D-8 Investment Visa: Practical Guide to Minimum Investment Amount and Remittance Methods (申请提交材料方式 Included)
The D-8 visa requires investment in a Korean corporation that meets or exceeds the threshold set by the Foreign Investment Promotion Act.
This visa targets foreign investors who plan to establish a Korean corporation or contribute capital to an existing one. As a rule, the funds must be wired directly from the investor's own overseas account to a Korean foreign exchange bank.
This guide focuses on the points where applicants most often get stuck in practice — the minimum investment threshold, remittance procedures, proof of fund source, and submission methods.
D-8 Visa Minimum Investment Amount — What Are the Actual Criteria?
A D-8 application does not simply pass because the capital is large.
The first thing to check is whether the per-person minimum contribution required by the Foreign Investment Promotion Act has been met.
Core of the Legal Standard
Under the Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Investment Promotion Act, a contribution above a certain amount per foreign investor qualifies as foreign investment.
This threshold is set by the Foreign Investment Promotion Act and notices from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and may be adjusted when policy changes.
Because the specific figure applies differently from case to case, we provide accurate guidance during a free consultation.
Distinguishing Capital from Investment Funds
In practice, capital and foreign investment funds are often confused.
Capital is the amount registered on the corporate registry, while foreign investment recognizes only the portion that a foreign national has remitted and contributed.
If this part is weak, you may meet the capital requirement but still fail at the D-8 stage.
Practical Tip: If there are Korean co-investors, first calculate whether the foreign applicant's own share meets the legal threshold.
Methods of Remitting Investment Funds — Foreign Exchange Bank Reporting and Procedures
Remittance is the most objective piece of evidence in D-8 screening.
No matter how many documents you submit, if the remittance flow is not clean, the explanation of fund source will fall apart.
Principle of Direct Remittance Under the Investor's Name
Investment funds must be wired directly from the foreign investor's own overseas account to a Korean foreign exchange bank.
Remittances under a third party's name, cash brought in by hand, or deposits made after converting crypto assets are often not recognized in foreign investment reporting.
Many applicants get stuck here because they routed the money through a family member's or business partner's account in their home country.
Foreign Exchange Bank Reporting Procedure
Once the remittance arrives, the Korean foreign exchange bank handles the foreign investment report.
You submit the report form, remittance receipt, copy of passport, and corporate registry together, and forms and required documents vary slightly by bank.
Under regulations related to the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, the purpose of the remittance must be stated accurately. If it is recorded simply as "remittance," it will need to be corrected later.
| Step | Content | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Prepare remittance from home-country account | Must be under your own name |
| Step 2 | Receipt at Korean foreign exchange bank | State the purpose of remittance |
| Step 3 | Foreign investment report | Filed at the bank counter |
| Step 4 | Capital payment and registration | Tied to corporate formation |
| Step 5 | Registration as a foreign-invested company | KOTRA or designated bank |
Split vs. Lump-Sum Remittance
A lump-sum remittance is the rule, but split remittances are possible depending on circumstances.
When splitting, however, the purpose and cumulative amount must be managed for each tranche, and the date of the final tranche directly affects the D-8 application timeline.
Because split remittance schedules apply differently to each situation, please confirm via consultation before proceeding.
Proving Fund Source — The Point Where Screening Most Often Stalls
In D-8, explaining the origin of the money matters more than the documents themselves.
Even if the funds sit in your account, a weak explanation of the flow can derail everything.
Scope of Recognized Fund Sources
Your own salary, business income, proceeds from sale of assets, and inherited or gifted funds are generally recognized.
That said, submitting only a balance certificate often leads to a finding that the source explanation is insufficient.
In actual screening, transaction records of at least six months along with an explanation of how the funds were built up are commonly required.
Common Cases of Weak Source Explanations
The following situations frequently cause issues.
- A large sum deposited within a short period
- Funds received from relatives without any record of a gift tax filing
- Proceeds from selling a business with no sale-purchase contract
- Proceeds from crypto sales backed only by exchange withdrawal records
If this explanation is weak, you may face a correction request at the D-8 stage even after the remittance is complete.
Caution: Documentation of fund source should be prepared starting from the remittance stage, not right before application.
For accurate costs and procedures, please confirm through a professional consultation.
Request a free consultation now → 02-363-2251 / KakaoTalk: alexkorea
Post-Remittance Registration as a Foreign-Invested Company
The D-8 application is not complete with the remittance alone.
After remitting, you must also complete the foreign-invested company registration before moving on to the visa application stage.
Difference Between Foreign Investment Notification and Registration
Notification is a preliminary procedure conducted at the foreign exchange bank before or at the time of remittance.
Registration is the procedure by which, after the contribution is complete, the company is granted legal status as a foreign-invested enterprise, and it is filed with KOTRA or a designated bank.
In practice, we often see cases where these two are mistaken for the same step and registration is skipped.
How the Registration Certificate Connects to D-8 Filing
The foreign-invested company registration certificate is one of the core documents submitted with the D-8 application.
Without it, the D-8 application often cannot even proceed at Hi Korea or the Immigration Office.
After registration, you also need to secure a business location, sign a lease, and complete business registration before moving on.
D-8 Application Documents and Practical Points
For D-8, the explanation of funds is more important than the number of documents.
Still, missing core documents means screening will not start, so build your checklist first.
Basic Required Documents
| Category | Documents | Check Points |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Passport, visa application, photo | At least 6 months of validity remaining |
| Corporation | Corporate registry, articles of incorporation | Confirm equity ratio |
| Investment | Foreign-invested company registration certificate, remittance proof | Remittance under your own name |
| Business | Lease agreement, business registration certificate | Real, functioning premises |
| Funds | Source-of-funds documents | Flow must be explainable |
Submission Methods
D-8 applications can be filed in person at the competent Immigration Office or online through Hi Korea.
That said, first-time D-8 changes or issuances are mostly processed via in-person submission, and advance booking plus the presence of an interpreter affect how quickly things move.
Processing periods vary by Immigration Office, and we will route your case to the fastest available one.
Weight of the Business Plan
For a business plan, persuasiveness matters more than length.
The keys are how the investment funds will be used in the business, the revenue model, and the staffing plan.
This is where applications differentiate themselves.
Common Remittance Mistakes and How to Handle Them
Once the remittance step goes wrong, the entire D-8 schedule slips.
Frequently Overlooked Mistakes
- Sending funds from a family account rather than under your own name
- Misstating the remittance purpose as a generic transfer or living expenses
- Paying in capital without filing the foreign investment report at the foreign exchange bank
- Having a different sender's name appear on one of the tranches during a split remittance
- Carrying in cash after currency exchange and depositing it
Possibility of Correction or Re-Filing
Some mistakes can be fixed through a correction at the foreign exchange bank, but if the remittance was not made by the investor in person, it often has to be sent again.
Whether correction is possible depends on your situation, so getting advice immediately after the remittance helps minimize loss.
We have resolved similar recent cases through correction, but the specific approach always requires a case-by-case review first.
FAQ
Q1. Do I have to send the entire investment in a single remittance for a D-8 application?
Lump-sum remittance is the rule, but split remittances are possible depending on the nature of the business.
When splitting, however, per-tranche reporting and source management get more complex, so the schedule needs to be designed first.
Q2. Can a remittance from a family member's account be recognized as D-8 investment?
In principle, only remittances under the investor's own name are recognized as foreign investment.
To use family funds, you first need a basis for the transfer, such as a gift tax filing, and then send the funds from your own account.
Q3. Can funds already in Korea be used as D-8 investment?
Even funds already in Korea can be recognized as long as the foreign investment reporting procedure can be completed and the source can be explained.
In particular, balances that are just living expenses are usually hard to treat as investment funds.
Q4. Can I correct a misstated remittance purpose?
In some cases the foreign exchange bank can amend the entry, but the call varies by bank and by case.
If you catch it right after filing, it is safer to confirm quickly.
Q5. Can proceeds from selling crypto assets be used as D-8 investment funds?
Crypto itself may be recognized only if it enters Korea in the form of a remittance through a foreign exchange bank.
Exchange withdrawal records alone tend to make the source explanation weak, so trading records and tax filings are needed as well.
Q6. How much does a D-8 application cost?
Costs vary by case, so we provide accurate figures during the free consultation.
Government fees are billed separately as the official fee plus administrative processing costs.
Need a Professional Consultation?
With D-8 investment remittances, a single misstep can push the entire visa timeline back.
The earlier the remittance structure and source-of-funds documentation are reviewed for your specific situation, the smaller the loss.
VISION Administrative Office — Service Information
- Phone: 02-363-2251
- Email: 5000meter@gmail.com
- KakaoTalk: alexkorea
- Address: 3F, 324 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (Sungwoo Building), 04614
- Office Name: VISION Administrative Office
D-8 investment visa applications, foreign investment notifications, and corporate formation — handled together in one process.
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