Korea Seasonal Worker Visa (E-8) 2026: How to Apply, Eligibility and Official Contacts

Last checked: October 18, 2026 (stay limit, sub-types and documents checked against the Ministry of Justice visa manual revised August 7, 2026)

If you are looking for short-term farm or fishery work in Korea, the first question is not simply “Which visa should I apply for?” It is whether a participating local government has an eligible recruitment route that fits your situation. This guide explains the route, what the 2026 allocation means, and where to ask for an official answer.

E-8 at a glance

What is Korea’s Seasonal Worker Program?

The Ministry of Justice describes the Seasonal Worker Program as a way for local governments to hire foreign workers legally for short periods during busy farming and fishing seasons. Local governments introduce the programme, while the Ministry of Justice determines allocations after consultation with relevant ministries.

This is different from an ordinary private recruitment process. The local government is central to selection and the visa-issuance process. For that reason, an employer’s promise, a social-media post, or a broker’s advertisement is not by itself proof that a visa will be available.

Who may be eligible?

Eligibility depends on the programme route used by the participating local government and on the immigration rules that apply at the time. The Ministry of Justice identifies routes that can include residents of overseas local governments that have a seasonal-worker agreement with a Korean local government, certain family members connected to marriage immigrants, and some people already staying in Korea who meet the programme requirements.

That does not mean every foreign national can apply directly. Your nationality, residence, relationship to the relevant route, the local government’s agreement, available allocation, and timing can all matter. Ask the local government which recruitment route applies before paying an agency or making travel plans.

E-8 sub-types: which route are you on?

The visa code shows how you were selected and whether you work in farming or fishing. If nobody can tell you which of these routes applies to you, treat the offer with caution.

Korea seasonal visa from Nepal: what we can and cannot confirm (2026)

Many people search for a “Korea seasonal visa from Nepal 2026.” The E-8 rules in the Ministry of Justice manual do not name or exclude any country: under the MOU route (E-8-1 and E-8-3), a Nepali local government that has signed a seasonal-work agreement with a Korean city or county selects its own residents and recommends them. Whether such an agreement is active is decided case by case. These are the public reports we found about Nepal specifically:

Before you accept a seasonal-work offer from Nepal, check:

• Both local governments by name. Ask which Korean city or county and which Nepali municipality signed the agreement. On the MOU route the Nepali local government selects workers, not a private agent.
• The Nepal side. Confirm with your municipality or ward office and with Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment that the programme exists.
• The Korea side. Call the Korean local government (see the provincial contacts) or the Immigration Contact Center to confirm that the county has an allocation and is recruiting from Nepal.
• The test. If you are told to pass EPS-TOPIK, the offer is for E-9, not E-8. E-9 through the Employment Permit System is the established government route for Nepali workers, including farm jobs: see the E-9 visa guide and EPS-TOPIK vs TOPIK.
• The family route. If a relative (up to a cousin) is a marriage migrant living in Korea, the E-8-2 family route does not depend on an MOU. Ask the Korean local government where your relative lives.

How the application route works

1. Find the relevant local-government route. Identify a city or county participating in the programme and ask whether it is recruiting through an overseas-partner route, a family route, or another permitted channel.
2. Complete local selection. The local government, not this website, decides how and when candidates are selected.
3. Visa-issuance confirmation. The local government applies to immigration for a confirmation of visa issuance for selected workers.
4. Apply at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad. Once the relevant confirmation is issued, the worker applies for the visa through the appropriate Korean embassy or consulate.
5. Enter and work only as authorised. Confirm your permitted workplace, period, contract terms, insurance, housing, pay, and reporting obligations before you travel.

Documents and processing time

The local government files the Confirmation of Visa Issuance application on the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr). The manual puts processing at about 10 days from the application date, so local governments time the application around the farming season and the worker’s departure paperwork. The application attaches:

• a standard employment contract;
• proof that the employer first tried to hire Korean workers (job advertisement and results);
• a copy of the worker’s passport;
• for MOU workers: proof of farming or fishing experience in the home country;
• for marriage-migrant relatives: the marriage migrant’s ID, marriage and family-relation certificates, a relationship chart, and a family certificate issued in the worker’s country (documents not in English need a translation and a translator’s statement; notarisation is not required);
• for student parents: the student’s residence card, certificate of enrolment, and a birth or family-relation certificate;
• the housing facility sheet for the accommodation the worker will use, and the MOU result document.

Family members of marriage migrants who are already in Korea do not use this visa route. They apply for permission to engage in activities outside their status instead.

What the 2026 allocation means

On December 23, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced a 2026 introduction scale of 109,100 seasonal workers – 94,100 allocated to farms and fisheries in 142 local governments, plus a 15,000 flexible reserve for public-type programmes, pilots, and urgent demand. The official announcement says the total was 14.1% higher than the 2025 allocation.

The supplied allocation sheet lists local-government allocations for the first and second halves of 2026. Large entries on that sheet include the following examples:

These figures are useful for understanding where programme capacity is concentrated. They are not a ranking of wages, job quality, or current vacancies. The full supplied allocation sheet should be checked with the relevant local government before relying on a particular figure.

Official provincial contacts for programme questions

The following contacts are listed in the supplied provincial-government contact sheet. Department names are translated for readability; use the Korean department name when calling if needed.

What to ask before you contact a local government

Keep your inquiry specific. A useful message states your nationality, current country of residence, whether you are already in Korea, the route you believe may apply to you, and the local government you are asking about. Then ask:

• Is recruitment currently open for the 2026 first or second half?
• Which eligibility route applies to my situation?
• Which local employer or public-type programme is recruiting?
• What documents, selection steps, and deadline apply?
• What are the confirmed workplace, contract period, pay, housing, insurance, and cost responsibilities?

E-8 vs E-9: which one fits you?

If you want to work in Korea for years rather than one season, read the E-9 visa guide. Young travellers from Working Holiday partner countries can also look at the H-1 Working Holiday visa.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• How to Work in Korea as a Foreigner: Work Visa Roadmap
• Korean Employment Rights for Foreign Workers
• E-9 to E-7 Options: What Changes When You Seek a Longer-Term Route?
• E-9 Visa Korea 2026: Factory Jobs, EPS Process and How to Apply
• Korea Working Holiday Visa (H-1)

Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal advice or a recruitment service. Immigration rules, local recruitment routes, allocations, and contact details can change. Confirm your current eligibility and visa procedure with the responsible Korean local government, the relevant Korean diplomatic mission, or the Ministry of Justice before acting.