Alien Registration (Residence Card)

Who needs this

• ✓WHO MUST REGISTER: Any foreign national who plans to stay in Korea for MORE than 90 days must complete Alien Registration and receive a Residence Card (외국인등록증).
• ✓This includes international students on D-2 (Degree Study) and D-4 (General Training / Korean language) visas.
• ✓WHO IS EXEMPT: (1) People staying 90 days or less; (2) Diplomats and their families (A-1), government/agreement personnel (A-2, A-3); (3) Short-term visitors.
• ✓NOTE: Registration is done per person — each family member who stays over 90 days registers individually.
• ✓Children under 17 register but may be exempt from being issued the physical card (fingerprint/biometric rules differ for minors).

Documents you'll need

• Completed Integrated Application Form (통합신청서, Form No. 34)
• passport (original)
• one color passport photo (3.5cm x 4.5cm, taken within the last 6 months)
• certificate of enrollment / admission (재학증명서 or 표준입학허가서) from your Korean school
• proof of residence/address in Korea (dormitory confirmation, lease/rental contract, or accommodation confirmation from your host)
• application fee
• (for some cases) a health/TB certificate depending on nationality and visa. Biometric data (fingerprints and facial photo) is collected in person at the office. Requirements can vary slightly by office and visa type — confirm on HiKorea before your visit.

How to apply

• HiKorea online e-application (전자민원) or in-person at the competent immigration office (출입국·외국인관서) with a prior visit reservation (방문예약).
• Must be completed within 90 days of entry (or immediately when a status is granted/changed for stays over 90 days).
• Fee KRW 30,000.
• WHERE: At the local Immigration Office (지방출입국·외국인관서) that has jurisdiction over your registered address, OR the university’s designated processing route if your school offers a group/on-campus service.
• HOW: Most offices require an advance visit reservation (방문예약) made through HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) — walk-ins are generally not accepted for registration.
• Steps:

1. create a HiKorea account and log in;
2. book a reservation slot for foreigner registration (외국인등록) at your local office;
3. attend in person on your reserved date with all documents;
4. submit documents, give biometrics, pay the fee;
5. collect the card later or have it mailed.
   • Many universities run a group registration service for new international students — check with your international office first, as this is often the easiest route.
   • Some follow-up services (address change, some reissues) can be done at a local city/gu/dong office (주민센터) or via HiKorea electronic e-application (전자민원).

What it allows

N/A — Alien Registration itself does not grant work permission. International students who want to work part-time must separately obtain part-time work (시간제취업) permission tied to their student visa.

Sub-types

Related registration outputs share this process: Residence Card (외국인등록증, for registered foreigners), Domestic Residence Report Card (국내거소신고증, for overseas Koreans F-4), and Permanent Residence Card (영주증, F-5). International students on D-2/D-4 receive the standard Residence Card.

A mobile version (모바일 외국인등록증) can be added on top of the physical card.

2025–2026 policy updates

• (1) FEE INCREASE — effective 1 January 2025, the Residence Card issuance fee rose from 30,000 KRW to 35,000 KRW, because new cards now contain an embedded IC (electronic) chip.
• Cards issued before 2025 stay valid until expiry and do not need to be replaced.
• (2) IC-CHIP CARDS — from 2025 new Residence Cards carry an IC chip storing a personal identification number used for the mobile card.
• (3) MOBILE RESIDENCE CARD (모바일 외국인등록증) — the Ministry of Justice began issuing a mobile Residence Card on 10 January 2025; registered foreign residents aged 14+ with a smartphone in their own name can install the Mobile ID app and use it with the same legal effect as the physical card.
• (4) ENGLISH NAME CHANGE — the official English name of the card was changed from ‘Alien Registration Card (ARC)’ to ‘Residence Card’ (the word ‘Alien’ was dropped); the Korean name (외국인등록증) is unchanged, and both English terms still appear in circulation.
• All items verified against Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service notices.

Common mistakes

Waiting past the 90-day deadline (can lead to a fine, and in serious cases up to 1 year imprisonment or up to 10 million KRW, plus possible entry-record consequences); trying to walk in without a HiKorea reservation and being turned away; bringing a photo that is the wrong size or too old; not having valid proof of a Korean address; forgetting to report an address change within 15 days after moving; assuming registration allows part-time work (it does not — separate permission needed); missing the university’s group-registration window and then struggling to book a slot individually.

Official source ↗  Official manual ↗