KoreaSimple

Travel & Life · Published 2026-11-03

Moving to Korea: First-Month Checklist for Residents (2026)

Last verified: 2026-11-03. Rules, fees and prices change; check the official sources below before you act.

Short answer: In your first month, the big deadline is your residence card: if you will stay more than 90 days, you must register within 90 days of entry. Around it, plan to report your address, check that your health insurance is set up, open a bank account, and sort out a phone plan. Driver’s license questions can wait unless you plan to drive. Each step below is kept short, with the official page to check for details.

This is a general checklist for people who are moving to Korea to live, not tourists. Your visa type changes many details, so confirm anything that matters with the official authority named in each step.

Overview

Step Official rule or fact Where to check
1. Residence card Register within 90 days of entry if staying over 90 days HiKorea, 1345 Immigration Contact Center
2. Address report Report a change of residence within 15 days HiKorea, local immigration office
3. Health insurance Workplace enrollment for employees; 6-month rule for others NHIS, 1577-1000
4. Bank account Residence card and passport; limits may apply Your bank
5. Phone plan Remaining stay of at least 90 days at KT Carrier store
6. Driver’s license Foreign license alone is not enough to drive Driver’s license examination office

1. Register for your residence card

HiKorea says foreigners who intend to stay more than 90 days after entry must register within 90 days of entry. The card is called the Residence Card, and older pages use “Alien Registration Card”. The standard papers are your passport, the application form, one 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm photo, proof of address and the fee. The Korea Immigration Service and Seoul’s 2026 city guidebook put the fee at KRW 35,000, while one HiKorea page still shows KRW 30,000, so confirm before you go. Reserve a visit on HiKorea early. The Seoul guidebook says the card takes about four weeks, delivered by mail or collected at the office. Detail: HiKorea, Foreign Resident Registration.

2. Report your address

Once you are registered, HiKorea says a change of place of residence must be reported to the local immigration office within 15 days, using your passport, registration card and a report form. Failing to report can lead to a fine. The Seoul guidebook also describes a “moving-in report” filed at the ward, township or neighborhood office, a community service center or an immigration office within 14 days of moving. The two pages give different day counts (14 and 15), so use the shorter one as your target and ask the office which applies to you. Detail: HiKorea, Obligations to Report.

3. Health insurance

NHIS describes two routes:

The Seoul guidebook says that after six months, enrollment is processed automatically from your alien registration, and the certificate and bill are mailed to your address. If you have not received a certificate, it says to visit an NHIS branch or the Foreigner Service Center. It also lists statuses (F-5, F-6, D-2, D-4-3, E-9) with different start-date rules, so ask NHIS if you hold one. NHIS call center: 1577-1000, English consultant 033-811-2000. Premium amounts vary by situation, so check NHIS rather than relying on a general figure. Detail: NHIS, Guidance for foreigners.

4. Bank account

Banks generally want your residence card and passport. The Financial Services Commission says the mobile foreigner residence card has been usable for bank accounts since March 21, 2025, at six banks (Shinhan, Hana, iM, Busan, Jeonbuk and Jeju), for registered residents aged 14 or older with a phone in their own name. The Seoul guidebook says internet banking has to be requested at a bank. Opening rules, daily limits for accounts without proof of purpose, and online options vary by bank and visa, so ask your bank. Detail: FSC press release and your bank’s English page.

5. Phone plan

KT’s English page says you need at least 90 days left on your visa to subscribe, and lists the ARC as the document for foreign nationals. It says prepaid lines can also be set up with a passport (valid 90 days from activation, versus until card expiry when using an ARC), and that postpaid bills are paid by auto-debit from a Korean bank account or credit card. The Seoul guidebook gives a similar 90-day figure for SK Telecom and says conditions depend on the carrier and visa. It lists a copy of your passport, alien registration certificate and bankbook as documents, so have all three ready. Contracts are generally two years, according to that guidebook. Detail: KT Global Shop.

6. Driver’s license (only if you plan to drive)

The Seoul guidebook says a foreign license alone cannot be used to drive in Korea. A valid license from a competent foreign authority can be exchanged at a driver’s license examination center: documents are reviewed (including an embassy confirmation), then you take a physical aptitude test and a written knowledge test, and the written test is waived for licenses from countries that recognize Korean licenses. It also says Korea recognizes international driving permits issued by Geneva Convention signatories. The lists of countries are on safedriving.or.kr, which This guide could not open in this session, so verify the current rules there. Detail: Seoul guidebook, Driving section.

Quick checklist

Common mistakes

Last verified: November 3, 2026. This guide is general information, not immigration, insurance or legal advice. Confirm your own case with the official authorities linked above.

Sources

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