Start a Business in Korea from the Philippines: Guide for Filipino Founders

If you are a Filipino founder planning to start a company in Korea, it helps to know which offices to contact and which agreements already apply to your business. The Philippines is covered by the Korea–ASEAN FTA and by a bilateral Korea–Philippines FTA, and a double tax treaty is in force. This page lists the official contacts and the main steps to a startup visa in Korea.

Key contacts

The Korean missions listed above handle visa applications and consular questions for people in the Philippines. KOTRA’s Korea Business Center mainly supports trade and investment between Korea and the Philippines, so it is a useful contact if your business plan involves importing, exporting or investment.

Trade and tax

Trade agreements

The Philippines is a party to the Korea–ASEAN FTA, and the bilateral Korea–Philippines FTA is also listed as in force on Korea’s official FTA portal. Source: Korea FTA portal – status of Korea’s FTAs.

Double tax treaty

A Korea–Philippines double tax treaty is in force: it was signed on 21 February 1984 and entered into force on 9 November 1986. The treaty helps prevent the same income, such as salaries, dividends or royalties, from being taxed twice. Source: Korean government list of tax treaties (조세조약 체결 현황), Public Data Portal, as of 20 July 2026.

Your path to starting a business in Korea

• Startup visa (D-8-4) and OASIS: the usual route for founders from the Philippines is the startup visa (D-8-4). It requires a company set up in Korea and a minimum score in the OASIS points system (Overall Assistance for Startup Immigration System), which you build through OASIS courses, IP applications or startup competition awards. See our D-8-4 startup visa and OASIS guide.
• K-Startup Grand Challenge: this government accelerator program is open to founders from any country and offers funding, office space and visa support to selected teams. Read the K-Startup Grand Challenge guide.
• Office space and global startup centers: several public centers in Seoul and other cities offer free or low-cost desks to foreign founders, and some of these spaces can also serve as your business address. See free office space for foreign founders in Korea.
• Government support programs: an overview of the main programs open to foreigners, from mentoring to grants, is in our guide to Korean government startup programs for foreign founders.
• Studying in Korea first: if you are, or plan to be, an international student, you can move from a D-2 student visa to the D-8-4 startup visa. See the international student startup guide (D-2 to D-8-4).
• Check visa details with official offices: before you apply, confirm the current document list with the Korean mission in the Philippines listed above, as requirements can change.

Sources

• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines (Manila) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea
• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines (Manila) (Korean version)
• Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Cebu – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea
• Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Cebu (Korean version)
• Embassy of the Philippines in Seoul
• KOTRA Manila Korea Business Center
• Korea FTA portal – status of Korea’s FTAs (발효/서명/협상 현황)
• Korean government list of tax treaties (재정경제부 조세조약 체결 현황), Public Data Portal, as of 20 July 2026

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