Q: My husband is not Korean. But since he is a F-type visa holder, I think he can open his own business in Korea. He has been interested in opening a dessert shop here in Busan (Trust me, he’s really good). But I think opening a shop online is more suitable for us. Can we use our home address for our business?

A: I am afraid not.

If you want to start a business here in Korea, one of the first things to do is get a business registeration number (사업자 등록증).

It’s a business license and you need it for many reasons.

For example, you need it when you pay taxes.

You also need it when you want to advertise online.

In order to get your business registration number, you will have to visit the local tax office aka 세무서.

There you will fill out the 사업자 등록 신청서 form, meaning “application for business registration”.

You will be required to write the address of your business.

When it comes to business, there’s requirement for space.

For certain businesses, your home can be your workplace.

For example, if you translate professionally, and if you make profit from it, you can get a 사업자 등록증 (Business Registration) using your home address.

But when it comes to a restaurant and a dessert shop, you can’t bake at home and sell it online.

Then it’s illegal.

You must have an actual shop.

Whether you open the shop and let the customers come and pick up their dessert or.. you open the shop and you just sell your desserts online, it’s up to you.

Whether you sell it online or offline, you need to have an physical store.

That means, you can’t use your home address for business.

Hope that it helped. Anyways, good luck! And let us know if you open a shop.