Guides index전체 가이드

Every guide, in the order you need it

Living in Korea as a foreigner is a sequence, not a category tree. This index follows that sequence — from the day you land to the day you leave — so a new arrival can read it top to bottom and a returning reader can skip to the row that fits.

Two statuses. Guides marked Verified were checked against a named office on a stated date. Guides marked Source-based are written from the issuing agency's own regulations and forms, read at source and dated, but not yet re-confirmed at a counter — useful for preparation, not a substitute for the office's own guidance. The difference is explained in the editorial policy.

Week one — before anything else works

D+0 Book a HiKorea appointment, and arrive on time 하이코리아 방문예약 · haikoria bangmun yeyak The reservation system works well. What loses people the appointment is the drive in, the car park, and a queue already running late. Checked in person at Daejeon. Verified D+0 Get a Korean phone number 휴대폰 개통 · hyudaepon gaetong Almost every other step needs one for identity verification. Prepaid opens on a passport; postpaid usually waits for your residence card. Do first D+0–14 Report your address at the community office 전입신고 · jeonip singo Filed once you have a lease. It is also the step that gives your deposit priority if the landlord runs into trouble. Deadline D+0–90 Register as a resident and collect your ID card 외국인등록증 · oegugin deungnokjeung Booked online, rarely walk-in. Slots at the busy immigration offices disappear weeks ahead, so reserve before the documents are gathered. Deadline

Month one — money and shelter

M1 Open a bank account that can transfer abroad 은행 계좌 개설 · eunhaeng gyejwa gaeseol New accounts open with a daily transfer ceiling. What lifts it is documented proof of income or study, not a friendly conversation. Bring documents M1 Read a Korean lease before you sign it 임대차계약서 · imdaecha gyeyakseo A clause-by-clause walkthrough plus the property registry check that tells you whether your deposit is exposed. Money at risk M1 Set up utilities, internet and building fees 공과금 · gonggwageum Which bills arrive separately, which are folded into the monthly maintenance charge, and how to pay without a Korean credit card. Routine

Month six — the system starts billing you

M6 National health insurance begins 국민건강보험 · gungmin geongang boheom Enrolment is automatic for most long-stay residents. What it covers, what it does not, and how the premium is worked out. Mandatory M6 Convert your foreign driving licence 운전면허 교환 · unjeon myeonheo gyohwan Some countries convert straight across, others require a written test. Which list your country sits on matters more than the paperwork. Optional

Year one and beyond

Y1 Get through year-end tax settlement 연말정산 · yeonmal jeongsan Foreign employees can often choose between a flat rate and the standard brackets. Choosing without running both numbers is the most expensive mistake in Korean paperwork. Money at risk Y1 Extend your stay before it lapses 체류기간 연장 · cheryu gigan yeonjang The application window opens well ahead of expiry. Filing late is a fine; filing after expiry is a different conversation entirely. Deadline EXIT Claim your pension back when you leave 국민연금 반환일시금 · banhwan ilsigeum Whether you receive the lump sum depends on the agreement between Korea and your country of nationality. Start the claim before you fly, not after. Claim it EXIT Collect your departure insurance and severance, even if you stay 출국만기보험 · chulguk mangi boheom E-9 severance sits in an insurance policy. Leaving Korea releases it, and so does a change of visa status. The employer tops up any shortfall. Claim it

E-9 visa track — workplace change, re-employment and re-entry

E-9 Changing workplace on an E-9 visa 사업장 변경 · saeopjang byeongyeong The one-month filing window at the Job Center, the three-month search limit, the separate immigration permit, documents, and where applications fail. Deadline E-9 E-9 re-employment: extending the three-year work period 재고용 허가 · jaegoyong heoga How an employer keeps an E-9 worker for another 1 year 10 months: the re-employment request at the Job Center, the extension certificate, and the stay extension at immigration. Deadline E-9 E-9 re-entry special scheme: coming back after 4 years 10 months 재입국 특례 · jaeipguk teungnye Who qualifies, why the employer must apply before the worker leaves, the one-month wait, and where applications fail. Deadline

Reference — look up as needed

REF Which Korean government office handles what 담당 기관 안내 · damdang gigwan annae A routing table for Korean public offices, organised by which office is actually permitted to decide your matter. Verified REF Korean administrative vocabulary: the words on the forms 행정 용어 · haengjeong yongeo About sixty Korean terms you will actually meet on forms, counter signs and official notices, with hangul and romanisation. Verified