South Korea has launched a 90-day voluntary departure program for foreigners living in the country without legal status. The program will allow migrants to leave the country without penalties or a ban on re-entry.
The program will run from December 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026. During this period, foreigners who are illegally staying in the country will have the opportunity to apply for voluntary departure without facing sanctions.
Eligibility for the program
The program is only available to those foreigners whose stay is illegal as of the start of the program. However, it does not apply to individuals who:
· entered the country illegally;
· used forged or altered documents;
· committed criminal offenses;
· are subject to forced deportation due to non-compliance with an exit order;
Additionally, the program does not apply to those who will enter illegal status after December 1, 2025.
Application process
Foreigners wishing to participate in the program must submit an application to the immigration office 3-15 days before their planned departure. They will need to present a valid passport, a plane ticket with personal details, residential address, planned departure date, and flight number.
Immigration raids to identify illegal migrants will continue throughout the program. Migrants who are detained during these operations will face a full range of enforcement measures, including deportation and a ban on re-entry. These individuals will not be eligible for the voluntary departure program.
Seasonal workers and migration flows from Central Asia
In recent years, South Korea has become a popular destination for migrant workers from Central Asia, with a particularly high demand for workers from Uzbekistan. As of June 2025, there were 98,457 Uzbek nationals residing in South Korea, according to Fergana News. By the end of November 2025, the distribution of foreign nationals in South Korea was as follows: Chinese nationals made up 34.4%, Vietnamese 12.5%, Americans 6.9%, Thais 6.0%, Uzbeks 3.6%, and Nepalese 3.2%.
Tajikistan is also emerging as a new source of labor migrants to South Korea. The country is interested in recruiting seasonal workers, especially those who speak Korean. To support this, Tajikistan has created programs to direct its citizens to work in South Korea, along with centers for learning the Korean language.
Issues with violating stay regulations
However, in 2023, South Korea suspended the allocation of quotas for seasonal workers from Tajikistan due to violations of stay regulations. More than half of the workers sent from Tajikistan did not return home and chose to work illegally in the country.
Thus, the new voluntary departure program aims to reduce the number of illegal migrants and improve the effectiveness of South Korea’s migration policy, while offering migrants the opportunity to leave the country without negative consequences for future visits.
