Can foreign children also enter Korean elementary, middle, and high schools?

Yes, foreign children can enter Korean elementary, middle, and high schools regardless of nationality or visa status. Once a child reaches elementary school age, everyone has the right to education. Six years of elementary school and three years of middle school are compulsory and free.

It differs by school level

• Elementary school: Apply to the elementary school in the school district where you live. Children usually enter in March of the year after they turn 6 (by international age).
• Middle school: Admission is allowed within the range of vacancies (결원) in each grade.
• High school: The school principal gives permission if the child can keep up with the curriculum.

Prepare these documents

• Admission (transfer) application form: the form of the school or the Office of Education of the city or province (시·도교육청)
• Certificate of entry and exit records (출입국사실증명서) or proof of alien registration (외국인등록사실 증명): confirms the child's residence
• Proof of education: graduation certificate, enrollment certificate, transcript, etc.

If it is hard to submit the alien registration documents, you can use a lease contract or a residence confirmation guarantee (거주사실 인우보증서) instead. Documents issued abroad usually need an apostille, then translation into Korean and notarization. For documents in a foreign language other than English, both the original and the translation must be notarized.

Application steps

1. First, consult a school near your home (the vice principal or head of academic affairs) or the District Office of Education (교육지원청).
2. Visit the school and apply for admission or transfer.
3. The school reviews your documents or gives a test for each subject.
4. Register according to the result.

💡 Good to know

• If a child studied abroad for 6 years or more, it counts as elementary school graduation. 9 years or more counts as middle school graduation, and 12 years or more counts as high school graduation.
• If it is hard to prove education (for example, refugees), you can ask the Office of Education of your city or province to review and recognize the child's education.
• If the child's Korean is weak, you can use the school's Korean language class or the 'visiting Korean language education' program. Check the Multicultural Education Portal (www.edu4mc.or.kr).
• You can also choose a foreign school (38 schools nationwide). Admission procedures differ by school.

Please check the exact school and documents once more with the District Office of Education where you live or the Foreigner Comprehensive Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) at 1345.