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Reporter Ko Kyung-ho | 2024-11-14
Initiating Introduction of ‘Jeju-type Digital Nomad Visa’ Combining Visa-free Entry and Workation Visa
Global digital nomads participating in 'Jeju Workation with Global Digital Nomads' are working at a shared office in Jeju. [Courtesy of Jeju Province]
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has embarked on the introduction of a ‘Jeju-type Digital Nomad Visa,’ which combines the ‘visa-free’ entry system with the ‘workation visa.’
Jeju Province and the International Convention Center Jeju (ICC Jeju) announced on the 14th that they hosted the ‘Jeju Workation with Global Digital Nomads’ event from October 31 to November 7, inviting about 30 digital nomads from 14 countries, including the US, France, and Australia.
Digital nomads refer to people who carry advanced digital devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, wandering freely to find information and perform work from anywhere; they are also called ‘digital nomads.’
This event was organized by the global workation startup Hoppers Inc.. Participants worked in shared workation offices in the Jeju region while enjoying Jeju’s unique special experiences during their leisure time, such as walking Olle trails, hiking Oreums (volcanic cones), and tangerine picking.
Global digital nomads participating in 'Jeju Workation with Global Digital Nomads' are taking a commemorative photo after a tangerine picking experience in Jeju. [Courtesy of Jeju Province
According to the satisfaction survey results for this event, 100% of participants expressed their intention to participate again. Notably, 77% of those wishing to revisit expressed a desire for long-term stays of more than 3 weeks even after the event ended.
Encouraged by the positive response from global digital nomads, Jeju Province plans to push for the introduction of the Jeju-type Digital Nomad Visa.
Under the Jeju Special Act, Jeju Province has been operating a visa-free system since 2002, allowing foreigners from certain countries (excluding designated terrorist-supporting states) to enter without a visa and stay in Jeju for one month.
Additionally, the Ministry of Justice has been piloting a workation visa, or ‘Digital Nomad Visa,’ since January of this year, allowing overseas remote workers to stay long-term while enjoying tourism in Korea. To obtain a Digital Nomad Visa, an employee belonging to a foreign company must prove their employment history and an income above a certain level.
Jeju Province is currently conducting related research services to introduce a Jeju-type Digital Nomad Visa that mitigates the disadvantages of the strict criteria of the national Digital Nomad Visa by leveraging the advantages of the visa-free system.
Kim In-young, Director of the Jeju Province Economic Vitality Bureau, stated, "In line with the government's policy to attract overseas talent, we plan to ease visa issuance criteria and actively set out to attract global digital talent," adding, "Workation, a new lifestyle of the digital era, will become a growth engine for Jeju."
