Need your Alien Registration Certificate handled?

Anyone staying in Korea more than 90 days from the date of entry is legally required to register — the Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) is what functions as a foreign resident's ID card, and without it, opening a bank account or activating a phone line isn't possible. Missing the registration deadline isn't a paperwork inconvenience — under the Immigration Act, it's grounds for forced deportation.

The 90-day rule and who's exempt

Registration is required within 90 days of entry, filed at the immigration office covering the applicant's place of residence. Exempt: staff of foreign diplomatic missions/consulates and international organizations (and their families), and holders of treaty-based privileges/immunities equivalent to diplomatic or consular status (and their families). Nearly everyone else who stays past 90 days has to register.

Registration process and documents

1. Book a visit via the HiKorea website
2. Visit the assigned immigration office on the appointment date
3. Submit documents and register fingerprints — the applicant must appear in person for this step, though a 행정사 can accompany
4. Receive the certificate (roughly 3–4 weeks)

Required documents: the integrated application form, passport, a photo taken within the last 6 months, a certificate of stay-address proof (lease agreement, property registry, or stay-expiry notice — one of the three), and — where applicable — a health checkup certificate, enrollment certificate, marriage relation certificate, or tuberculosis screening certificate. The reviewing officer has discretion to request additional documents beyond this list.

The mobile ARC (as of January 10, 2025)

Korea now issues a mobile version of the ARC through the government's national mobile ID app:

• New registrants: get an IC-chip-embedded physical card and activate the mobile version by scanning the chip and completing facial verification in the app — issuance fee is KRW 35,000 (raised as of January 1, 2025)
• Existing cardholders: visit an immigration office, scan a QR code at the counter, and complete facial verification — no new physical card is required just to activate the mobile version
• Tied to one phone under the holder's own name; a lost-phone report automatically locks the mobile ID to prevent misuse
• Available to registered foreign nationals age 14 or older; has the same legal effect as the physical card and is accepted at public institutions, banks, convenience stores, and hospitals
• Losing the phone or the app doesn't strand an IC-chip cardholder — the physical card itself re-activates the mobile version at any immigration office visit

Extension: timing and documents

Extension applications can be filed starting 4 months before the current stay period expires — appointment slots can be hard to get close to the deadline, so filing early matters. Processing is typically 3–4 weeks, longer if the office requests supplementary documents; in one E-7-1 case handled here, an urgent filing (submitted September 1 ahead of a September-end business trip) was approved within 10 business days. Extension documents typically include: the application, passport and ARC, the fee, an employment contract, either an income certificate from the tax office or a withholding tax statement from the employer, a business registration certificate or corporate registry extract, a guarantee letter (for certain occupations), stay-address proof, and the employer's tax payment record — exact requirements vary by immigration office and visa category.

What we handle

• Booking the HiKorea appointment and preparing the full document set for first-time registration
• Coordinating the in-person fingerprint-registration step (accompanying the applicant, though they must appear themselves)
• Mobile ARC activation guidance, for both new registrants and existing cardholders
• Extension filings — confirming the 4-month early-filing window and assembling the employer/income/stay-address documentation
• Lost-certificate reissuance (report loss via HiKorea, then reissue within 14 days at the immigration office)

How the process works

1. We confirm your entry date, current stay category, and whether you need first-time registration or an extension.
2. We book the appointment and prepare the required documents, including any employer-side paperwork.
3. We accompany the fingerprint-registration visit where needed and track the certificate through issuance.

Who typically needs this

Anyone recently arrived in Korea approaching the 90-day registration deadline, ARC holders whose stay period is coming up for extension, and anyone who needs to reissue a lost certificate or activate the mobile version.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until close to the 90-day deadline to book a HiKorea appointment, when slots can be hard to get
• Filing an extension too close to the expiry date instead of using the 4-month early window
• Assuming the mobile ARC replaces the need to carry the physical card in every situation, or not realizing a lost physical card auto-locks the linked mobile ID
• Missing that non-registration past 90 days is a deportation ground, not just a fine

Timeline

First-time registration typically takes about 3–4 weeks after the in-person appointment; extensions run a similar 3–4 weeks, faster when the filing is complete and early — our fastest recent extension cleared in about 10 business days.

Need a status-of-sojourn change alongside your registration or extension? See our E-series work visa filing service.