Moving to Korea: First 90 Days Checklist for Foreigners

Before you fly

The best Korea move starts before the flight, but not with a giant checklist. Focus on the few decisions that are hard to fix after you land: your entry status, your first place to sleep, and access to money.

• Confirm your entry route. If you are entering on a long-term visa, keep copies of your visa grant, passport page, school or employment documents, and Korean address. If you are entering visa-free, check whether your nationality needs K-ETA before boarding.
• Book at least two weeks of short-term housing. Use a hotel, serviced apartment, Airbnb, dorm, or employer-provided housing. A few nights is too short because the first month moves slower than people expect.
• Keep money accessible outside Korea. You may not be able to open a Korean bank account until your ARC is ready. Bring a card that works abroad and enough runway for short-term housing, food, transit, immigration fees, phone service, and deposits.
• Save scans of core documents. Passport, visa, admission letter, employment contract, housing confirmation, passport photos, and insurance documents should be available offline.

Days 1-3: land, connect, move around

Your only real goal in the first three days is to become functional. Korea is efficient once you are inside its systems, but newcomers are locked out of many services until they have a phone number, address, and ARC.

1. Get from the airport to your first stay. AREX, airport limousine buses, taxis, and pre-booked pickups all work. If you are carrying heavy luggage, the bus or taxi is often worth the extra cost.
2. Buy a prepaid SIM or activate an eSIM. A Korean phone number makes daily life easier immediately. Postpaid plans usually require ARC, so start prepaid unless your employer or school has arranged something.
3. Buy a T-money card. Convenience stores sell them. Load it with cash and use it for subway, bus, some taxis, and small purchases.
4. Install the basic apps. Start with KakaoTalk, Naver Map, Papago, Kakao T, and your carrier app. Google Maps is not enough for transit and walking directions in Korea.

Days 4-7: book immigration and learn your neighborhood

Once you can navigate, book the appointment that controls everything else: ARC registration. Immigration appointment slots can be scarce, so do not wait until day 80.

• Book your ARC appointment on HiKorea. You must register within 90 days if you are staying long term. The appointment itself may be weeks away, which is why early booking matters.
• Confirm your required documents. Requirements vary by visa type, but expect passport, application form, photo, fee, proof of residence, and supporting school or employment documents.
• Walk your actual daily routes. Find the nearest convenience store, pharmacy, grocery option, subway station, bus stop, laundromat, clinic, and cheap restaurant.

Weeks 2-4: paperwork and housing scouting

This is the month where many people accidentally overcommit. You are still learning the city. Treat every neighborhood visit as research, not a promise.

• Attend your ARC appointment. After registration, the card may take several weeks. Keep the receipt because some offices or service providers may accept it temporarily.
• Compare neighborhoods in person.Do not choose based only on TikTok, real-estate photos, or one friend's experience. Test the commute during rush hour and walk around at night.
• Learn the housing terms before viewing apartments. Jeonse, wolse, maintenance fee, officetel, villa, goshiwon, key money, and contract registration all matter. Read the housing guide before you sign anything.
• Keep short-term flexibility. Paying a little more for temporary housing can be cheaper than signing a bad one-year lease in the wrong area.

Month 2: bank, phone, and long-term lease

Once the ARC is ready, your setup accelerates. The order is usually ARC, then bank, then postpaid phone, then stronger app access and housing options.

1. Open a Korean bank account. Bring your ARC, passport, Korean phone number, and address. Global branches of major banks are usually easier for foreigners.
2. Upgrade your phone plan. Postpaid plans and many cheaper MVNO plans become easier after ARC and bank setup.
3. Sign housing only after checking the contract carefully. Verify deposit, monthly rent, maintenance fee, move-in date, early exit terms, repair responsibility, and whether contract registration is possible.
4. Update your address where required. Immigration needs accurate residence information. If you move after ARC registration, check the reporting deadline.

Month 3: healthcare, tax, and life systems

The third month is when Korea starts feeling less temporary. Use it to turn basic survival into routines.

• Check NHIS status. Employees are often enrolled through payroll. Others may enroll separately depending on residence status and duration.
• Understand your tax situation. Employees usually have withholding handled by the employer. Freelancers, business owners, and remote workers should get advice early because the wrong setup is harder to fix later.
• Build an app stack that actually works. KakaoTalk, Naver Map, Kakao T, Coupang, Baemin or Shuttle, and Papago cover most daily needs. Some apps require real-name phone verification.
• Choose one recurring community. Language exchange, sports, religious community, professional meetup, volunteering, or a class. Recurring beats random one-off events.

The common mistakes

• Waiting to book immigration. This delays everything downstream.
• Signing housing too early. Your first neighborhood impression is usually incomplete.
• Assuming every app accepts foreign cards. Some do, some do not, and policies change by service.
• Using Google Maps as the main map app. Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for local accuracy.
• Postponing community until after paperwork. The paperwork ends, but loneliness compounds. Start early.

Related guides

• Visa & Legal for ARC and immigration basics.
• Phone & Internet for prepaid SIMs, postpaid plans, and home internet.
• Housing for jeonse, wolse, and lease mechanics.
• Banking for accounts, debit cards, and transfers.
• Healthcare for NHIS and doctor visits.