- Remote setup
- Possible
- Visit, notary or lawyer
- Notary + apostille
- Local director
- No
- Registered address
- Korean head office
- Minimum capital
- KRW 100m (FDI status)
- Yearly upkeep
- CIT return in 3 months
- EU member
- No
- IWG business address
- 16 centresfrom $56/mo
What the registry requires
| Company type | Chusik Hoesa (stock company) or Yuhan Hoesa (limited company) |
|---|---|
| Registry | Court registry office (after FDI notification to KOTRA or a foreign-exchange bank) |
| Government filing fee | ₩1,470,000 — KOTRA example for KRW 100 million capital in Seoul: local registration tax 0.4% of capital, tripled in the metropolitan area (KRW 1,200,000), local education tax 20% of that (KRW 240,000) and registration application fee KRW 30,000; seal and notarisation add roughly KRW 230,000. |
| Registration time | Invest KOREA: about two weeks for the whole procedure; court registration takes 2 to 3 days, business registration at the tax office 4 to 5 days. |
| Resident director | No residency rule is stated; foreigners including non-residents may be promoters, and a foreign director's acceptance of office is proved by a notarised (apostilled) signature instead of a Korean seal certificate (KOTRA guide). |
| Visit, notary or lawyer | Documents such as the acceptance of office are notarised in the home country and apostilled, or certified by the Korean consulate for non-Apostille countries. |
| Registered address | The articles must state the location of the head office, which is registered at the court registry. |
| Minimum capital | KRW 100m (FDI status) |
| Corporate tax | For business years starting 1 January 2026: 10% up to KRW 200 million, 20% to KRW 20 billion, 22% to KRW 300 billion, 25% above (NTS); one point lower before 2026. |
| Every year | Corporate income tax return within 3 months of the end of the business year (NTS); the foreign-invested company registration must be completed within 60 days of paying in the investment. |
What it costs
- Government filing fee
- ₩1,470,000
- ≈ $1,085 at ECB rates
KOTRA example for KRW 100 million capital in Seoul: local registration tax 0.4% of capital, tripled in the metropolitan area (KRW 1,200,000), local education tax 20% of that (KRW 240,000) and registration application fee KRW 30,000; seal and notarisation add roughly KRW 230,000.
- Every year
- CIT return in 3 months
Corporate income tax return within 3 months of the end of the business year (NTS); the foreign-invested company registration must be completed within 60 days of paying in the investment.
- Not included
- Provider fees
Registered agent or address, notary fees, accounting and bank onboarding vary by provider — ask for a quote in the request form.
How to register a company in South Korea, step by step
- File the FDI notification (two copies plus proof of nationality) with KOTRA or a foreign-exchange bank.
- Remit the investment funds through a foreign-exchange bank into a temporary account.
- Prepare the articles, notarised and apostilled acceptance-of-office documents and pay the registration tax.
- Register incorporation at the court registry office (2 to 3 days).
- Notify incorporation and register for business at the tax office, then open the corporate bank account.
- Register the foreign-invested company within 60 days of paying in the investment.
Corporate tax in South Korea
10% to 25% progressive. For business years starting 1 January 2026: 10% up to KRW 200 million, 20% to KRW 20 billion, 22% to KRW 300 billion, 25% above (NTS); one point lower before 2026.
Rates are the headline figures published by the tax authority; your effective rate depends on residence, activity and treaties. This is not tax advice.
Common mistakes
- Investing less than KRW 100 million or under 10% of voting shares and losing foreign-invested-company status.
- Sending home-country documents without an apostille or consular certification, which the registry will not accept.
- Underestimating cost: registration tax is tripled for companies set up in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Compare South Korea with alternatives
| Yearly upkeep | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 JapanKK | ¥150,000≈ $952 | About 2 months | 23.2% national | No | Notary (KK) | Japan head office | From 70,000 yen a year |
 South KoreaChusik Hoesa | ₩1,470,000≈ $1085 | About 2 weeks | 10% to 25% progressive | No | Notary + apostille | Korean head office | CIT return in 3 months |
 BangladeshPvt Ltd | BDT 4,700 | Not stated | 27.5% | Not stated | Depends | Registered office | BDT 200 per filing |
 ChinaWFOE | Varies | Not stated | 25% | Not stated | Depends | Domicile in China | Annual report (NECIPS) |
4 of 4 · official sources, checked September 27, 2026. Government fees only; agent and address costs are extra.≈ USD at ECB reference rates of September 25, 2026.
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Sources
- Seven-step procedure, about two weeks, court registration 2 to 3 days, 60-day FIC registration, apostille rule — investkorea.org, checked September 27, 2026
- KRW 100 million and 10% FDI thresholds; stock and limited companies most common — investkorea.org, checked September 27, 2026
- Registration tax 0.4% (tripled in metro area), education tax 20%, application fee KRW 30,000; foreign non-resident promoters; notarised acceptance of office — investkorea.org, checked September 27, 2026
- Corporate tax brackets 10/20/22/25% from 2026 — nts.go.kr, checked September 27, 2026
- Corporate tax return within 3 months of year-end — nts.go.kr, checked September 27, 2026