Caregiver Visas

2026-09-28

Who is a caregiver?

A caregiver is a specialist who provides care services to the elderly who cannot carry out an everyday life because of age-related diseases like dementia.

You as a foreigner can change to an E7 visa when you have a Korean associate degree or higher, obtain a Korean caregiver license and are employed by a medical welfare facility for the elderly. A medical welfare facility is for specific seniors who have age-related disease and need medical care. You cannot work at other type of welfare facilities with an E7 visa.

Student (D2)

You can go to the designated junior college or 4-year university to prepare the caregiver license professionally. You will have eased requirements for a D2 visa issuance and can have a part-time job during college.

Specific activities (E7) and job search (D10)

If you obtain the Korean caregiver license during college regardless of major and are employed by a medical welfare facility for the elderly right before graduation in Korea, you can change to an E7 visa after graduation.

If you did not have the Korean caregiver license during college or are not employed by the facility until graduation, you can change to a D10 visa after graduation and try the caregiver license and employment.

Separate from this process, foreign nurses under 35 or graduates holding a foreign nursing degree after a 3 year or higher nursing program can have a D10 visa with eased requirements to join the specialized caregiver training program and have an internship in Korea. Additionally, you can change to an E7 visa when you have the Korean caregiver license and are employed by a medical welfare facility for the elderly. However, this process is currently being piloted for specific countries like Vietnam.