Residence Card

Applying for Residence Card

All non-Korean exchange/visiting students at SNU must complete foreign resident registration at Seoul Immigration Service within 90 days of arrival in Korea. Otherwise, you will be fined.

This foreign resident registration will issue you a Residence Card (RC), which serves as an official ID card during your stay in Korea. It states your official sojourn period and until the expiration date, you are guaranteed with your sojourn status (‘student’).

To travel outside Korea, you must apply for re-entry permit in advance and bring your RC with yourself to maintain your sojourn status. This means you cannot travel outside Korea until you obtain your Residence Card. The card should then be submitted at the airport when you finish your semester and permanently leave Korea.

On top of that, Residence Card provides you with a number of benefits for living in Seoul. For example, a Korean debit card and CMS application (required for dormitory monthly maintenance fee payment) requires the Residence Card number. Therefore, exchange students who are residing in Gwanak Residence Halls must complete foreign resident registration as early as possible to ensure the successful maintenance fee payment.

Foreign resident registration is not required for Korean nationals and overseas Koreans with F-4 visa. F-4 visa holders must instead report domestic residence at the immigration office.

Also, a multiple entry D-2 visa holder does not have to apply for the Residence Card, if the most recent stay in Korea does not exceed 90 days. This means multiple entry visa holders must leave and re-enter Korea every 90 days. SNU OIA, however, highly recommends multiple entry visa holders to apply for the Residence Card for your convenience.

To file an application for the foreign resident registration, you must make a reservation at the Seoul Immigration Service and visit the office in person with all the required documents.

Application Procedure

Venue

Seoul Immigration Service
151 Mokdongdong-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul
Mon-Fri / 9 am – 6 pm

Application Period

Within 90 days of your arrival

Application Procedure

  1. Make a reservation through HiKorea website. (See HiKorea to learn how to make a reservation.)
  2. Visit the immigration office on the reserved date and time, with all the required documents.
  3. Immigration office will notify you when the RC becomes available. You will be able to choose between picking it up at the office or having it mailed to your address.

Application Fee

30,000 KRW

Processing Time

Up to 6 weeks (working days only)

Note

  1. From the end of August to September, it is extremely difficult to book a reservation. However, it is advised to keep your eyes on the reservation system, since time slots may pop up due to cancellations.
  2. Applicants are not allowed to leave Korea before the application process is completed.
  3. In case you need a certification of your foreign resident registration that is being processed, you can apply for a Residence Card registration certification through the immigration office or local community office (e.g. community service center, district office). Before you apply, you must check the issuance availability by dialing 1345. Upon their confirmation, you may then head to office and get the certificate, which costs 2,000 KRW.

Required Documents

Application Form

You should have a color photo attached (3*4 cm sized, white background, photographed within 6 months) to the form.

Passport
Certificate of Enrollment at SNU
Confirmation of Residence
  • Residential Type: Gwanak Residence Halls (dormitory)
    • List of Required Documents: Dormitory Residence Certificate
    • Note: This certificate can be issued through mySNU, a day after you move into the residence halls. Contact SNU OIA if you need the document before the semester starts.
  • Residential Type: Off-campus Housing whose contract is signed under your name
    • List of Required Documents: Contract
    • Note: The exact address of your residence (typed), personal information and signature of both the tenant and the landlord, and the duration of your stay must be stated.
  • Residential Type: Gosiwon, Gositel, Shared House, AirBNB, Guesthouse, etc.
    • List of Required Documents:
      1. Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation or Accommodation Contract
      2. Business Registration Certificate (to certify address)
      3. Receipt of Payment (to certify residential period)
    • Note: The address in the Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation must be identical with the address in the Business Registration Certificate; When submitting the contract, it must state the move-in date; Bank transfer records can substitute the receipt; For AirBnB, the receipt page must be printed out and submitted.
  • Residential Type: Friend’s House or Off-Campus Housing whose contract is signed without your name
    • List of Required Documents:
      1. Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation
      2. Copy of ID Card of the Real Estate Holder (both front and back)
      3. Contract
    • Note: The Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation must state the start date of the residential period; Only when the real estate holder’s address shown on the ID card is different from the address in the Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation, you have to submit the contract additionally.
Tuberculosis (TB) Test Certificate

TB Test Certificate is required for those with the following nationalities (and who did not submit the certificate during the visa application): (High TB-burden countries) Nepal, East Timor, Russia, Malaysia, Mongol, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, India, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Pakistan, Philippines, Laos

Tips on the Process

At the beginning of each semester, the queue and waiting time at the immigration office is incredibly long. As it can take anywhere from 2 hours to over 4 hours, we suggest you go before the semester begins.

Here are a few tips to help you reduce any confusion and get through it as fast as possible. Ideally, coming with all the required documents ahead of time is the easiest way. But since you will have to wait for quite a bit anyway, the only documents you must not forget are your passport, proof of enrollment, and the 33,000 KRW fee. You can take care of the other requirements there.

When you arrive at the immigration office, first take a ticket with a waiting number. Once you have your ticket, fill out the application form. Then, if you didn’t have a picture ready, go to the photo booth next to the ATMs to take your picture (Don’t forget to show your ears in the photo!). Afterwards, you have to use the ATM machines to pay the 33,000 KRW fee for the Residence Card. Don’t forget to keep the transaction receipt with you, because they will only take that receipt as payment, not cash. Wait until your number is called. (You might want to bring a book, or go with a group of friends to make the most out of the waiting time!)

Residence Card Reissuance

When a foreigner loses the Residence Card, he or she must visit immigration office within 14 days from the date of loss, and re-apply for the Residence Card.

Required Documents:
  - Passport
  - Photo (3.5cm x 4.5cm, white background, photographed within 6 months)
  - Application form
  - Application fee (30,000 KRW)

Immigration Office Hotline

In case of any inquiries, please contact the number below:
Seoul Immigration Service (서울출입국·외국인청)

  • Address: 151 Mokdongdong-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 양천구 목동동로 151)
  • Hours: 9:00 AM ~ 6:00 PM
  • Tel. +82-2-2650-6214
  • Fax. +82-2-2650-6295