Fees, in full, on a public page.
Setup, address, and the ongoing compliance work — with the Korean government charges that sit on top of all of it set out separately, because they are not ours and they are not optional.
What it costs,before you ask.
The figures below are professional service fees. Korean government taxes and court charges are not included in them and are billed at cost — see “Government charges” underneath.
Setup
| Service | Fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-invested company (incorporation) | USD 3,000 | Turn-key. Foreign investment report at the designated foreign exchange bank, commercial registration at the competent court, and the business registration certificate at the district tax office. |
| Branch office of a foreign company | USD 3,000 | Branch permit or notification through the designated foreign exchange bank, registration of the Korean branch, and the business registration application. |
| Liaison office | USD 2,500 | For non-revenue offices. Notification to the designated foreign exchange bank and application for the tax identification number at the district tax office. |
Registered address
| Service | Fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual office — Standard | USD 100–200 / month | Address outside the Seoul metropolitan over-concentration zone. Mail receipt and basic forwarding. |
| Virtual office — Premium | USD 300–400 / month | A prime Gangnam business address, with support if the tax office inspects the premises. |
Ongoing compliance
Delivered with our affiliated accounting firm once the entity is registered.
| Service | Fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping and VAT | from USD 300 / month | Monthly bookkeeping, quarterly VAT returns and withholding tax filings. |
| Annual corporate tax filing | from USD 2,000 / year | Financial statements, external accounting adjustment and the corporate tax adjustment statement. |
| Payroll | from USD 500 / month | Baseline for workplaces of five or fewer. Payroll calculation and the four major insurance filings. |
| Local legal counsel | from USD 300 / month, or USD 150–300 / hour | A standing retainer is discounted against the hourly rate. One-off complex matters are billed by the hour. |
Government charges
These are fixed costs set by the Korean state, not by us. They are always quoted separately from the professional fee.
- Registration tax is charged at three times the base rate for a company incorporated inside the Seoul metropolitan over-concentration control zone — which includes Gangnam-gu. With the education surtax this comes to roughly 1.44% of the capital.
- A statutory minimum applies. Even with small capital, expect roughly KRW 450,000–500,000 in court registration tax.
- Notarisation, apostille, certified translation and courier costs in your home jurisdiction are billed at cost.
Answered here,not after you pay.
Do I have to come to Korea to set up the company?
In most cases, no. The documents that need your signature are executed where you are and then notarised or apostilled for use in Korea. Clients who never visit during setup are the norm, not the exception. A few situations — certain bank account openings, some licensed businesses — do call for a visit, and we will tell you up front if yours is one of them.
How much capital do I need?
For the entity to be treated as a foreign-invested company — the status that opens up the D-8 investor visa and the incentive regime — the foreign investment must be at least KRW 100 million, roughly USD 80,000. If you do not need that status, a Korean corporation can be set up with less. A branch or liaison office needs no registration capital at all.
Corporation, branch or liaison office — which one?
Short version: a corporation if you want a Korean company of your own, local hiring or a visa; a branch if you want to earn revenue in Korea without creating a separate entity and are comfortable with the head office carrying the liability; a liaison office if you are researching the market and will not sell. The choice also has tax consequences, which is the part worth a conversation rather than a web page.
What is not included in the professional fee?
Korean government taxes and court charges. The main one is registration tax, which is levied at three times the base rate inside the Seoul over-concentration control zone — Gangnam included — and works out at roughly 1.44% of capital with the education surtax. A statutory minimum of about KRW 450,000–500,000 applies even to small capital. Notarisation, apostille, translation and courier in your own country are also at cost.
Can you give the company a Korean address?
Yes. A virtual office runs USD 100–200 a month for a standard address, or USD 300–400 for a prime Gangnam address that comes with support if the tax office inspects the premises. Where the address sits also affects registration tax, so it is worth deciding before, not after, incorporation.
Who keeps the books once the company exists?
We do, through our affiliated accounting firm — monthly bookkeeping and VAT from USD 300 a month, annual corporate tax filing from USD 2,000, payroll from USD 500 a month. You can also take the certificates and go elsewhere; the handover pack is written so that a third-party accountant can pick it up.
Can you help with a visa?
Setting up an FDI company with at least KRW 100 million of foreign investment is what makes the D-8 investor visa possible, and we structure the incorporation with that in mind where it is part of your plan. The immigration filing itself is a separate matter and we will scope it separately rather than implying it comes bundled.
How do I reach you?
Email info@koreabizsetup.com, or WhatsApp +82-10-5960-5924 — the overseas direct line and the WhatsApp number are the same. We do not operate a WeChat channel.
Want the number for your case?
Capital, structure and registered address all move the government charges. Send us the outline and we will quote the professional fee and estimate the state charges in the same reply.