Alien registration
This page is machine translated from Ieumi's guide written in Korean. If the meaning is confusing, please look at the Korean original text. View original text (Korean)
If you will stay more than 90 days, you must register as a foreign resident within 90 days of entry. The registration card unlocks almost everything — banking, hospitals, phone contracts.
Deadline
If you became subject to registration through a change of status, you must register immediately upon approval.
📍 Where to go
The immigration office for your place of residence (in person)
⚠️ Things to watch out for
You book the visit on HiKorea — Civil Service Application → Visit Reservation → Apply for Visit Reservation. A reservation only fixes the date of your visit; it is not an application being received. You can cancel up to the day before the visit. If there are no free dates before the deadline, go to the office yourself and ask before the deadline passes. Taking a reservation slot using someone else's passport or registration number can be punished by up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won.
❗ What happens if you don't
Missing the deadline means paying a penalty (범칙금). Even if you are less than a month late, the standard amount is KRW 200,000, and it can cause problems with later immigration applications.
What to bring
Basis
- 출입국관리법 제31조(외국인등록) 제1항 (법제처 국가법령정보센터, 시행 2026-01-23)
- 출입국관리법 시행규칙 [별표 5의2] 공통사항 — 「전체 공통사항」·「외국인등록」란, 개정 2024-12-24 (법제처 국가법령정보센터)
- 하이코리아 「방문예약 안내」 https://www.hikorea.go.kr/resv/ResvIntroR.pt — 경로 · 「예약행위일 뿐 민원처리 접수가 아님」 · 「방문예정일 1일 전까지」 · 「최대 5년 이하의 징역 또는 5천만원 이하의 벌금형」 (조사원 확인 2026-10-12, D-713 B)
- 출입국관리법 시행규칙 [별표 7] 범칙금의 양정기준(개정 2026-01-23) — 보목 법 제31조 등록의무 위반: 1개월 미만 20만원 ~ 2년 이상 1,000만원 · 제86조② 기준액의 2분의 1 범위 가감 — 법제처 API 원문 대조 2026-10-21
This content was checked on 2026-10-31.