Living in Korea: ARC, Bank, Phone & Housing
Settling in for more than a short visit comes down to a few setup steps, and the order is not really optional - almost everything downstream asks for your ARC first. Registration, then a phone number, then a bank account, then somewhere to live - the bank wants both the card and the number. After that, Healthcare & Support covers health insurance and visa renewals.
The Residence Card (ARC)
Staying more than 90 days? Then you generally have to register with immigration and get a Residence Card within 90 days of arriving - the document formerly called the Alien Registration Card. It turns into your main ID for banking, phone contracts, and public services. The entry and visa basics live in Travel Essentials; this page picks up once you're here for the long haul.
Foreign registration generally requires an advance HiKorea appointment, so reserve before going to the immigration office. Most resident setup still waits on it: standard bank accounts and postpaid phone contracts generally require an ARC.
- Foreign registration generally requires an advance HiKorea appointment. If no date is available before your statutory registration or reporting deadline, visit the immigration office responsible for your address before the deadline.
- Standard bank accounts and postpaid phone plans generally require an ARC.
- Book on HiKoreaReserve an immigration-office appointment online before you go in.
- Bring your documentsPassport, proof of your address in Korea, one 3.5 × 4.5 cm passport-style photo taken within the past six months, the fee, and anything your status of stay requires.
- Attend the appointmentRegister with immigration at your booked time.
- Collect your ARCIt becomes your main ID for a bank account, phone plan, and public services.
Opening a bank account
To open a Korean bank account you'll usually need your ARC and a local phone number. The major banks - KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Woori, Hana, and NH - have branches on practically every corner, and some run English-language service or a dedicated foreigner desk. Take your ARC, passport, and phone along.
Once the account is live, you can set up the local card and transfer payments described in Transport & Payment, plus the mobile wallets that only work with a Korean account.
- A standard account generally takes an ARC plus a Korean phone number.
- Before you pick a branch, ask whether it offers English service or a foreigner desk.
Getting a phone and SIM
On a short stay, a prepaid (pay-as-you-go) SIM does the job without an ARC, and you can grab one at the airport or a convenience store; the SIM, eSIM & WiFi guide covers those tourist options in detail. Settling in longer? A monthly (postpaid) plan needs your ARC. Either way, the budget carriers - known as altteul or MVNO plans - ride the same networks for less money.
Bank accounts, deliveries, and the Korean wallet apps all ask for a local number at signup, so do the phone early.
- Prepaid SIM needs no ARC; a monthly plan does.
- MVNO (altteul) plans run on the same networks for less.
Renting a home: jeonse and wolse
Rentals here come in two flavours. Wolse (월세) is the familiar one: a smaller deposit plus monthly rent. Jeonse (전세) works differently - you hand over a large lump-sum deposit, often a hefty chunk of the property's value, pay no monthly rent, and get the whole deposit back when you move out.
Go through a licensed real estate agent (부동산, budongsan), and before any money changes hands, pull the property registry (등기부, deunggibu) to confirm who really owns the place and whether there are loans against it. Once you've moved in, file your move-in report (전입신고, jeonipsingo) and get a fixed date (확정일자, hwakjeongilja) at the community service centre - that's what legally protects your deposit. The Korean spelling is in brackets so you can show it: point at the word when the conversation stalls.
- Never hand over a large deposit until you've checked the property registry.
- A move-in report and a fixed date are what keep your deposit safe.
Quick answers
How soon must I register for an ARC?
Can I open a bank account without an ARC?
What is jeonse versus wolse?
By Hyouk Seo · Last updated: 2026-09-03