Moving to the UK from South Korea: Guide
A guide for South Korean nationals moving to the UK, covering the Youth Mobility Scheme, the Skilled Worker visa, the tuberculosis test and the published fees.
- Section
- Moving to the UK From...
- Reading time
- 6 min
- Last checked
- 3 September 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Youth Mobility Scheme: aged 18 to 35, £340, up to 24 months, and no ballot for South Korean applicants.
- Short visits of up to 6 months need a £20 electronic travel authorisation, not a visa.
- A tuberculosis test is needed for a stay of 6 months or more, at a Home Office approved clinic in South Korea.
- South Korea is not on the majority English-speaking list, so an English language test is required for most routes.
- The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds only and applies its own exchange rate on the day you pay.
South Korea is one of the four countries in the 18-to-35 group of the Youth Mobility Scheme, and Korean citizens can use the standard work, study and family routes as well. A short visit is different: South Korea is not on the UK's visa national list, so a visit of up to 6 months needs a £20 electronic travel authorisation instead of a visa. This guide covers the routes, the documents and the fees the Home Office publishes.
Visiting Rather Than Moving
South Korea is not on the UK's visa national list, so a South Korean citizen does not need a visa for a visit of up to 6 months. What is needed instead is an electronic travel authorisation, which costs £20. Everyone travelling needs their own, including babies and children. It is also needed to pass through UK border control on the way to somewhere else; staying airside in the airport does not need one.
Visa Routes for South Korean Citizens
- Youth Mobility Scheme. Aged 18 to 35, up to 24 months, no sponsor needed and no ballot. It costs £340, and you need £2,530 in your bank account held for 28 consecutive days.
- Skilled Worker visa. Requires a licensed sponsor at the minimum salary of £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation code if that is higher. Since 22 July 2025 a new applicant's job must also be at graduate level (RQF level 6).
- Student visa. See the student visa guide.
- Family visa. See the spouse visa guide.
- Graduate route. See the Graduate route guide.
Document Requirements
- Valid South Korean passport.
- Tuberculosis test. South Korea is on the Home Office tuberculosis test list. If you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, get a chest X-ray certificate from a Home Office approved clinic in South Korea before applying. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the X-ray. The clinics set their own price, so this guide gives none.
- English language test. Required for most routes. A new Skilled Worker application has needed level B2 since 8 January 2026. IELTS for UKVI is widely available across South Korea.
- Police certificate. Criminal record certificate from the Korean National Police Agency, available online. GOV.UK asks for an overseas criminal record certificate on a Skilled Worker application made from outside the UK for a job in education, healthcare, therapy or social services.
What It Costs
The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds. It does not publish a won price, and the exchange rate it applies is the rate on the day you pay, so this guide gives no won conversion.
- Youth Mobility Scheme visa: £340
- Skilled Worker visa, applying from outside the UK: £819 for 3 years or less, £1,618 for more than 3 years
- Student visa: £558
- Partner (spouse) visa: £2,064
- Electronic travel authorisation for a visit: £20
- Healthcare surcharge: £1,035 a year, or £776 a year for students, their dependants, anyone under 18 and Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders
See our UK visa fees guide.
The Korean Community in the UK
New Malden in southwest London is the centre of Korean life in the UK, with Korean restaurants, shops, churches and a Korean school. There are smaller communities in central London and in university cities. The Home Office does not publish a count of South Korean nationals resident in the UK, so this guide gives none.
After Arrival
- Set up your eVisa through your UK Visas and Immigration account (biometric residence permits are no longer issued)
- Apply for a National Insurance number
- Register with a GP
- Open a UK bank account
Path to Settlement
After 5 years on a qualifying visa, apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain), which costs £3,226. The Youth Mobility Scheme does not itself lead to settlement, though you can switch from it to another route from inside the UK. After 12 months with settlement, apply for British citizenship, which costs £1,709 plus £130 for the citizenship ceremony. The UK allows dual citizenship. Whether South Korea does is a matter of South Korean law, and the Home Office's own nationality guidance says to check with the country of which you are a citizen before applying.
Next Steps
For the Youth Mobility Scheme, visit the GOV.UK Youth Mobility page. For other routes, see the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page.
Questions and answers
Are South Korean citizens eligible for the Youth Mobility Scheme?
Yes. GOV.UK lists South Korea in the 18-to-35 group for the Youth Mobility Scheme, alongside Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and there is no ballot for those countries. The visa costs £340 and lasts up to 24 months.
Do South Korean citizens need a TB test?
Yes. South Korea is on the Home Office list of countries where a tuberculosis (TB) test is needed. Applicants coming to the UK for 6 months or more must get a chest X-ray certificate from a Home Office approved clinic in South Korea before applying. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of the X-ray.
Do South Korean citizens need an English language test?
Yes. South Korea is not on the Home Office list of majority English-speaking countries, so most routes need an approved secure English language test. For a new Skilled Worker application the level has been B2 since 8 January 2026; a first partner visa is A1.
Do South Korean citizens need a visa to visit the UK?
No. South Korea is not on the UK's visa national list, so a visit of up to 6 months needs a £20 electronic travel authorisation rather than a visa. Everyone travelling needs their own, including babies and children.
Does South Korea allow dual citizenship?
The UK allows dual citizenship. Whether South Korea does is a matter of South Korean law, and the Home Office's own nationality guidance says to check with the country of which you are a citizen before applying.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.