Your First ARC Appointment: How to Book on HiKorea and What to Bring

If you're staying in Korea more than 90 days, registering for an Alien Registration Card (ARC / 외국인등록증) isn't optional — it's a legal requirement, and it's also the document you'll need for almost everything else: opening a bank account, getting a phone plan, and signing most leases.

This guide covers how to book your first ARC appointment on HiKorea, what to bring, and what happens after your visit — based on official Immigration Service and HiKorea information.

Who Needs to Register, and By When

Under Article 31 of the Immigration Act, any foreigner staying in Korea for more than 90 days must register within 90 days of their date of entry — counted from your entry stamp, not your lease start date or semester start date.

💡 Diplomats, staff of foreign missions/international organizations, and (generally) those under 17 are exempt. Everyone else on a long-term visa needs to register.

What to Prepare Before You Book

• Passport: original, plus a copy of the ID and visa pages
• Application form: the Integrated Application Form (통합신청서, 별지 제34호서식), available on the HiKorea site
• 1 passport-style photo: 3.5cm × 4.5cm, taken within the last 6 months, plain/white background, no border, face length 2.5–3.5cm, no glasses glare or hats
• Proof of address in Korea: your lease/rental contract, or a dorm confirmation letter if you’re in university housing
• For students: Certificate of Enrollment or proof of tuition payment
• For some nationalities: a tuberculosis medical exam certificate — check with your university’s international office, since this requirement varies by country
• Application fee: ₩35,000, paid in cash at the office (raised from ₩30,000 in January 2025 — some older university PDFs online still show the outdated ₩30,000 figure)

⚠️ Your registered address must exactly match your lease. If you move before applying, use your new address's contract — mismatches are a common reason students get sent back to fix paperwork.

How to Book Your Appointment on HiKorea

• Go to hikorea.go.kr → Visit Reservation
• You don’t need a HiKorea member account for your first visit: book as a non-member using your passport number, nationality, and date of birth (you don’t have an ARC number yet, so this is the correct path).
• A Korean phone number is not required: leave the mobile field blank and print your Visit Reservation Receipt instead of getting an SMS confirmation. If the mobile site forces the field on your phone, switch to a desktop browser.
• Booking window: reservations open starting the day after your date of entry, and same-day walk-in booking isn’t allowed.

⚠️ Wait times for a Seoul appointment slot aren’t officially published, but popular offices are commonly reported to fill up weeks in advance, especially near semester start. Book as early as your entry date allows.

What Happens at the Visit

Bring your printed reservation receipt and arrive on time — without an accepted reservation, offices generally won’t process a first-time application same-day. At the counter, your documents are reviewed, and biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) are collected as part of Korea’s foreigner registration system. Some offices handle this in the same visit; others may schedule a separate return visit for fingerprinting — this depends on the individual office, not a fixed nationwide rule.

After the Visit: Processing Time and Temporary Proof

There’s no single official processing time published — university international offices commonly cite around 3–4 weeks from application to card issuance (some cite up to 5–6 weeks). Treat this as variable by office and season, not a guarantee.

While you wait, you can request a Certificate of Alien Registration Facts (외국인등록 사실증명) — an official document proving you’re registered even before your physical card arrives. It’s issued the same day (within about 3 hours in person), and costs ₩2,000 in person or is free online through Government24 (gov.kr).

English-Language Support

The HiKorea website itself supports Korean, English, and Chinese. For phone support, the Immigration Contact Center (1345) offers 3-way interpretation in many languages, weekdays 09:00–22:00 (Korean/English/Chinese only after 18:00). Whether a specific counter has English-speaking staff on-site isn’t officially guaranteed — the 1345 line is the documented fallback if you need it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Address mismatches: your registered address must match your lease exactly. Changing it later means submitting the new contract and visiting again.
• Name spelling: your reservation and documents must match your passport exactly — spelling, spacing, and order.
• Never book using someone else’s passport or ARC information: HiKorea explicitly warns this is a criminal offense under Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act.
• Incomplete documents: the most commonly reported reason students need a second visit. Double-check the list above before you go.

Since your ARC application depends on having a registered address, make sure your lease and move-in details are settled before you book. If you need help finding verified, foreigner-friendly housing in Korea, CheckmateKorea can help.