Settling in Korea, step by step.
Three clocks start the day you land. The paperwork, the deadlines and the daily logistics nobody explains before you arrive — checked against the government pages they come from.
Start here: getting your ARC
- 90 days Register for your ARC within 90 days of arrival
- 6 months Health insurance begins without a Korean employer after six months
- 15 days Report your new address after every move
Dates are counted conservatively from your arrival. Book early — appointment slots fill up.
Arriving and staying legal
- Reporting an Address Change Moving apartments in Korea and forgetting the address report is one of the easiest ways for a foreigner to pick up a fine. Here is how to report a change…
- Seoul Immigration Moves to Songpa If you have a HiKorea appointment at the Seoul Immigration Office on or after October 19, 2026, do not go to Mok-dong. The office is moving to a brand-new…
- How to Get Your ARC in Korea You landed in Korea, the jet lag is fading, and then someone at work or school asks: "Did you get your ARC yet?" Here's the catch nobody tells you on the…
Money, phone and paperwork
- Driving in Korea as a Foreigner You landed, got your ARC, rented a car for a weekend trip, and then wondered: am I even allowed to drive here? The answer is "yes, for a while," and the…
- Getting a Korean Phone Number Getting a Korean phone number is a chicken-and-egg problem: you need a number for banking apps and delivery, but the best plans need a residence card you…
- Opening a Korean Bank Account You can’t get paid, pay rent or use most Korean apps without a Korean bank account, and the first branch visit is where plans fall apart: wrong document,…
Your home
- Jeonse vs Wolse You found a nice place in Seoul, and the listing says "전세" or "월세" with a deposit that looks like a typo. Nobody warned you that renting an apartment in…
- Korea Recycling Rules You carried your trash downstairs, and a neighbor stared at the bag like you had set something on fire. Korea recycling rules for foreigners are confusing…
Health
- Korea Health Insurance: What You Pay Your first Korean paycheck arrives smaller than the contract said, or a bill for health insurance lands in your mailbox and you have no idea why. Korea…
- Seeing a Doctor in Seoul You wake up with a fever, your Korean is limited to “kamsahamnida”, and Google Maps shows forty places that all say “의원” or “병원”. Which door do you walk…
Getting around and daily life
- The Seoul Transit Card If you searched for the Seoul Climate Card and found guides telling you to load 62,000 won for unlimited rides, those guides are out of date. The Climate…
- Food Delivery Without Korean It's 9 p.m., you're hungry, the fridge is empty, and every delivery app on your phone is in Korean or wants a phone number you don't have. Ordering food…
- Naver Map in English You open Google Maps in Seoul, type your destination, tap the walking icon and get nothing. No route, no blue line, just a message that directions aren’t…
- 10 Korean Apps You Actually Need Google Maps barely works here. Half the menus are in Korean. And on your first day, someone will ask for your KakaoTalk ID before your name. I'm Jun, a…
