Work South Korea
28 days' accommodation, language lessons + job support
Ride the K-Wave, working holiday style. Live and work for up to 12 months in South Korea – with a guaranteed casual job at the end of your four-week language school.
Hey trendsetters...
Home to bendy-topped temples, stunning national parks and the best KFC you’ve ever had, South Korea is the road less travelled by our JEN-setters – until now. After earning your stripes in basic Korean for the first four weeks in Daegu, our... Read more
It would say on the tin...
Is it for me?
From USD $2,229
18-30 or 35
12-month visa
4 weeks' accommodation
4 weeks' language lessons
No Korean required to apply
Casual job after 4 weeks
Reasons to work in South Korea
Unique culture
Learn new skills
Short working week
K-poptastic
Visa + cost
Deposit
USD $115
Second payment
USD $2,114
Total
USD €2,229
South Korea visa fee
Visa fees are paid directly to your local embassy/consulate, check our FAQs for the cost
Support funds
Proof of aprox. USD $2,500 at immigration – although this can vary per nationality
Travel insurance
We recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you book
Flights
We don’t recommend booking flights until your visa is approved
Talk the talk
With language lessons starting when you arrive, you'll learn all the essentials for living, working, travelling and ordering well in South Korea. We're not talking 'the cat plays football on Tuesdays', we're talking actual real life practical language skills, like 'where can I get bottomless barbecue?'
Jobs
South Korea in numbers
24
Hours in the day you can get a 7-Eleven ramen
1
Ranking for fastest Wi-Fi in the world
3,400
Number of islands making up South Korea
23
Number of national parks in South Korea
Capital, beach or mountains?
1
2
3
We promise to wear pants
How it works
When to apply
You can apply at any time but, once your visa has been granted, you will have three months to travel to South Korea. If you don’t, you will need to re-apply. A visa typically takes a few weeks to process but this may vary... Read more
Countdown to South Korea
1 day
1-3 days
Visa cost differs depending on your nationality – check out the FAQs at the bottom of this page for the current pricing. If applicable, please always travel light to visa appointments, as you usually have restrictions on what you can take in with you. Please note that the South Korea Embassy may keep your passport for up to 10 business days and you will have the option of collecting it from the embassy or paying an additional fee to have it sent to your home address.
1-14 days
Once your visa is approved, it's safe to book your flights. You must fly to South Korea within three months of receiving your visa – so be sure to build this rule into your application timeline. Once your flights are booked, we'll grab the details off you, book your accommodation in Daegu and let our sidekicks, World Unite, know when you're arriving for your in-person orientation.
Usually a month before you go, you'll have your group pre-departure video call with World Unite. This usually lasts around 45 minutes and is to make sure you're fully prepped for living and working in South Korea. It's also a great time to ask all your questions. You'll also have access to a knowledge hub packed with info and intel about life in South Korea – including video training with an intercultural coach.
1 -30 days
Get it for free (ish)
South Korea inspo
Friends = benefits
Got questions?
Talk to us
The cost of a South Korea working holiday visa depends on your nationality. At the time of writing (November 2025), the visas fees are as follows:
Any other nationality should check South Korea's visa requirements.
You'll have a step-by-step guide on how to apply for your South Korea working holiday visa, with links to all the right forms and advice on how to fill out your supporting documents. It's worth noting that some nationalities will need to apply for their visa in person at an embassy or consulate, while others will be able to apply by post. All of this will be outlined in your visa guide. Visa fees are paid locally – see the above FAQ for more.
The below passport holders can apply for a South Korea working holiday visa. The duration, process and level of support funds required to apply vary per country, so please click on the below countries for the most up-to-date information.
It depends. Both the age restrictions and when you need to apply vary per nationality:
You can work on a South Korea working holiday visa for a maximum of 12 months. It's possible for Canadian and UK passport holders to extend their visa for a further 12 months, with US passport holders able to extend for a further 6 months.
Your work is limited to part-time and casual roles, where you can work for 25 hours a week – or 40 hours a week for Canadian passport holders.
For the first four weeks of your working holiday, there will be optional pre-planned social activities. These could be anything from a drink at a local bar to a day out at a theme park.
In past years, groups have been taken to museums, food markets and Ttangttang Chicken Land – it’s a chicken-themed amusement park in case you were wondering.
Our sidekicks, World Unite, are your in-country experts for all things job related. When you arrive, you'll be enrolled in a four-week language course to prepare you for the world of work. In the third of fourth week of your course, you will have a one-to-one consultation with World Unite. They will present you with potential job options in Seoul, Daegu or Busan based on the level of basic Korean you have learned and schedule interviews for those you are interested in.
Throughout your time in South Korea, they will be on hand to answer all your questions, help with CV translating, cover letter writing and more.
You’re not expected to be fluent in four weeks, but a basic understanding is essential for most jobs. During your assessment in week three or four, you'll be advised on suitable positions based on your language skills. If you have picked up a good amount of Korean, they can help set you up with a hospitality role.
If your Korean isn't sufficient to work in a public facing role, then World Unite can hook you up with a traditional backpacking role – mostly working in warehouses. Remember, picking and packing is typical job for working holidaymakers in all destinations from the UK to Australia – not just in South Korea.
In exchange for a free program, our roadtester community provide feedback and content on their JENZA experience to help us identify any issues and ensure that we're providing services and products that best serve our travel community.
To apply to be a roadtester: You'll need to be booked onto the program. We'll then reimburse you at each stage of your roadtester commitments. If you complete all the surveys and requirements, you'll receive back 100% of your program cost. That's a lot of bimbimbap money!
You can apply to be a South Korea roadtester here
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