KIIP: How to Apply and Enroll

Check eligibility and create your Socinet account

KIIP is primarily for lawfully staying foreigners with a Residence Card or domestic residence report card, and certain people within three years of becoming Korean nationals. If you have just arrived without registration, ask 1345 whether and when you can join; do not assume that a short visit is enough. C-3-8 exception: A person staying legally on an Overseas Korean Visit (C-3-8) visa can take the placement test before foreigner registration, but cannot start KIIP classes until registered, according to the official assessment eligibility rules.

Open Socinet (사회통합정보망), select 회원가입 (Sign up), and create an account using the identity information requested there. Keep your login details. Socinet handles participation, level assignment and classes; it is not the separate evaluation booking website.

Choose how to receive your starting level

Under 사회통합프로그램 → 단계배정 (KIIP → Level assignment), choose one of the official routes:

• Start at Level 0: beginners can request Level 0 without taking the placement test. This is a 15-hour introductory course.
• Take the 사전평가 (placement test): if you already know Korean, the result determines where you start. The test is not required just to begin at Level 0.
• Use 인정/연계 (recognized prior results): if you have qualifying TOPIK or other recognized learning records, follow Socinet's current linkage instructions rather than guessing a level.

Levels 0–4 cover Korean language and culture. Level 5 covers Korean society: a 70-hour basic course and a further 30-hour advanced course. The older MOJ English overview still gives outdated Level 5 hours; use the newer Korean rules. Already studying KIIP? Do not book another placement test casually: only certain participants may retest, and doing so can cancel previous attendance or completed training. The new, even lower, level assignment can take effect.

Book the placement test if you chose it

Socinet directs test applicants to KIIP Evaluation (kiiptest.org), which has a separate sign-up and booking process. Select 사전평가 (Pre-assessment), then an available exam date, region and test center. The official fee is ₩38,000 for paper- or computer-based testing; finish payment and verify your exam registration. CBT is still held at a test center, not at home. If no test date is open, check the next official registration window. PBT and CBT have different check-in deadlines; use the time on your test confirmation.

Bring an accepted original physical ID, such as a passport or Residence Card, to the test. The official exam rules reject photographs, copies and mobile ID in place of an accepted original. Check the entry cutoff on your own confirmation. Your placement result is normally valid for two years; review the assigned level before applying for a course. Need testing accommodations? The operator requires advance approval through the immigration integration support center and directs approved special-accommodation candidates to PBT, not CBT; arrange this before booking.

Apply for an actual class

Return to Socinet's 과정신청 (Course application) menu after your level is assigned. Check the level, institution, area, class dates, days and hours, format and application window. A course in another city or an unsuitable time slot can be difficult to attend even if a seat is available.

Select the course and submit its application during the stated period. Socinet's official illustrated enrollment guide (an older PDF; screen layouts may have changed) explains 신청 (Apply), 대기신청 (Join waiting list), and the status check. A waiting-list place is not an accepted class seat. Look in 마이페이지 (My Page) for assignment, pending/waiting or rejected status before planning to attend. Class openings differ by region and term; there is no single national enrollment date.

Check tuition and attend the course

Classes are not universally free. Under the national fee policy introduced in 2025, Level 0 is free; Levels 1–4 cost ₩100,000 per 100-hour level. Level 5's 70-hour basic course costs ₩70,000 and its 30-hour advanced course ₩30,000. Some participants qualify for exemptions or half-price fees. These course fees are separate from the ₩38,000 placement-test fee.

After your level ends, pay any required course tuition through Socinet before registering for that level's assessment. The national fee rule says an unpaid fee can block assessment registration. This payment deadline differs from the upfront ₩38,000 placement-test booking fee. Check the official course instructions for any exemption or reduction, along with your attendance record and assessment date. Completing a class level and passing an assessment are separate milestones; neither automatically approves an immigration application.