Moving to Korea: First 30 Days
Your first month in Korea is easier when you tackle things in the right order: check your permitted stay, secure an address, book immigration, then arrange banking and health coverage.
Official links 9
- Start with
- Your permitted stay and entry date
- Foreigner Registration
- Within 90 days of entry for most long stays
- Immigration booking
- HiKorea; office by residential address
- Address documents
- Lease, dorm letter or accepted proof
- Health insurance
- Start date depends on your status
- Bank documents
- Passport, accepted ID and proof of account purpose
The first 30 days are a practical plan, not a legal deadline. Rules vary by immigration status; follow the exact expiry date on your permission to stay.
Days 1–3: Establish the basics
Check your status and entry date
Save your entry date, immigration status and permitted end date for staying in Korea. The expiry date of an entry visa is not necessarily the end of your permitted stay. Keep digital copies of your passport and visa, school or employment documents, and entry record, with the originals ready for appointments.
Your status controls which activities you can undertake. Check Which Korean Visa Do You Need? before accepting work or changing your plans.
Get an address and a working phone
Write down your full Korean address, unit number and postcode. Ask your landlord, dormitory or host for an accepted address document, such as a lease or accommodation confirmation. You will need it for immigration.
A prepaid SIM or eSIM can provide data and calls from day one. A Korean phone number may still fail official identity checks (본인인증) until it is correctly linked to your identity. Keep another working payment method until banking is set up.
First week: Secure the next steps
Book Foreigner Registration
Most foreigners staying over 90 days must complete Foreigner Registration (외국인등록) within 90 days of entry. Book through HiKorea for the office responsible for your address. Then attend in person with your passport, application, photo and proof of address; extra documents depend on your visa. The Residence Card (외국인등록증) issuance fee is ₩35,000. Ask the office when and how the card will be ready; processing time varies.
A reservation is not registration. If no appointment is available before your deadline, call 1345. See Getting Your Residence Card in Korea for the full document list.
Different route: F-4 overseas Koreans generally use domestic residence reporting (국내거소신고). Confirm your individual procedure with immigration rather than booking ordinary Foreigner Registration automatically.
Bring the right documents to the bank
For a first bank visit, prepare your passport and Residence Card (if issued), Korean contact details, and proof of why you need an account. For salary payments, this may be an employment contract or certificate of employment. Students should ask their bank which school documents it accepts.
Under the official Easy Law banking guidance, accepted identification depends on the bank. Without sufficient proof of purpose, you may receive an account with limited withdrawals and transfers. Before receiving your card, confirm directly whether the bank can open the account and which services would work.
Weeks 2–4: Build a working routine
Check when NHIS coverage starts
National Health Insurance (NHIS) starts at different times:
- Eligible employees: generally through the employer from the date employment-based eligibility begins. Check with HR.
- D-2 university students and D-4-3 school students: generally from initial Foreigner Registration, according to the government Study in Korea insurance guide.
- Ordinary D-4 trainees, including D-4-1 language students: generally after six months from entry.
- Other long-term residents: many enter local NHIS coverage after six months, but some statuses and family situations have exceptions.
Check your actual enrollment date with NHIS; don't assume the card itself activates insurance. Arrange coverage for any gap. For foreign-language assistance call 033-811-2000 or 1577-1000 (extension 6).
Set up local life
Confirm rent and utility payment dates, building maintenance fees and rubbish-disposal rules. Bag types and recycling collections vary by district and building.
Locate a clinic, pharmacy and community service center (주민센터 or 행정복지센터). Use Government24 for Foreigners for government services and 1345 for immigration. In Seoul, 120 Dasan answers city-service questions by phone; English text inquiries to 02-120 are available on weekdays, 9 AM–6 PM. Other cities operate their own help lines.
Priorities depend on why you moved
University and language students
Ask the school about enrollment confirmation, immigration documents, tuition dates, attendance and permission before any part-time work. Do not assume a student visa authorizes unrestricted employment.
Employees and their families
Confirm your job's permitted activities, employment start date, payroll documents and workplace insurance enrollment. Accompanying family members may have different residence and employment conditions.
Short-term visitors
This guide is primarily for people establishing a residence. Visitors do not automatically need a Residence Card or qualify for resident NHIS coverage. Follow the entry conditions and authorized departure date for your own status.
Deadlines worth saving now
Moving after you are registered
After a move, most registered foreign residents must report their new address within 15 days; F-4 overseas Korean residents generally have 14 days. Use eligible HiKorea services, immigration or an authorized local office. Your landlord's paperwork does not necessarily update immigration records.
Staying beyond your current permission
Review your permitted-stay expiry early. Extending your stay is a separate procedure: see How to Extend Your Stay in Korea. Call 1345 before traveling while registration or a status change is pending.
Keep your entry date, immigration appointment, permission-to-stay expiry and NHIS start date in one private calendar. Review them when your address, school or employment changes.