Your First Month in Korea: The Essential Setup Checklist — A Complete Guide for Foreigners Settling In

To open a bank account, you need an Alien Registration Card (ARC). But to apply for that ARC, you first need a residential address, and to get a proper Korean phone number (010), you need an ARC again. The three are locked in a loop that feeds into each other, so if you get the order wrong, you'll keep hitting a wall somewhere.

On top of that, an ARC usually takes about a month from application to arrival. During that gap, you can easily find yourself stuck on things as basic as topping up a transit card or making a simple payment.

Below is a first-month checklist ordered so that things unfold without getting stuck. Visa and residence procedures change often and vary by your individual situation (visa type, purpose of stay), so treat this as a guide for getting the big picture, and check your own case through official government channels (HiKorea, the Foreigner Comprehensive Information Center 1345, the Ministry of Justice).

The First Month at a Glance: A Timeline

This can vary by visa type, region, and appointment slots, so please confirm the actual flow through official channels.

Step 1 — Mobile: Secure data the moment you land

In Korea, admin, reservations, and verification are almost all smartphone-based. Without data, even checking a map on your first day is tough.

For the short term and early on, use a data eSIM

• You can activate it with just your passport. No ARC needed.
• The cleanest approach is to buy the eSIM before departure, receive the QR by email, just install it, and then activate it after you arrive.
• Both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Incheon Airport have SIM counters, so you can buy a prepaid SIM by showing your passport.

A proper 010 number comes after you receive your registration card

A proper Korean number (010) is usually a postpaid plan under your own name. You need an ARC (or mobile registration card) and long-term residence status for it.

That's why many long-term residents go with a two-step approach: "data eSIM early on → switch to postpaid after the registration card is issued." Some carriers even offer a "bridge" product that starts with a 60-day data eSIM and moves you to a postpaid plan once your registration card and account are ready.

Step 2 — Confirm your residence (the reference point for every procedure)

Your residential address isn't just a place to stay. It's the basis that determines which immigration office has jurisdiction over your alien registration.

Have documents that prove your residence ready in advance — a lease agreement, a company dormitory confirmation, a goshiwon (small room) receipt, and the like. They're almost always required for alien registration.

Step 3 — Apply for alien registration (ARC)

Registration requirement and timing

• Foreigners intending to stay in Korea for 91 days or more are subject to alien registration (E, D, F categories, etc.).
• As a rule, you must apply within 90 days of entry.
• Processing the card usually takes about 2–3 weeks, and about a month until you receive everything. Applying right up against the 90-day deadline is risky, so it's best to get started early.

Booking a visit is required

As of 2026, most immigration offices do not accept walk-ins (visits without an appointment). You can secure a slot in advance on the HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr) reservation page.

• If you've just arrived and don't have a registration number yet, you can make a non-member reservation using your passport number.
• Choose your jurisdiction office based on your actual residential address.
• Enter your name exactly as it appears in your passport — spelling, spacing, and hyphens included — to reduce login and lookup errors.

Typical documents to prepare (varies by case)

• Original passport, visa-related documents
• One passport-size photo
• Proof of residence (lease agreement, dormitory confirmation, goshiwon receipt, etc.)
• Fee (generally around ₩35,000)

Since the exact documents, fees, and reservation method vary by your visa, it's best to confirm through HiKorea or 1345.

Mobile registration card

Starting in 2025, a free mobile registration card is issued to foreigners who meet certain requirements (such as having a domestic mobile subscription). Once issued, it can be used for various procedures like banking and verification even before you receive the physical card, which helps shorten the early gap. The rollout timing and requirements may change, so check the guidance when you have it issued.

Step 4 — Transport and payments: possible from day one, even without a registration card

This is where newly arrived people get stuck the most. During the month before your ARC comes through, how do you get around and pay for things without a Korean account or phone number? That's the crux of it.

Seoul subway — now able to buy and top up with overseas cards

As of March 2026, 273 stations (Lines 1–8) and 440 ticket machines in the Seoul subway now let you buy or top up transit cards and short-term passes with overseas-issued credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.). Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, and others are supported too.

• You can use overseas cards to top up or buy the Climate Card (30-day unlimited pass) and the 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, and 7-day passes.
• Paying with an overseas card carries a fee of, on average, about 3.7%.
• That said, the existing cash-charging method for regular T-money cards stays the same, so older machines only accept Korean won in cash (varies by station, machine, and timing).

Eligible stations and fees may change, so official confirmation is recommended.

Payments during the registration-card gap — make active use of foreign payment methods

During the period when you don't have a Korean card or account, foreign payment methods like Alipay and WeChat Pay may work in some cases (varies by merchant, card company, and timing). If you want to solve transport and payments in one go, one option is to use a service designed so that no separate identity verification or Korean account is required.

Need transit and payments while you wait for your residence card? Check out LACHA.

Built to work without a Korean phone number or bank account, with overseas payment methods like Alipay, WeChat Pay, and Apple Pay. Taxi hailing plus KTX, express bus, and airport railroad (AREX) booking — all in one app.

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Step 5 — Open a bank account

A bank account usually opens with full service after alien registration.

• The mobile registration card introduced in March 2025 is now recognized by some banks (Shinhan, Hana, iM, Busan, etc.) for opening accounts and transactions — you can use it even before receiving the physical card.
• Even before your registration card is issued, some banks will open a limited account with just your passport and later upgrade it with your registration card (varies by bank, branch, and timing).
• Banks known for being foreigner-friendly are often those with an English app and an international desk.

Since policies change often, it's best to check requirements and eligibility directly with the bank in question.

Step 6 — Check your health insurance (NHIS)

• As a rule, long-term foreign residents are automatically enrolled as regional subscribers once they've stayed continuously for 6 months or more (introduced in 2019).
• However, categories like D-2 (study abroad) and D-4-3 are eligible for enrollment right after entry (without the 6-month wait), and employment (E category, D-8, etc.) and some F categories may be enrolled immediately after workplace enrollment or registration — so it varies by visa.
• You can confirm your own enrollment timing and method with the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) or 1345.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. During the month before my ARC arrives, how do I handle transport and payments? A. Use a data eSIM (activated with just your passport) for maps and reservations, and for the Seoul subway, use the ticket machines that have supported overseas-card top-ups since March 2026. For intercity travel and payments, you can use a service designed so that no separate identity verification or Korean account is required, or use foreign payment methods (varies by merchant and timing).

Q2. By when do I have to complete alien registration? A. If you plan to stay 91 days or more, the rule is to apply within 90 days of entry. Since it takes about a month to receive the card, it's best to book early. Confirm the exact deadline on HiKorea or with 1345.

Q3. Can I go to an immigration office as a walk-in? A. As of 2026, most require an appointment, so walk-ins aren't accepted. You'll need to book a slot in advance with the office that has jurisdiction over your residence, via HiKorea.

Q4. Can I book KTX or express buses without a Korean account? A. There are cases where Korail and others allow non-member + passport + overseas-card bookings, but people frequently get stuck at the 3D Secure step (additional verification for overseas cards). Using a service like LACHA — designed so that you can book and pay for KTX and express buses in one app with foreign payment methods, without separate identity verification or a Korean account — makes getting around during the gap much smoother.

Q5. If I have a mobile registration card, can I open a bank account without the physical card? A. Since 2025, some banks recognize the mobile registration card. However, it varies by bank, branch, and timing, so check with the bank in question before visiting.