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    Korea ARC: 90 Days, KRW 35,000

    The deadline is 90 days from your date of entry

    A foreign national who will stay in Korea for more than 90 days must complete alien registration at the immigration office with jurisdiction over their place of residence within 90 days of the date of entry. This is a duty set by Article 31(1) of the Immigration Act. The clock starts on your entry date, not on the first day of the semester or the day you enroll.

    If you arrive on a language training visa (D-4) and then switch to a degree programme (D-2), a different rule applies. In that case the 90 days do not matter: you register at the moment the change of status is granted (Article 31(4)). The fee for a change of status of stay is KRW 100,000.

    Missing the deadline means a fine

    Violating the registration duty carries up to one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 10 million (Article 95, item 7). In practice almost every case is settled through a notice disposition with a set penalty. Annex 7 of the Enforcement Rules fixes the amount by how late you are.

    • Less than 1 month — KRW 200,000
    • 1 month to under 3 months — KRW 500,000
    • 3 months to under 6 months — KRW 1,000,000
    • 6 months to under 1 year — KRW 2,000,000
    • 1 year to under 2 years — KRW 5,000,000
    • 2 years or more — KRW 10,000,000

    Being one day late already puts you in the first band. The penalty is separate from the registration fee, and it counts against you when you later apply to extend your stay.

    Documents to prepare

    For a study visa (D-2), Annex 5-2 of the Enforcement Rules lists the following.

    • Integrated application form — Form 34 of the Enforcement Rules
    • Passport
    • One passport photo — 3.5cm x 4.5cm, face length between 2.5cm and 3.5cm, plain or white background with no border, taken within 6 months before the application date, facing forward. Hats, tinted glasses and anything else covering the face are not allowed.
    • Proof of residence — dormitory confirmation, lease contract, or a confirmation that someone is providing you with housing
    • Certificate of enrollment
    • Health certificate

    The health certificate is written plainly into the regulation, and it is still the item students forget most often. Language students at a university language institute (D-4) also submit a certificate of enrollment and a health certificate. Any document issued abroad must carry an apostille from the issuing government or consular confirmation from the Korean mission in that country.

    Without a reservation you will not be served

    Since 1 April 2021 every immigration office in Korea runs on an appointment system. Alien registration is one of the services that requires one, so turning up without a booking means your application will not be accepted. You can book on HiKorea without creating an account, and the booking must be made at least one day before your visit.

    Some services are still handled on the spot without a booking: picking up your registration card, issuing certificates such as proof of entry and departure, extending a departure deadline, and refugee applications. So you need an appointment to apply, but not to collect the card later.

    At the start of each semester slots fill quickly. The 90-day deadline does not stretch because you could not get an appointment, so book as soon as you land.

    The fee is KRW 35,000

    Issuing an alien registration card costs KRW 35,000 (Article 72, item 10 of the Enforcement Rules). It rose from KRW 30,000 on 1 January 2025, because the new card carries an embedded IC chip that stores the personal identification number used by the mobile registration card, which raised the unit cost. Guides quoting KRW 30,000 are still circulating, so check the amount before you go. Reissuing a lost or damaged card costs the same KRW 35,000.

    Collecting the card, and the mobile version

    According to the Government24 service listing, the processing time for the registration itself is immediate, within three working hours. The physical card comes later. Since 26 February 2019 it can be delivered not only to your registered address or workplace but to any address you choose. You may also collect it in person, and as noted above collection needs no appointment.

    Since 10 January 2025 a mobile alien registration card has also been available. You issue it through the mobile ID app on a smartphone registered in your own name, and under Article 33(6) of the Immigration Act it has the same legal effect as the physical card.

    Once registered, you must carry your card with you (Article 27). The penalty for failing to do so is KRW 100,000 for a first offence, KRW 200,000 for a second, KRW 500,000 for a third, and KRW 1,000,000 from the fourth.

    Two reports with a deadline after you register

    • Change of residence — within 15 days of moving in. Report to the si, gun, gu or eup, myeon, dong office of your new address, or to the immigration office with jurisdiction over it (Article 36(1)). The penalty is a fine of up to KRW 1 million, with set amounts of KRW 100,000 under 3 months, KRW 300,000 for 3 to 6 months, KRW 500,000 for 6 months to a year, KRW 700,000 for 1 to 2 years, and KRW 1,000,000 from 2 years.
    • Change of registered particulars — within 15 days of the change. This covers your name, sex, date of birth or nationality, your passport number, issue date or expiry date, and the school you belong to. Failing to report can draw an administrative fine of up to KRW 1 million.

    Transferring to another school or renewing your passport are the two that slip past people. Both reports run on the same 15-day clock.

    Fees, documents and deadlines change when the law is amended. This article reflects the position as of September 2026. Always confirm the requirements that apply to you through official channels: HiKorea, the Immigration Contact Center on 1345, and the international office of your university.

    Sources

    Information on this page is current as of September 2026.