Work South Korea
28 days' accommodation, language lessons + job support
Earn, learn and explore with a South Korea working holiday – complete with visa support, daily language lessons, and a guaranteed backpacker job at the end of your four-week intro.
Swap butter tarts for bibimbap
The best thing to come out of South Korea since K-Pop, K-Beauty... OK, you get the picture – Work South Korea is the chance to experience a global cultural phenomenon like a local. Home to trendsetting cities, ancient Buddhist temples and... Read more
Need to know
Work South Korea is a SWAP program for Canadians who want to spend up to 24 months working and travelling in South Korea.
South Korean culture may feel as familiar as your 'Saved orders' of Korean wings (no judgement), but finding a job or housing... Read more
At a glance
$3,119
18-35 year olds
24-month visa
4 weeks' accommodation
4 weeks' language lessons
No Korean required to apply
Casual job after 4 weeks
Reasons to work in South Korea
Unique experience
New skills
Surprising scenery
Visa + cost
Deposit
$100
Second payment
$3,019
Total
$3,119
South Korea visa fee
Visa fees are paid directly to your local embassy/consulate, check our FAQs for the cost
Support funds
Proof of CAD $3,400 in savings at time of application and at immigration
Travel insurance
We recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you book
Flights
We don’t recommend booking flights until your visa is approved
Talk the talk
With language lessons starting when you arrive, you'll learn all the essentials for living, working, travelling and ordering well in South Korea. We're not talking 'the cat plays football on Tuesdays', we're talking actual real life practical language skills, like 'where can I get bottomless barbecue?'
Swapportunities
This visa allows Canadian working holidaymakers to do most types of work for up to 40 hours a week.
When you arrive, you'll be enrolled in a four-week language course in Daegu to prepare you for the world of work. In the third or fourth week... Read more
South Korea in numbers
24
Hours in the day you can get a 7-Eleven ramen
1
Ranking for fastest Wi-Fi in the world
3,400
Number of islands in South Korea
70
% of land mass that is mountainous
Finding your job in South Korea
Jobs that require basic Korean
Jobs that don't require Korean
Swap it like it's hot
1
2
3
Got questions?
How it works
When to apply
You can apply year-round, but once your visa has been approved, you will have three months to enter South Korea.
2026 arrival dates
30 Jan, 27 Feb, 3 Apr, 1 May, 29 May, 3 Jul, 31 Jul, 4 Sep, 2 Oct, 30 Oct, 4... Read more
Countdown to South Korea
1 day
1-3 days
Please always travel light to visa appointments, as you usually have restrictions on what you can take in with you. Please note that the South Korea Embassy may keep your passport for up to 10 business days and you will have the option of collecting it from the embassy or paying an additional fee to have it sent to your home address.
1-14 days
Once your visa is approved, it's safe to book your flights. You must fly to South Korea within three months of receiving your visa – so be sure to build this rule into your application timeline. Once your flights are booked, we'll grab the details off you, book your accommodation in Daegu and let our sidekicks, World Unite, know when you're arriving for your in-person orientation.
Usually a month before you go, you'll have your group pre-departure video call with World Unite. This usually lasts around 45 minutes and is to make sure you're fully prepped for living and working in South Korea. It's also a great time to ask all your questions. You'll also have access to a knowledge hub packed with info and intel about life in South Korea – including video training with an intercultural coach.
1 -30 days
Get it for free (ish)
Inspo from around the world
Got questions?
Talk to us
Canadian citizens can apply for a South Korea working holiday visa that allows you to travel and work in South Korea for up to 24 months.
Our SWAP Work South Korea program will guide you through the visa application process and help you find a job when you're there.
SWAP will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to apply for your South Korea working holiday visa, with links to all the right forms and advice on how to fill out your supporting documents.
From submitting the required documents to sending the application and paying the fees, we will be on hand if you need any support.
Most nationalities can work on a South Korea working holiday visa for 12 months, with the exception of Canadian passport holders – who are able to extend their visa for a further 12 months.
You can work for up to 40 hours a week if you're a Canadian citizen.
For the first four weeks of your working holiday, there will be optional pre-planned social activities. These could be anything from a drink at a local bar to a day out at a theme park.
In past years, groups have been taken to museums, food markets and Ttangttang Chicken Land – it’s a chicken-themed amusement park in case you were wondering.
Our partners, World Unite, are your in-country experts for all things job related. When you arrive, you'll be enrolled in a four-week language course to prepare you for the world of work. In the third of fourth week of your course, you will have a one-to-one consultation with World Unite. They will present you with potential job options in Seoul, Daegu or Busan based on the level of basic Korean you have learned and schedule interviews for those you are interested in.
Throughout your time in South Korea, they will be on hand to answer all your questions, help with CV translating, cover letter writing and more.
Being able to speak Korean is not essential to do a working holiday in South Korea. In fact, we don't expect you to know any Korean when you apply. That's why we include four weeks of language lessons when you arrive. These lessons are designed to equip you with basic Korean to open up more job opportunities – a lot of jobs will require a basic understanding.
During your assessment in week three or four, you'll be advised on suitable positions based on your language skills. If you have picked up a good amount of Korean, they can help set you up with a hospitality role.
If your Korean isn't sufficient to work in a public facing role, then World Unite can hook you up with a traditional backpacking role – mostly working in warehouses.
Swap it out
