How to Get Your Residence Card (ARC) in Korea: Step-by-Step Guide for Students

If you are staying in Korea for more than 90 days — a degree, an exchange semester, a language program — you have to register as a foreign resident. The card you get is officially the Residence Card (외국인등록증), but almost everyone, including banks and universities, still calls it the ARC (Alien Registration Card). It is your main ID in Korea, and you will need its registration number for a bank account, a phone contract, dormitory payments and many online services.

This guide walks through the process in the order you will actually do it. Rules and fees change, so check the details with your university's international office or the immigration contact center (1345, with English support) before you go.

Who needs to register, and by when

• Who: foreigners staying in Korea for more than 90 days from the date of entry.
• Deadline: within 90 days of arrival. If you receive a permit to stay or a change of status while you are already in Korea, you register at that point.
• Where: the immigration office (출입국·외국인청 / 사무소) that covers the address where you live. Seoul has several offices, and each one serves specific districts — check which one covers your address on HiKorea before booking.

Do not wait until day 89. Registering late means a fine that grows the longer you wait, and until you have the card your registration number is missing from a lot of everyday paperwork.

What to bring

Requirements differ a little by visa type and office, but for a student (D-2 or D-4) the usual list is:

1. Integrated application form (통합신청서) — downloadable from HiKorea; many universities also hand it out.
2. Passport (original, plus a copy of the photo page).
3. One color passport-style photo on a white background, taken within the last 6 months. Some offices will not accept a copy of the photo already in your passport.
4. Certificate of enrollment (재학증명서) from your university, issued after you arrived.
5. Proof of address — a dormitory residence confirmation or a copy of your lease. For a goshiwon or guesthouse, ask the office which document they accept.
6. The fee: 35,000 won for most visa types (raised from 30,000 won on January 1, 2025). Some offices pay by revenue stamp or card at a machine on site, so bring a card and some cash.
7. Tuberculosis test result, only if your nationality requires it and you did not already submit one for your visa.

Tip: Make two copies of everything. It is common to be asked for a copy of a document you only brought in original.

Step 1 — Check if your university applies for you

Many universities run a group application at the start of each semester: you hand your documents to the international office, they submit them in bulk, and you only visit immigration for fingerprints (or not at all). It saves hours of waiting, but the submission window is short — often the first week of the semester. Check your university's notices before you book anything yourself.

Step 2 — Book a visit on HiKorea

If you are applying on your own, book a slot at HiKorea (visit reservation → foreign resident registration). Slots for the weeks around the start of March and September fill up fast. Two things help:

• Check for cancellations — new slots open when other people cancel, often early in the morning.
• Go before the semester starts if you can. Walk-in waits at the start of term can run two to four hours.

Step 3 — The visit

At the office you take a number, submit your documents, pay the fee, and have your fingerprints and photo taken. The officer will tell you how you will receive the card. Keep the receipt (접수증): it shows your application is in progress, and you will need it to pick up the card.

Step 4 — Wait for the card

Processing times depend on the office and the season. A few weeks is typical; at peak times some offices quote six to eight weeks. You can usually choose to collect the card in person or have it mailed to your address.

While you wait, your registration number may already be issued. Ask at the counter — some banks and phone carriers can start paperwork with it.

Traveling during processing? If you need to leave Korea before the card is ready, ask the officer about re-entry first. Do not assume you can leave and come back on the same status.

After you have the card

Get the mobile version. Since January 2025, registered foreigners aged 14 and over can add a mobile residence card to their own smartphone through the government Mobile ID app, by tapping the IC-chip card on the phone or scanning a QR code. It has the same legal standing as the plastic card, and since March 2025 several banks accept it for opening accounts.

Open a bank account and switch your phone plan. These are the two errands the ARC unlocks first. Our first-week checklist covers the order to do them in.

Report every move within 14 days. If you change address — dorm to studio, one studio to another — report the new address within 14 days of moving. You can do it at the community service center (주민센터) of your new neighborhood, at the immigration office, or online through HiKorea. Missing this deadline also brings a fine.

Keep it valid. The card's expiry follows your permitted period of stay. Extend your stay before it expires, and report changes such as a new passport to immigration. If you lose the card, apply for a replacement promptly (the fee is the same 35,000 won).

Quick checklist

• Staying more than 90 days? Then you must register.
• Ask whether your university runs a group application.
• Gather: form, passport, photo, enrollment certificate, proof of address, 35,000 won.
• Book on HiKorea early, and watch for cancellations.
• Visit, give fingerprints, keep the receipt.
• Collect the card or wait for the mail, then add the mobile card.
• Report any move within 14 days.

Where to check the official rules

• HiKorea — www.hikorea.go.kr: reservations, forms, online address changes.
• Immigration Contact Center — call 1345 from a Korean phone (multilingual).
• Your university's international office — the fastest answer for student-specific questions and group applications.

Information checked in October 2026 against university international-office notices and government announcements. Fees, documents and processing times can change and can differ by office, so confirm with HiKorea or 1345 before your visit.