How Long Does It Take to Start a Company in Korea? Stage-by-Stage Timeline

Last updated: October 2026

Short answer: Once your documents are ready, Pearson typically completes the Korean filings in about two weeks. The part that varies most is preparing and apostilling parent company documents in your home country, so start those first. Every stage produces something the next stage needs, so the order cannot be changed.

This guide walks through each stage in the order it happens, what each one depends on, and where foreign companies lose the most time. For the service itself, see our Korea company registration page.

The Timeline at a Glance

With Pearson, stages 2 to 8 typically take about two weeks once stage 1 is done.

Stage 0: Choose the Structure

Most foreign companies choose a subsidiary (주식회사 or 유한회사). A branch office can trade, but the parent carries full liability. A liaison office cannot earn revenue. If a founder plans to move to Korea on a D-8 visa, rule out the branch and liaison office now. Changing structure later means registering again.

Stage 1: Parent Company Documents

This is the stage most often underestimated. You will need the parent's certificate of incorporation, a board resolution approving the Korean entity, a power of attorney for the local agent, and the director's passport copy. Foreign documents need an apostille or consular legalisation, plus a certified Korean translation.

Apostille times vary a lot by country. Start on day one, not when the registry asks. Our guide to the documents for a business registration certificate lists everything.

Stage 2: Name Check

Your Korean company name must not match an existing registered name. The check runs through the Internet Registry Office, not the trademark office. Clearing the registry gives you no trademark rights, so search with the Korean Intellectual Property Office if your brand matters.

Stage 3: Foreign Investment Notification

Before any money moves, the investment is notified under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act to a foreign exchange bank or KOTRA. Foreign-invested status requires at least KRW 100 million per foreign investor.

This is the step most often done in the wrong order. Sending capital first and notifying later can cost you foreign-invested status, which the D-8 visa depends on.

Stage 4: Capital Deposit

The investor sends capital from their own overseas account into a capital account at a Korean bank. The bank issues a deposit certificate for the registration filing.

Funds must come from the investor named in the notification. Money sent by a director personally or by an affiliate may not count.

Stage 5: Corporate Registration

With capital confirmed and documents ready, the incorporation is filed at the district court registry. Your company now legally exists. You receive the certificate of corporate registration and a registration number, and register a corporate seal.

Stage 6: Business Registration

Next, the company registers with the National Tax Service, generally within 20 days of starting business. The business registration certificate (사업자등록증) lets you trade, issue tax invoices and pay tax.

Stage 7: Foreign-Invested Company Registration

With the company registered and capital in place, you register as a foreign-invested company. The certificate supports D-8 visa applications, profit repatriation and investment incentives.

Stage 8: Corporate Bank Account

Now you can open the operating account the business will use. Expect questions about beneficial ownership, business activity and source of funds. Many banks traditionally ask to meet the representative director. Pearson handles this remotely for clients, so nobody has to fly in.

After Registration: Your First Hires

Hiring brings its own obligations: the four social insurances, payroll withholding and written employment contracts. Employees with at least one year of service are owed statutory severance, so it is worth accruing for it from the start.

Where Timelines Slip

• Apostille delays at home. Outside Korea's control and often underestimated.
• Capital sent before notification. Takes longer to fix than to avoid.
• Funds from the wrong account. May not count as that investor's investment.
• Translation errors. A translation that doesn't match the original sends documents back.
• Bank compliance. Complex ownership chains and nominal addresses slow approval.
• Structure chosen without the visa in mind. The costliest mistake, because fixing it means registering again.

Need Someone Working in Korea Sooner?

If you have a candidate ready now, an Employer of Record can employ them through its own Korean entity while your company is being set up. Our comparison of EOR versus your own entity shows where each route fits.

How Pearson & Partners Korea Helps

Since 2017, Pearson & Partners Korea has helped more than 800 global businesses enter Korea. Our team includes certified public accountants, certified judicial scriveners (법무사), certified tax accountants (세무사) and certified labor attorneys (노무사). We work with you in English and Korean.

We run every stage above for you, fully remotely, including the corporate bank account. You never need to travel to Korea.

Want a timeline for your own case? Tell us your country and structure and we'll map it out.

Contact us
Web: pearsonkorea.com/contactus
Phone: +82-2-6952-7579
Office: 30F Trade Tower, World Trade Center Seoul, 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06164

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to start a company in Korea?
With Pearson, the Korean filings typically take about two weeks once your documents are ready. Preparing and apostilling documents in your home country is usually the longest part.

What is the slowest stage?
Usually the parent company documents, because apostille and translation happen abroad. Bank account opening can also take time if the ownership chain is complex.

Do I need to visit Korea to start a company?
Not with Pearson. With a power of attorney, we file everything and open the corporate bank account remotely.

Can I send capital before the foreign investment notification?
You should not. The notification must come first, or you risk losing foreign-invested status.

How much capital do I need?
There is no general minimum for a Korean company, but foreign-invested status and the D-8 visa require at least KRW 100 million per foreign investor.

Can I hire before my company is registered?
Not through your own entity, because payroll needs the corporate bank account. An Employer of Record can bridge the gap.