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Getting Your ARC (Alien Registration Card)
Your ID as a foreigner in Korea — every step from booking the appointment to picking up the card.
10 min readLast updated April 2026
Your ID as a foreigner in Korea — every step from booking the appointment to picking up the card.
The Alien Registration Card (ARC) — officially renamed the Residence Card by Korea Immigration, though almost everyone still calls it the ARC — is your primary ID as a foreign resident in South Korea. Without it you cannot fully open a bank account, sign a long-term phone contract, rent a flat, or be registered for National Health Insurance. Most Zimbabweans on a work, student, or family visa must register within 90 days of arriving in Korea. Missing that 90-day window can result in a fine of ₩100,000 to ₩1,000,000 depending on how late you are. This guide walks through the process end to end.
Anyone planning to stay in Korea for longer than 90 days on a long-stay visa: D-series visas (D-2 university students, D-4 language students, D-7/D-8/D-10 professional/business), E-series work visas (E-1 through E-9), and F-series residence/family visas (F-2 long-term, F-4 overseas Korean, F-5 permanent, F-6 marriage). C-series and short-term tourist entries do not require one.
The clock starts on your date of entry into Korea — the stamp in your passport. You have 90 calendar days to register. If you change visa type while in Korea (for example, completing your studies and switching to an E-7 work visa), a new 90-day window applies from the date your new visa is granted. Late registration penalties scale with how far overdue you are; the official range is ₩100,000 to ₩1,000,000 and Immigration officers do enforce this.
Original passport with the long-stay visa stamped or attached; one passport-style photo taken within the last six months; proof of your Korean address (a signed lease, an employer housing letter, a dormitory confirmation, or a goshiwon receipt all work); the completed application form (downloaded from HiKorea or filled in at the office); and the application fee in cash or by card. Students and workers may also need a certificate of enrolment or employment contract — your school or employer usually prepares this for you.
Walk-ins are no longer accepted at most Immigration Offices — you book in advance via the HiKorea portal (www.hikorea.go.kr). Create an account, choose 'Reservation Service', pick the office that covers your registered address (not just the nearest — Immigration Offices are jurisdictional), and select a date and time. Slots fill up fast, especially in Seoul, Suwon, Ansan, and Busan; aim to book at least two to three weeks in advance.
Specifications are strict: 35mm × 45mm (3.5cm × 4.5cm), color, plain white background, taken within the last six months, no headwear (unless religious or medical), no glare on glasses, neutral expression with mouth closed. Any photo studio in Korea — there's usually one near every Immigration Office — will know the format if you ask for an 'ID photo for 외국인등록증'. Cost is around ₩10,000–₩15,000 for a set of four prints plus a digital file.
Arrive 10–15 minutes early with all your documents. Take a queue ticket if there is one. The officer will check your documents, take your fingerprints, scan your photo, collect the fee, and give you a receipt with a tracking number. The whole visit usually takes 30–60 minutes once you are called up. If anything is missing you will be asked to come back — bring photocopies of everything as a safety net.
The standard application fee is ₩30,000 if you will pick the card up in person, or ₩33,000 if you want it posted to you. Some Immigration Offices accept card payment; a few still want cash, so carry enough just in case. You will also pay separately for the photo and any document copies you need at the office.
Cards typically take 2 to 4 weeks to be issued — sometimes longer in peak student arrival months (February–March and August–September). You can track the status on HiKorea using the tracking number on your receipt. Until your card arrives, your passport with the visa stamp serves as your ID and your application receipt counts as proof of pending registration.
If you chose pick-up, you go back to the same Immigration Office once HiKorea shows the status as 'issued'. Bring the receipt and your passport. If you chose delivery, the card is sent by registered post to the address you registered — somebody must be home to sign for it, or it goes back to a local post office for re-collection.
Since March 2025 a digital Mobile Foreigner Residence Card has been available. Once your physical card has been issued you can install the mobile version through the Government24 (정부24) app — it shows your card details on a verified screen and is now accepted by major banks (Shinhan, Hana, iM, Busan, Jeonbuk, Jeju), most mobile carriers, and many government services in place of the plastic card. The physical card is still issued and you should carry it; the mobile version is just convenient backup.
Your ARC's validity is tied to the visa you registered under. When your visa is extended, you must update your ARC at Immigration — usually by booking a 'Period Extension' or 'Status Change' reservation on HiKorea. The process is similar to the original application: documents, photo, fee. Keep an eye on your visa expiry date — Immigration will not chase you, and overstaying is a much bigger deal than late registration.
If you move house in Korea, you are legally required to report your new address within 14 days of moving. You can do this at your local district office (구청 / 동주민센터) or online via HiKorea. Failing to update your address is grounds for a separate fine and can break things later — banks, phone carriers, NHIS, and tax filings all rely on the address Immigration has on file.
Book reservations, track applications, download forms.
Top-level English site for the Immigration Service.
Dial 1345 from any Korean phone for English/multilingual help.
Where the Mobile Foreigner Residence Card is installed once your physical card is issued.
Note: This guide is for community reference only — it is not official guidance from any Korean or Zimbabwean authority. Everything here is drawn from the past experiences of Zimbabweans and other foreigners in Korea, and everyone's situation is different — your visa type, employer, region, branch, and timing can all change how things play out for you. Rules, fees, processes, and contact details can also change at any time without notice. Always confirm the current details with the relevant official source (Immigration, your bank, the carrier, NHIS, ZIMRA, ZEC, your embassy, etc.) before acting on anything you read here. Specifically: ARC application fees, late penalties, processing times, and required documents can vary slightly between Immigration Offices and visa types — always treat HiKorea, the 1345 hotline, or your assigned Immigration Office as the authoritative source for your specific case.