The short version
You do not need to finish everything in the first week. Get three things in order first, a place to sleep, a way to be reached, a way to pay, and the rest follows.
Last verified:
Deadlines that matter
Foreigner registration for long-term stays
By when: Within a set period after arrival, which depends on your status
If you miss it: There can be penalties, so check the deadline at the immigration office before it is late.
Right now
- 1Lock down where you sleep tonight first. The rest can wait until tomorrow.
- 2Set up a way to be reached, a phone number, or at least a messenger.
- 3Secure one thing you can pay with right now, cash or a card that works.
What to have ready
- Passport and visa documents
- Your first lodging address
- Something to pay with right now: Cash included.
Phrases you can copy and paste
Step by step
- 1
Sort out where you sleep first
Get through the first days on a booked or short-term place. You do not have to rush a long-term home.
- 2
Set up a way to be reached
A Korean phone number makes a lot of things easier. Until then, keep at least a messenger or email open so people can reach you.
- 3
Secure one way to pay
One working card or cash gets you through the first week. A domestic account can wait.
- 4
Check the deadlines for registration you need
- Where:
- Immigration office
For a long-term stay there are deadlines like foreigner registration. It is not urgent, but find out by when during the first week.
Watch it happen
Videos other people made, picked because they show a part of this guide that words cannot. They are not our sources: the rules and figures above come from the official pages listed at the end.
First Hour in Korea 🇰🇷 | What to Prepare & What to Do When You Land
Channel: PhatLife Project, English narration, English subtitles
Starts where this guide starts, at the airport with nothing set up yet, and works through the first things in the order they actually block each other.
Moving to South Korea Checklist! Don’t Forget These Things!!!!!!
Channel: Annah Pokubye , English narration, auto-generated English subtitles
A moving checklist rather than a travel one, so it covers the things you only need if you are staying, and the ones easier to bring than to buy here.
The Korean words
- 외국인등록oegugin-deungnok, foreigner registration
- Registration for long-term foreign residents. It produces your Alien Registration Card.
- 출입국, 외국인청churipguk oegugincheong, immigration office
- The government office that handles stay and registration.
- 단기 숙소dan-gi sukso, short-term lodging
- A place you stay for a few days at a time.
Easy to miss
- Trying to finish everything on day one wears you out. A place to sleep and a way to be reached is enough for day one.
- Rushing a long-term lease is easy to regret later. Give it a few days.
You can skip this if
- If a company or school is arranging your lodging and registration, follow their guidance first.
When it is time for a person
- If a place to stay, registration and being reachable all stall at once in your first week, it may be time for a person who can help with settling in more broadly.
Where this comes from
Rules, fees and deadlines change and depend on your exact case. Please confirm the details with the official sources before you act.