What is Residence Card (RC)?

Foreigners staying in Korea for more than 90 days must register for a Residence Card(RC) at a local immigration office within 90 days from the date of entry. Simply receiving your visa is not the last step to registration, and those with visas must receive a RC to finalize his/her sojourn documentation. It is illegal to stay in Korea for more than 90 days without being registered, regardless of your visa at entry. Please be sure to check for the most recent information at (http://hikorea.go.kr) before your visit, or by calling the immigration hotline at 1345(no area code needed)

Eligibility

• Foreigners intending to stay in Korea for more than 90 days after entry.
• A former Korean who has acquired a foreign nationality after losing the Korean one or a foreigner born in Korea, who is given residence status and intends to stay for more than 90 days.
• Exceptions to Foreigner Registration
  The following are exempt from registering as foreigners
  • Those carrying out Diplomacy (A-1), Official Business (A-2), or Conventions/Agreements (A-3) and their family members
  • Those undertaking diplomatic, industrial, or other important duties for the national security, their family members, and other foreigners found to be unnecessary to register as foreigners by the Minister of Justice
  • Foreigners from Canada intending to stay for less than 6 months, who have thefollowing visa status → Cultural Arts (D-1), Religious Affairs (D-6), Family visitation (F-1), Dependent Family (F-3), Miscellaneous (G-1)

Where to Visit to Register for Foreigner Residence Card

You (and any visa dependents) need to visit your appropriate Immigration Office in person with these required documents.

It takes approximately 6 weeks for the Immigration Office to process the application. Please be aware that applicants must leave their passports with the Immigration Office under appropriate jurisdiction during the entire approval period. You can locate the immigration office directory and reserve a visit at HiKorea

Required Documents

• Application Form
• Passport
• 1 Color Photo (3.5cm X 4.5cm)
• Proof of Residence
• Application Fee of KRW 30,000

Additional Documents

Foreigner Residence Card Re-Issuance

Residence Cards are reissued at the Immigration Office under the appropriate jurisdiction

Eligible Circumstances

• Lost or stolen Residence Cards
• Damaged Residence Cards
• Lack of space for necessary information
• Changes in details on the existing card (name, sex, birth date, or nationality)
  * Note: Application for a new card must be made within 15 days of the above reasons.

Reporting changes of particulars of Foreigner Residence Card

If any of the following happens to registered foreigners, the changes to the registration details must be reported to the local Immigration Office within 15 days from its occurrence.

Changes that must be reflected on the Foreigner Residence Card

• Name, gender, date of birth or nationality
• Passport number, date of issuance or expiration date
• Details of the organization (including name changes) that Cultural Arts (D-1), Overseas Study (D-2), General Training (D-4) status holders belong to
• Details of the organizations (including name changes) that Journalism (D-5), Religious Affairs (D-6), Supervisory Intra-company Transfer (D-7), Corporate Investment (D-8), Trade Management (D-9) status holders belong to

If a registered foreigner does not report the aforementioned changes to the details of the foreigner registration card within 15 days of the change, he/she will be considered to be in breach of Immigration Act Article 35 and will be fined accordingly.

Professors who wish to continue lecturing or study activities at Yonsei beyond their valid visa period are required to apply for the visa extension.

Application for an extension of stay should be submitted at least two months before your current visa's expiration date. Penalties will be charged for late applications.

How to Apply for Permission for an Extension of Stay

Principal or principal’s agent shall prepare the required documents to the Immigration Office having the jurisdiction.

Visa extension can only be done through Korean Immigration Office while the foreigner is actually residing in Korea. Visa extension is not possible through the Korean consulate or Embassy in other countries.

Application Period for Extension

The foreigner shall apply 4 months before current expiration date to the expiration date. In case of applying for the extension after the expiration date, the individual shall pay the penalty according to Article 25 of Immigration Act.

Visa Extension Procedure

• Visit the Immigration Office or Apply online(hikorea.go.kr)
• Principal or principal’s agent shall prepare the required documents (See the documents by the qualification) for the Immigration Office having the jurisdiction.

Required Documents

• Application Form
• Passport
• Residence Card
• 1 color photo (3.5 cm X 4.5 cm)
• Employment contract (original AND photocopy)
• 1 copy of Business Registration Certificate of Yonsei University
• 1 copy of your teaching schedule with the course list including the number of students registered for each course
• 1 copy of Receipt for Wage and Salary Income Taxes Withholding
• Acceptable documents for proof of residency (lease contract, confirmation of provided residence, etc.)
• Process fee: KRW 60,000

Those who move to a new place must report changes in place of residence to the immigration office.

Obligation to Report Change in Residence

If any of the following incidents should occur to a registered foreigner, it must be reported to the local Immigration within 15 days of its occurrence

Incidents to report

Change in place of residency

Report Period

Within 15 days of the occurrence of the aforementioned incidents

Where to report

The local Immigration Office

Required Documents

Items are subject to change depending on individual circumstances.

• Passport & Residence Card
• Report on change of place of stay

Note

A registered foreigner’s failure to report the aforementioned incidents within 15 days from the date of occurrence will be considered a violation of Article 36 of the Immigration Act. As such, he/she will have to pay a penalty fine.

Persons Exempted from Re-entry Permit

Eligibility

Persons falling under any of the following (ⓐ to ⓓ) are exempted from the Re-Entry Permit and will be allowed to re-enter the ROK within the relevant period, without obtaining a Re-entry Permit

• ⓐ Registered Foreign Resident: Diplomat (A-1) through International Agreement (A-3), Korean Arts and Culture (D-1) through Dependent Family (F-3), Marriage Migrant (F-6) through Work and Visit (H-2) status holders, for Re-entry into the ROK within 1 year from the date of departure

  Re-entry will be allowed until the validity of stay for those with a period of stay of less than l year

• ⓑ Permanent Resident (F-5): For re-entry within 2 years from the date of departure
• ⓒ Overseas Korean (F-4): For re-entry within the authorized period of stay
• ⓓ Holders of Refugee Travel Document: For re-entry within the validity period of the document

Persons required to apply for Multiple Re-entry Permit

Eligibility

Registered foreigners (A-1 to A-3, D-1 to F-3, F-6 to H-2 status holders) should apply for a multiple Re-entry Permit to re-enter the ROK after spending more than 1 year and up to 2 years abroad from the date of departure

How to Apply

Through in-person visits to an Immigration Office, by proxy application through an administrative agency, e-Application services on the HiKorea website (www.hikorea.go.kr)

Required Documents and Fees

• Documents to Submit: Passport, Foreign Resident Registration Card(Residence Card)

  Persons with type A status (A-1, A-2, A-3) are required to additionally submit a document proving the incumbency period such as a diplomatic identification card, official letter of cooperation from the Embassy, certificate of employment

• Fees: 50,000KRW

  Persons exempted from fees

  • Nationals from Argentina (aged 14 years or less ONLY), Taiwan, Tunisia
  • Scholarship students invited by the government such as Korean Arts and Culture (D-1), Student (D-2), General Trainee (D-4) status holders who have submitted a certificate of scholarship or those with exemption requests from the relevant organization
  • Diplomat (A-1), Foreign Government Official (A-2), International Agreement (A-3), Corporate Investor (D-8) Status holders

Immigration Offices

Many visas and visa alterations may be applied for through the HiKorea site. Before visiting your assigned immigration office, it is highly recommended that you first attempt to submit an e-application.

It is strongly advised that you make a reservation before you visit the Seoul Immigration Office. It is known to have very high traffic and long wait times. Arriving too late in the day, especially for Chinese nationals, may result in a failure to be seen that day.

Seoul Southern Immigration Office

• Address: 48, Magokseo1-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul
• Jurisdiction: Seodaemun-gu etc
• Directions: Take subway line 5, get off at Magokstation. Then go out exit #1 and walk straight ahead for approximately 5 minutes.
• Telephone: +82-2-6980-4700

Incheon Immigration Office

• Address: 1-31, Hangdong7-ga, Jung-gu, Incheon
• Jurisdiction: Incheon (Except Incheon International Airport)
• Telephone: +82-32-890-6322

For more information about the jurisdictions please check the latest information at https://immigration.go.kr/immigration/2057/subview.do