Start a Business in Korea from Vietnam: Guide for Vietnamese Founders

If you are a Vietnamese founder planning to start a company in Korea, you already benefit from one of Korea’s closest economic relationships: Vietnam is covered by both the Korea–ASEAN FTA and a bilateral Korea–Vietnam FTA. This page collects the official contacts in Vietnam and in Seoul, the trade and tax basics, and the main steps for getting a startup visa and support in Korea.

Key contacts

The Korean missions listed above handle visa applications and consular questions for people in Vietnam. KOTRA’s Korea Business Centers mainly support trade and investment between Korea and Vietnam, so they are useful contacts if your business plan involves importing, exporting or investment.

Trade and tax

Trade agreements

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

Double tax treaty

A Korea–Vietnam double tax treaty is in force: it was signed on 20 May 1994 and entered into force on 9 September 1994. A Second Protocol amending the agreement was signed on 27 November 2019 and took effect on 20 January 2021. 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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam listed above, as requirements can change.

Sources

• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam (Hanoi) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea
• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam (Hanoi) (Korean version)
• Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea
• Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City (Korean version)
• Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Da Nang – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea
• Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Da Nang (Korean version)
• Embassy of Vietnam in Seoul
• KOTRA Hanoi Korea Business Center
• KOTRA Ho Chi Minh City Korea Business Center
• KOTRA Da Nang 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

Latest updates for founders from Vietnam

← See all countries