Moving to Korea: Your First 30 Days, in Order
Everything in Korea — banking, phone plans, deliveries, even some apps — unlocks with one card: your Residence Card (ARC). So the order you do things matters more than people expect. Here's the sequence that avoids dead ends.
Week 1: Apply for your Residence Card (ARC)
Anyone staying over 90 days must register at immigration within 90 days of arrival — but do it immediately, because card issuance takes 3–6 weeks and everything else waits on it.
- Book at hikorea.go.kr (reservations are mandatory; slots in big cities go fast)
- Bring: passport, visa, passport photo (3.5×4.5cm), proof of residence (lease or dorm certificate), fee (~₩30,000), and documents specific to your visa type
- While waiting, a prepaid tourist SIM keeps you connected (see essentials guide)
Week 1–2: Temporary setup that works without an ARC
- T-money card for transit — any convenience store, no ID needed
- Naver Map + Papago (translation) installed and signed up
- Kakao Talk — Korea runs on it; you'll need it for work chats, deliveries, everything
When the ARC arrives: the big three, same week
1. Bank account. Bring ARC + passport to a major bank branch (KB, Shinhan, Woori, Hana — or KEB Hana for the most English support). Ask for a debit card and mobile banking setup in-branch; doing it later remotely is much harder. Some banks limit transfers for the first month — annoying but normal.
2. Real phone plan. With an ARC you can leave tourist SIMs behind. Budget MVNOs (알뜰폰/algteulpon brands) run on the same networks for ₩20,000–40,000/month vs ₩60,000+ at the big three. A Korean number registered to your name unlocks app verifications everywhere.
3. Digital identity. Once you have a bank account + phone in your name, register a simple-auth certificate (Kakao/Naver/PASS) — this is how Koreans "log in with ID" for government sites, taxes, deliveries and hospital apps. It's the final unlock.
Know your housing money: jeonse vs wolse
Korean rentals come in two flavors: wolse (deposit + monthly rent, most common for foreigners) and jeonse (a huge lump-sum deposit, no monthly rent). Deposits are large by global standards — ₩5–10M even for wolse. Before signing anything, check what similar units actually rent for using the real transaction database (Korean UI, but numbers are numbers), and never transfer deposit money to an account that doesn't match the owner's name on the property register.
Health insurance: automatic, and worth it
After 6 months of stay (immediately for workers/students in most cases) you're enrolled in National Health Insurance (NHIS) — roughly ₩150,000/month for self-enrolled residents, far less for employees. It cuts clinic visits to ₩5,000–15,000. Find nearby clinics and pharmacies with our hospital finder (Korean UI — search by neighborhood name).
The 30-day checklist
- ✅ Immigration appointment booked (day 1–3)
- ✅ T-money, Kakao Talk, Naver Map, Papago (week 1)
- ✅ ARC picked up → bank account → MVNO phone plan → Kakao/PASS certificate
- ✅ Lease checked against real transaction prices; deposit sent only to owner's account
- ✅ NHIS status confirmed; neighborhood clinic & pharmacy located
This guide describes general procedures as of mid-2026 — immigration and banking rules change, so confirm specifics on hikorea.go.kr or the 1345 immigration hotline (English available).