Reporting a Change of Address
A registered foreign resident who moves to a new home in South Korea must update their immigration address. Most registered foreigners have 15 days after moving; F-4 overseas Koreans who have made a domestic residence report have a different, 14-day deadline. Report to your new local community service center, the immigration office, or an eligible online service.
Official links 7
- Registered foreign residents
- Within 15 days after moving
- F-4 domestic residence reporters
- Within 14 days after moving
- Where to report
- New address's community center or immigration office
- Online option
- HiKorea for eligible applicants
- Government reporting fee
- Free
- Bring
- Residence Card, ID and proof of new address
The deadline begins when you move into the new place, not when you sign the lease. This is the immigration address-change procedure, separate from the reporting of a housing rental agreement.
Which deadline applies to you?
Registered foreign residents: 15 days
Under Article 36 of the Immigration Control Act, a foreign national who has completed Foreigner Registration must report a new place of stay within 15 days of moving in. This includes permanent residents registered under F-5. The rule applies to a real change in where you live, even within the same city.
F-4 domestic residence reporters: 14 days
An overseas Korean who has filed a domestic residence report (국내거소신고) follows the separate Overseas Koreans Act. Report a move within 14 days. Do not rely on the general 15-day rule: the official domestic-residence guidance explains the difference.
New arrivals and other situations
First-time Foreigner Registration is a separate process, not an address-change filing. For most people staying over 90 days, read Getting Your Residence Card instead. Short-term visitors or people with unusual registration circumstances should check their own reporting obligations with 1345.
How to update your address
Confirm your actual move-in date
Write down the date you began living at the new address, including the apartment or unit number. Count the relevant 15-day or 14-day period from that move, rather than from contract signing or the date your deposit was paid. Plan to report early; public offices have limited working hours.
Gather proof of the new home
Prepare your Residence Card (or F-4 domestic residence card), your passport if needed for identification, and proof that you live at the new address. The official Gov24 checklist includes a rental agreement, accommodation-provision confirmation, utility bill, or dormitory payment receipt as possible evidence. Use the official Integrated Application/Report Form when required.
A person staying with family or friends may need an accommodation confirmation instead of a lease in their own name. Ask the receiving office which evidence it accepts before the deadline.
Choose an in-person or online channel
The simplest in-person option is usually the community service center (주민센터 / 행정복지센터) serving your new address. You can also use the immigration office with jurisdiction over that address; another district's center or an office near your old home is not the right default.
To apply online, sign in to HiKorea and open Petition Application → e-Application → Change of Place of Stay (체류지변경신고), or the corresponding F-4 domestic-residence service. Check that the service accepts your registration type and online identification. Gov24 explains the procedure and links to HiKorea; its information page is not confirmation that you have submitted the report.
Unable to visit yourself? An authorized representative can file in person with a power of attorney, the representative's ID and any required proof of relationship, plus your address evidence. Check the receiving office's exact requirements first. Online filing is normally made by the applicant, with separate rules for eligible parents or accompanying family members.
Submit the report and keep proof
At the counter, show your identification, proof of address and form if requested; ask staff to register the immigration address change, not just a general building or housing service request. A standard address report has no government filing fee.
Online filing may take several working days to process, so submit before the deadline and check the result in HiKorea's My Page. Follow any request for more evidence and keep the acceptance record, not only the initial submission screen. The new address is not automatically printed on the back of your physical card after an online report. You can ask the immigration office or local service center to add it.
Verify the record and update other services
Check that the accepted immigration record uses the correct road-name address and unit number. Contact 1345 if the record is wrong or the application is still pending near the deadline.
Separately update your bank, employer or university, health insurer, delivery addresses and utility accounts where applicable. Completing the immigration report does not automatically update every company or agency. A landlord's housing lease report is also a different legal process.
What happens if you missed the deadline?
The address deadline is not the same as the separate housing rental report. Some rental contracts must be reported within 30 days after signing, depending on the amount and location. Renting in Korea: Jeonse vs Wolse explains that distinct requirement and deposit-protection basics.