Korea Visa & Stay Q&A for Foreigners

Answers to the questions foreigners in Korea ask most, based on Ministry of Justice manuals, laws and official guides.

Guides by visa

Registration card

I lost my Alien Registration Card. How do I get a new one, and how long does it take?When will my Alien Registration Card be ready after I apply, and how do I receive it?By when and where do I have to register as a foreigner after I enter Korea?By when must a foreign child born in Korea get a status of stay?How do I get a mobile Alien Registration Card?Where can I get a Certificate of Alien Registration Fact (외국인등록사실증명)?Are fingerprints and a photo required when I register as a foreigner?Do I need to report to Immigration when I get a new passport?If my name or passport number changes, do I have to report a change to my alien registration information?

Reports

When and where do I report a change of residence after I move?What must a foreign worker report when changing companies?What is the fine if I report a move or a job change late?How do I report a change of residence online through HiKorea?Do international students have to report when they change schools or quit school?What reports must a company file when it hires a foreign worker or when the worker leaves?

Health insurance

Do foreigners have to join national health insurance? How much is the premium?Can I register my foreign spouse and children as dependents on my health insurance?Are there cases where foreigners are exempt from joining national health insurance?How much is the health insurance premium for foreigners?How do I handle my national health insurance when I leave Korea?How does overdue health insurance premium affect my visa extension?Can I get help with hospital bills if I don't have national health insurance?

Violations

My stay period has expired. How much is the fine, and what should I do?What disadvantages do foreigners face for their stay in Korea if they drive under the influence?How do I pay an immigration fine, and can I pay in installments?What should I do if my extension of stay is denied?What benefits are there if an undocumented (overstaying) foreigner leaves Korea voluntarily?What is the penalty for working without permission?Does receiving a fine (criminal fine) affect my visa extension?How long is the entry ban if I leave Korea after overstaying my visa?What is the difference between a departure order and deportation?How do I object to a immigration denial decision?

Driving

How do I exchange my foreign driver's license for a Korean license?How long can I drive in Korea with an International Driving Permit?Can foreigners buy a car and get car insurance?How can a foreigner take a driver's license test in Korea?Does not paying a traffic fine affect a foreigner's visa?

Pension

Can a foreigner receive a National Pension lump-sum refund when leaving Korea?Do foreigners also have to join the National Pension?Can foreign workers also receive severance pay?When and how do I get the E-9 departure guarantee insurance?

Housing

Can foreigners sign a jeonse lease? What about the fixed date (confirmation date) and the move-in report?Can foreigners buy a house in Korea? How do I report it?Can foreigners also move into public rental housing?Can foreigners also get a fixed date (확정일자) stamp?Can foreigners also sign up for jeonse deposit return guarantee?What should foreigners be careful about when signing a monthly rent (wolse) contract?What documents can I submit as proof of my residence?

Tax

How do I apply the 19% flat tax rate in year-end tax settlement as a foreign worker?How do foreign freelancers (3.3%) file the Comprehensive Income Tax return?What documents does a foreigner need to register a business?Who can choose the flat tax rate (19%) for foreign workers?Can I get back the tax I paid when leaving Korea?Where do I get the tax payment certificate (납세증명서) needed for a visa extension?How do I get a Certificate of Income Amount (소득금액증명원)?Can I not extend my visa if I have unpaid taxes?

Banking & phone

What do foreigners need to open a bank account?How can a foreigner get a mobile phone line activated?Can foreigners get a credit card?Can I activate a mobile phone without an Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증)?Can foreigners get a bank loan?How can foreigners send money to their home country, and what are the limits?How do foreigners do mobile phone identity verification?

Entry & exit

Who has to fill out the electronic arrival card (e-Arrival card)?Do I need a re-entry permit if I am a registered foreigner who leaves Korea and comes back?How do I make a visit reservation for the immigration office (출입국·외국인관서)?How can I find out which immigration office has jurisdiction over me?Can I ask an administrative agent (haengjeongsa) to handle my immigration paperwork?Can foreigners also use the Automated Immigration Clearance System (SES)?Do I need to get a K-ETA before coming to Korea?Can I leave Korea after applying for an extension, before I get the result?How do I pay immigration fees? Where do I buy revenue stamps?How do I sign up for Hi Korea and use e-civil services?How do I apply for an electronic visa?If I only apply for an extension before my expiry date passes, can I stay while I wait?What is a Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance, and who applies for it?How long does it usually take to process a stay-related application?How much are the immigration service fees?How long can I stay if I enter without a visa?

School & childcare

Can foreign children also attend daycare centers? What about childcare fee support?Can foreign children also enter Korean elementary, middle, and high schools?What visa does a foreigner need to enter a university in Korea?What scholarships can international students get?Can foreign children attend public schools in Korea?What visa can a foreign child use to live in Korea?

Social integration (KIIP)

How do I apply for the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP), and what benefits do I get if I complete it?How do I take the KIIP pre-assessment?Who has to take the Early Adaptation Program for foreigners?What are the KIIP levels and the benefits of completing them?What is the TOPIK exam schedule and how do I register?How does my TOPIK level help with my visa?

Labor rights

I haven't been paid my wages. Can a foreign worker also report unpaid wages?What is the minimum wage in 2026, and does it apply to foreigners too?I was suddenly fired. How do I file a request for relief from unfair dismissal?Where can a foreign worker ask for help if they are treated unfairly?How do I apply for an E-9 employment period extension (re-employment)?How do I use the E-9 Diligent Worker Re-entry system?How do I look for a job after applying for an E-9 workplace change?How do I report unpaid wages to the labor office?Can my company take the dormitory fee out of my salary?Can foreign workers also get industrial accident insurance?What are the working hours and holiday rules for foreign workers?What must be included in the standard labor contract?What is the deadline for changing workplaces on an E-9 visa?

Family & marriage

How do I register a marriage when a Korean and a foreigner get married?Can I keep living in Korea if my Korean spouse dies?What happens to a foreign spouse's visa if they divorce a Korean citizen?How can I invite my foreign parents for a short-term visit?Is there a visa to invite parents to help raise children?Do I need an apostille for my home country's family relationship documents?What are the requirements for inviting a spouse on a marriage immigrant (F-6) visa?What procedures are required in Korea to marry a foreigner?What help can foreigners who are victims of domestic violence get?

Nationality

What are the requirements for general naturalization?How do I prepare for the Naturalization Comprehensive Assessment (interview and written test)?What are the requirements for simplified naturalization for marriage immigrants?If I get Korean nationality, do I have to give up my original nationality?Can a foreign-national Korean compatriot regain Korean nationality?

Status change

Can I change from E-3 (research) to another visa status?Can I change from E-10 (Seafarer Employment) to another visa status?Can I change from D-7 (intra-company transferee) to another visa status?Can I change from E-6 Arts and Entertainment to another status of stay?Can I change from E-8 seasonal work to another visa status?Can I get a G-1 (Other) visa for humanitarian reasons?What requirements do I need to switch from E-9 to E-7-4 (Skilled Worker)?What is the regional specialized visa (F-2-R), and how do I get it?Who can get a digital nomad (workation) visa?What are the requirements to get permanent residence (F-5)?Can I change from H-1 (Working Holiday) to another visa status?Who can get a Top-Tier visa?What visa does a foreigner need to start a business in Korea?How can an international student change to a work visa (E-7) after graduation?Who can use the K-STAR Visa Track?How do I apply for refugee status in Korea?How is the score calculated for the F-2-7 points-based residence visa?Can I enter Korea as a tourist and change to a work visa in Korea?

Extension

When can I apply to extend my E-3 research stay period, and what documents do I need?When can I apply to extend my stay under D-7 (intra-company transferee), and what documents do I need?Can I apply to extend my period of stay online through HiKorea?When and with what documents do I apply to extend my E-6 (Arts and Entertainment) stay?When can I apply to extend my E-10 seafarer employment stay period, and what documents do I need?When can I apply to extend my E-8 seasonal worker stay, and what documents do I need?Why is my extension permission period short?What documents are required in common when extending your period of stay?When can I apply to extend my H-1 working holiday stay period, and with which documents?

Work

What can and can't I do with an E-10 Seafarer Employment visa?What can and can't I do with an E-3 research visa?What can and can't I do with an E-8 seasonal worker visa?What can and can't I do with an E-6 Arts and Entertainment visa?What can and can't I do with an H-1 Working Holiday visa?What can and can't I do with a D-7 intra-company transferee visa?