Technically, we should have filed this under post-arrival services, but since it pertains to visas, we thought we’d mention it here:
After you get your visa and arrive in Korea, you’ll have 90 days to apply for an alien registration card (ARC). An ARC is essentially a national ID, and looks like this:
Often, your employer will do this for you, and almost always they will be willing to help you.
To get your card, you (or somebody on your behalf) must bring your passport, a passport photo (hopefully you have copies left over from the visa application), your health check results, a copy of our employer’s registration (your employer can provide this), and 10.000W (about ten bucks) to the Immigration Office in your Provence (Do). Immigration Offices are only open during business hours on non-holiday weekdays.
We recommend making an appointment online. Otherwise, you can expect to wait at least 30 minutes and maybe an hour or two. To make an appointment, you’ll need to register online at hikorea.go.kr. On the left side of the page where there are the boxes to type in a use name and password click “Join” and follow all of the instructions. Once you have done that you can register for the appointment.
Print out the confirmation as well as the registration form. If you can’t print it out, make sure to copy all the information down carefully.
Seoul Immigration Office Directions
To view a map, click here
Take exit 7 out of 오목교 Omokgyo subway station (purple line 5). The white and green sign points to the Immigration Office, 500 meters away.
Walk straight for about 10 minutes. You’ll reach an intersection with a gas station.
Cross here and keep going. After another minute or two, you should be able to see the tall gray building that says Seoul Immigration Office when you near the end of the street.
From there just cross the street to the office. If you don’t see the sign, you’ll probably notice a lot of street vendors selling international phone cards and other goods geared towards foreigners right outside.
When you enter the building, go into the big room on your right and take a number. This will give you an approximate idea of your waiting time. In our experience, they process about 20 numbers per hour. During your wait, you can fill out the application form, attach your photo, take a seat, and read a book.
When you file your application, you can request to have your card returned to you by mail. This service costs about 5,000W and we recommend it because it will save you another trip to pick it up. The person who processes your application can assist you with this, and will send you to a room on the second floor where you can purchase a voucher.
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