Alien registration card in Korea for Americans

If you're staying in Korea longer than 90 days, you need to register with immigration. The card you get is the key to your bank account, your phone plan, your health insurance and your lease.

The short version

Anyone staying more than 90 days must register at the immigration office covering their address within 90 days of entry. Diplomats and officials on A-1 to A-3 status are exempt [1][4].
Bring your passport, an application form, a 3.5 x 4.5 cm color photo, the fee and the documents your visa type requires [2][4].
The card fee is KRW 35,000 (about USD 26), raised from KRW 30,000 on January 1, 2025 [2][8]. Some regional government pages still show the old KRW 30,000 [4][5].
Moved? Report your new address within 15 days. Changed passports or employers? Also 15 days. Fines can reach KRW 1 million to 2 million [1][2].
With a valid card, most visa holders can leave and come back within one year without a re-entry permit. Permanent residents get two years [3].

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1 = KRW 1,333.99).

Who has to register, and by when

Korea's rule is simple: if you intend to stay longer than 90 days from your date of entry, you register within those 90 days [1][4]. That covers almost every American moving here to work, teach, study or join a Korean spouse. If immigration grants you a new status or a status change while you're already in Korea, registration is due at that point, not 90 days later [4][5].

The exemptions are narrow. Holders of A-1, A-2 and A-3 status (diplomats, government officials and people covered by certain international agreements) and their families don't register [4][5]. Kids under 17 aren't issued a card until they're older; a child who registered before 17 must come back within 90 days of turning 17 to give fingerprints [2][5].

Korean government pages use a few names for the card: alien registration card, foreign registration card or residence card. Almost everyone in Seoul still calls it the ARC, so we will too.

Think of the 90 days as a hard outer limit, not a target. Your bank, your phone carrier and your employer's payroll will all want your registration number, so the sooner you register, the sooner your life starts working. Appointments in Seoul can book up weeks ahead, especially around the March and September university terms.

Booking and the immigration appointment

You apply at the immigration office or branch that covers the district where you live, not the one nearest your office [2]. Seoul has more than one, so check which office your address falls under before you book. The official portal is HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr), which has English pages, and the government's foreigner helpline is 1345 [4][5].

Seoul-area offices generally expect you to arrive with a visit reservation made through HiKorea. Slots open and disappear fast, so check early in the morning and be flexible about dates. The Seoul office's own guide notes that fees are paid through a Woori Bank counter or ATM in the building [1].

Here's how the visit usually goes:

Book a slot on HiKorea for foreigner registration at the office covering your address.
Gather your documents (see the table below), plus anything specific to your visa.
Show up early with your passport and printed reservation.
Pay the fee at the in-building bank counter or machine, if your office works that way [1].
Give fingerprints and a face photo. Officials record your registration number, stamp your passport to show you've registered, and issue the card [2].
Pick up or receive the card as your office instructs. Processing times vary, so ask at the counter.

Your employer or school can sometimes file on your behalf. The Easylaw rules for students allow a proxy such as a school employee or a family member living in Korea, and the Incheon office lists what a representative must bring, including a letter of attorney and copies of both IDs [2][4].

What to bring

Item	Notes
Passport	Original, valid for your whole stay [4]
Application form	Integrated application form, at the office or online [1][4]
Photo	3.5 x 4.5 cm color photo, taken within six months [1][4]
Fee	KRW 35,000 (about USD 26) since January 1, 2025 [2][8]
Proof of address	Lease or other proof of residence [1][2]
Visa-specific papers	E.g. employment contract, enrollment certificate, marriage documents [2][4]

The fee is worth a word. The Immigration Act's enforcement rule sets KRW 35,000 for issuance and the same amount for a replacement card, and the Ministry of Government Legislation's Easylaw service lists the same figure [2][8]. The Incheon and Gyeongsangbuk-do pages we checked still say KRW 30,000, the fee before January 1, 2025 [4][5], so budget for the higher amount. Gyeongsangbuk-do's page says cash only, so don't count on paying with your American credit card [5].

E-2 English teachers have one extra step at registration time, a health check. Our guide to teaching English in Korea on the E-2 visa covers it.

What the card gets you

The ARC is less like a green card and more like the Social Security card, driver's license and proof of address you juggle back in the States, all in one. Once you have it, you can:

Open a full bank account and get a debit card, instead of the limited accounts banks give to people on a passport alone.
Get a phone plan in your own name, which matters because so many Korean sites and apps verify your identity by text message.
Join National Health Insurance. Registered foreigners working at a covered workplace are enrolled as employees, and most others are enrolled automatically after six months of residence [6].
Protect your rental deposit. For foreigners, the residence report you file with immigration or the district office counts as the "move-in report" under the Housing Lease Protection Act [7]. That's what gives you a legal claim on your deposit if the building is sold or auctioned.
Come and go without a new visa, within the re-entry rules below [3].

The 15-day rules after you register

Registering isn't the end of it. The Seoul Immigration Office warns that you "may be punished even if you were not aware," and it's not kidding [1].

Address changes. When you move, report your new address within 15 days. You can file at your new district or community office, at immigration, or online through HiKorea, with your card and a lease or other proof of the new address [1][2]. If you're married to a Korean, the Incheon office notes that you must report your own move separately, even if your spouse already filed theirs [4]. Missing it can cost a penalty of up to KRW 1 million (about USD 750) or an administrative fine of up to KRW 2 million (about USD 1,500) [1].

Other changes. Report changes to your name, nationality, passport number or passport dates, or the company or school you're affiliated with, within 15 days [2]. Failing to report these can bring an administrative fine of up to KRW 1 million [1]. The passport one catches Americans all the time: renew your US passport at the embassy, and your ARC record needs updating too.

You may see 14 days on some older local government pages, such as Incheon's [4]. The Easylaw service and the Seoul office both say 15 [1][2]. Either way, don't wait until day 14.

Lost card. Apply for a replacement with a photo and the fee. Easylaw lists the same KRW 35,000 as a new card [2].

Leaving and coming back

Korea suspended its re-entry permit exemption during the pandemic and brought it back on April 1, 2022 [3]. Under the current rules:

Registered foreigners on most statuses, including D, E and F categories, can leave and re-enter within one year of departure without a re-entry permit. If your permitted stay ends sooner than a year, you must be back before it expires [3].
Permanent residents (F-5) can return within two years [3].
F-4 overseas Koreans can return within their permitted period of stay [3].

Leaving for good? Hand in your card at departure. Easylaw notes the card goes back when you leave permanently, but not when you're coming back within your re-entry window [2].

The American side

Your ARC doesn't change a thing with Uncle Sam. Keep your US passport valid, because your Korean status is tied to it, and remember to tell immigration when you get a new one. Sign up for the State Department's STEP program so the US Embassy in Seoul can reach you in an emergency. If you open a Korean bank account with your new card, expect a FATCA self-certification form, and keep the FBAR filing threshold in mind once your balances add up. For which office has the shortest wait this month, ask in our community group for Americans in South Korea.

Your alien registration card in Korea: the 90-day deadline and what comes after