for workcation purposes and that they meet the adjusted GNI baseline.

Regarding the formal adjustment, a Jeju provincial official noted that multiple administrative steps still remain.

The policy push also comes as Jeju experiences a rise in international arrivals. The number of foreign visitors to the island has risen steadily in recent years, reaching a nine-year high last year. According to data compiled by the Jeju Tourism Association, foreign arrivals surged to 2.24 million last year, a 17.7 percent increase compared to the previous year. 

Catering to this influx of international travelers, the Jeju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, which runs the Jeju workcation offices and centers, has been spearheading targeted workcation initiatives for foreign nationals since last year, establishing dedicated coworking spaces and programs in scenic coastal areas. 

“The initiative is currently in a trial phase, but we are actively planning to host another specialized workcation program for international visitors this coming June,” an official at the Jeju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation said.

According to the provincial government, a total of 100,360 people had traveled to Jeju for workcation purposes as of December last year.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]