If you will stay in South Korea for more than 90 days, you generally must register as a foreign resident within 90 days after entering. Make a HiKorea appointment at the immigration office responsible for your actual address, then bring your passport, current stay documents, recent photograph and accepted housing evidence. A visa, entry stamp, reservation confirmation and the physical residence card are four different things. Getting a card is evidence of registration—not a new right to work in an occupation your underlying stay status does not allow.
The practical danger is timing: an appointment offered after your 90th day is not a reason to assume your registration deadline has moved. Book early, and ask Immigration/1345 what authorised action is possible if appointments are unavailable.
Your clock depends on the event
| Situation | What you need to do | Do not mix up |
|---|---|---|
| New D-2 student or E-7 employee entering for over 90 days | Apply for foreigner registration within 90 days after entry, unless a documented exemption applies | Visa validity vs completion of foreigner registration |
| Someone granted a stay status or status change within Korea | Check the specific instruction to register when that permission is granted, not automatically another 90 days | An in-country change of stay status vs arrival |
| Registered foreigner moves apartments | Report the new place of stay within 15 days of moving via the appropriate immigration/local-government/HiKorea route | The first-registration 90-day clock vs address change 15-day clock |
| F-4 overseas Korean reports a change of domestic residence | F-4 category has a separate 14-day rule described in official Immigration FAQ; use your own category's procedure | Applying ordinary registered-foreigner 15 days to F-4 indiscriminately |
| Passport details or registered name change | Report the change under the applicable registered-information rules promptly, with documentary evidence | Updating airline or mobile carrier records as a substitute for Immigration |
| Short tourist staying at most 90 days | Check the short-stay rules; ordinary foreigner registration is generally not required solely because you entered Korea | Buying a Korean SIM or a hotel booking creates long-stay status |
The Ministry of Justice registration page states that foreigners intending to stay over 90 days should register within the first 90 days, with exemptions including diplomats (A-1/A-2/A-3) and certain recognised special cases. The government-run Study in Korea registration guide also specifies immediate registration on a grant/change of stay status in cases where that rule applies.
Your first residence-card appointment
First confirm your underlying status. A student on D-2, an employee on E-7, a spouse/family resident, and a foreigner with a short visit have different stay conditions. Foreigner registration does not grant permission to study/work if the underlying visa or residence approval does not cover it. To check the ordinary visa choices, see Korea visas and entry; for E-series work, see Korea work and residence.
Use the real HiKorea reservation system. The Ministry of Justice directs first-time applicants to reserve a visit through HiKorea and attend the immigration/foreigner office with jurisdiction over their actual place of residence. Some employer/university administrations coordinate group appointments; ask for the actual application and office arrangement rather than assuming they have registered you. Appointment booking itself is not an immigration status decision.
Prepare the documents: The current official procedure lists passport, application form, one 3.5 × 4.5 cm passport photograph taken within the last six months, accepted proof of place of residence, and status-specific supporting papers. For a student these may include the school's post-entry enrolment confirmation; a worker may need employment-related status evidence. Bring originals and payment according to the current office's actual fee instructions; do not use a stale online fee screenshot as the guaranteed price. The office can request additional biometric and eligibility checks and will tell you the actual card issue/pickup or delivery procedure.
A real first-week example: You land on 2 November with a one-year university status, and the earliest advertised immigration appointment is in January. Apply for a slot immediately and ask the university/1345 to verify that the actual filing will still be within the prescribed 90-day period. Do not tell yourself that waiting until the 90th day to start looking for a slot is safe. Keep an actual housing document because “I live with my friend” without accepted proof may cause delay.
Proving an address when you are not the tenant
For an ordinary lease, take the signed lease for the exact address/unit and any other proof required by your office. For a dormitory, get the school's official residence/accommodation confirmation. If you stay with a friend or family member, ask the immigration office for the recognised host/accommodation confirmation and host ID/property documents; a text message or unverified hotel screenshot may not satisfy the applicable form.
Example: You sign a lease at a new Seoul apartment but your residence card still shows the university dorm. Registration of the first address does not automatically update when you move. Use accepted documentation for the new physical place of stay, rather than continuing to report an old address because the mailbox is easier.
Moving house: fifteen days is not ninety
The Korean government foreigner address-change service and HiKorea describe the report of change of residence. For an ordinary registered foreigner, file within 15 days of the move; you can use the immigration office for the new jurisdiction, a competent local administrative/community service centre or a qualified online route where actually offered for your status. Submit the passport, residence card, form and new residence evidence.
A student or worker should not treat a university form, employer HR notification, bank account or phone carrier address as automatic filing with Immigration. Keep the official submitted report/receipt.
The official immigration FAQ on residence change specifies 14 days for the separate F-4 overseas Korean domestic-residence-report scenario. Check the category printed in your record, rather than guessing F-4 is exactly the same as D-2 or E-7 registration.
Example: You moved on 5 December but only update your bank account on 10 December. The immigration 15-day report is still outstanding. Bring the new lease or host confirmation and file with the competent service before the deadline; if already late, contact Immigration/1345 and disclose the true moving date rather than retroactively changing it.
Passport changes, school transfers and jobs have separate rules
New passport, changed name or nationality: Use the HiKorea immigration information/reporting route with the new document and current card; ask for the deadline for the particular change and route (online, fax, proxy or in person). A passport number updated with the airline or a new plastic card request does not automatically update immigration registration. If your reporting period has passed, follow Immigration's actual late-filing instructions.
Change of employer, university or course: These can involve separate permits/status-change or affiliation notifications, not just a changed address. For work authorisation, the worker or employer must obtain the permission required for the actual new position before the first working day where needed. For a student, the education sponsor/international office should direct the school's transfer and attendance reporting. The residence card is not a permanent open work licence.
Expiring stay period: The Study in Korea guide and HiKorea outline extensions separately from registration. Filing an address report does not extend your permitted stay. Check the actual expiry and the competent application window rather than assuming your card can be used indefinitely.
If something goes wrong
There are no appointments before the deadline: Keep the booking record and call 1345 or the responsible Immigration office promptly about an authorised way to file on time; don't presume an appointment request equals filed registration. Proof of residence rejected: request the exact approved form and supporting host/landlord documents, not a false address. You moved but forgot to report: file truthfully and promptly, explaining the real move date. The card is delayed: rely on the official receipt/status and the underlying permission, not on a broker promising a card is guaranteed by a certain day.
Do today: establish your immigration category, the date you entered/changed status, your real address and the next deadline. Reserve through HiKorea, obtain valid housing documentation, keep the receipt and put a separate 15-day reminder for any future address move. For mobile identity checks after receiving a registered card, see Korea phone and identity verification.