Income Amount Certificate Korea Visa: The 소득금액증명원 Explained

The income component of the F-2-7 points system carries more weight than any other single category — up to 60 points out of 170. The key income document used for points is the 소득금액증명원 (Certificate of Income Amount), issued by the National Tax Service. Getting this document wrong — or misreading it — can cause applicants to receive fewer income points than they expected.

What Is the 소득금액증명원?

The 소득금액증명원 (Income Amount Certificate) is an official NTS document that states your total taxable income for a given tax year. It is not a pay stub. It is not a bank statement. It is not your employer's certificate of employment. It is the NTS's own calculation of how much taxable income you earned, based on what was reported to them through the tax filing system.

For F-2-7 purposes, use the previous full-year certificate once it is available. The applicable document and timing can depend on the filing date and current regional-office requirements.

How to Get It

1. Log in to the National Tax Service's Hometax portal at hometax.go.kr
2. Navigate to: 민원증명 → 소득금액증명 (or search for 소득금액증명원)
3. Select the tax year you need
4. Issue the certificate — you can download it as a PDF or print it at any tax office

You can also obtain it in person at any regional NTS office or through Government24 where the service is available. The document is free to issue.

One important note: the certificate is only available once your tax filing for that year has been processed. If you are applying early in the year and your most recent tax filing is still pending, you may need to use the previous year's certificate or wait for processing to complete.

What the Document Shows — and What It Doesn't

The figure that appears on the certificate is your taxable income after the NTS's own calculations. For salaried employees, this is calculated using the applicable employment-income deductions (근로소득공제); do not assume a fixed percentage reduction from gross salary.

If an employee's certificate shows ₩40–44 million, that taxable figure falls in the ₩40–<50 million bracket and earns 40 points; gross salary alone does not determine the bracket.

For freelancers and self-employed operators, the taxable figure can be substantially lower than gross receipts because deductions depend on the business type. The certificate's taxable amount, not gross receipts, determines the income-points bracket.

The income table used for F-2-7 scoring is based on the GNI per capita (₩49,955,000 for 2025 applications). The brackets are fixed regardless of whether your income looks high or low by international standards.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong document. Some applicants submit a 근로소득 원천징수영수증 (withholding tax receipt) or a 재직증명서 (employment certificate) instead of the 소득금액증명원. The NTS-issued certificate is the key income document used for the income points; other documents may not establish the taxable-income figure, so those points may not be verifiable.

Wrong tax year. The certificate must match the tax year specified in the application. Using last year's certificate when this year's is available — or vice versa — can create a mismatch that delays processing.

Untaxed income. Cash payments, informal allowances, and income from unofficial sources do not appear on the certificate. If your employer pays part of your compensation off the books, that portion is invisible to immigration. The only way to count income is to have it reported and taxed through the proper channels.

Multiple income sources. If you have both employment income and freelance income in the same year, the certificate should reflect both. Make sure your combined income is reported under the same taxpayer record so the total appears on one document.

What Income Level Do You Actually Need?

The F-2-7 income points table rewards high earners significantly. The jump from ₩30–40 million (30 points) to ₩40–50 million (40 points) is worth 10 points.

Most professionals targeting the 80-point threshold with a bachelor's degree and mid-range Korean language (TOPIK 3 or KIIP Level 3) need at least ₩40–50 million in taxable income to make the numbers work. Those with weaker language scores or lower academic qualifications need higher income to compensate.

If your income is borderline, getting your employer to include housing allowances and performance bonuses in your formal taxable compensation — rather than paying them informally — can push you into the next bracket.

The South Korea F-2 Points-Based Residency Guide includes a full worked example of how to read your income amount certificate and map it to the correct points bracket, along with strategies for salaried employees and self-employed applicants who are close to a bracket boundary.

Timing Your Application Around the Certificate

Because the certificate reflects the prior tax year, apply once the previous full-year certificate is available. Applying before a higher-earning year's certificate is available may mean using a lower-income year's figure — potentially costing you 10–20 points.

If your income has grown substantially, delay your application until the stronger year's certificate is available. If you are already above 80 points with the current certificate, apply now rather than waiting — your age category will only decrease over time.

For the complete document checklist and timing strategy, see the South Korea F-2 Points-Based Residency Guide.

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