Your first 90 days, in order

Alien Registration (ARC): book it the day you land

Staying over 90 days makes alien registration mandatory. Bank accounts, postpaid phones, and identity verification all wait on your ARC: and appointment slots plus issuance can take weeks in peak season (semester start). Booking your visit on HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) immediately sets the pace for your whole first 90 days.

Some universities file group applications for new students: check your international office first.

Phone: know the prepaid-SIM trap

An airport prepaid (tourist) SIM gives you calls and data, but carrier records are not linked to an alien registration number: so Korean identity verification (PASS etc.) often fails. Delivery apps, secondhand markets, and some payments are blocked by this.

Once your ARC arrives, switching to a postpaid plan (or ARC-registered prepaid) is the standard fix. Until then, lean on services that do not require Korean identity verification.

Bank account: expect a "limited account" first

Due to anti-fraud rules, new foreigner accounts usually open as limited accounts with low transfer/withdrawal caps. You can lift the limits with your ARC, enrollment certificate, and similar papers: but required documents vary by bank and even branch.

Tip: branches near universities process student documents daily and refuse less often. Ask your international office if the school has a partner bank.

Health insurance: automatic enrollment, check the bill

International students are enrolled in National Health Insurance as local subscribers (automatically, from a set point after entry). When the bill comes, check that the student reduction was applied. Inquiries: NHIS ☎1577-1000 (foreign-language support).

This is separate from any group insurance your school arranges: even if it feels like double coverage, NHIS enrollment is a legal obligation you cannot opt out of.

School admin: make friends with the international office

Address changes, leaves of absence, the part-time work confirmation: almost everything that touches your visa passes through the international student officer. Save their email and turn on the office’s notice channels.

If you move, reporting your new address within 15 days of moving in is mandatory (Immigration Act Art. 36): the #1 most-missed fine among students.

Transport & payments: bridging the verification gap

You still need to move around before your ARC arrives. Know the tools that work without Korean identity verification: for example, the LACHA app lets you book and pay for KTX, express buses, and taxis with foreign payment methods, no Korean phone number or identity verification needed.

For city transit, a prepaid transport card (T-money etc.) is enough: top it up with cash at any convenience store.

Save the emergency numbers

☎1345 Immigration Contact Center (stay/visa, multilingual) · ☎1350 Ministry of Employment and Labor (wages) · ☎119 emergencies · ☎112 police. Add your embassy and your international office number now.