Moving to South Korea: your relocation checklist
How to move to South Korea: the visa and residency routes, cost of living, banking, healthcare and taxes you'll deal with, organized by phase. Generate a free plan tailored to your passport, family, and budget below.
English proficiency is rated “moderate” (EF EPI).
Moving from the United States? See the South Korea from the USA guide.
Budgeting the move? See the cost of living in South Korea.
South Korea at a glance
Live and regularly refreshed data, each fact with its source.
Internet
~170 Mbps median
Ookla
Messengers
No known issues
OONI, 6 months to July 2026
Foreign-born residents
3.5% of population
World Bank 2024
Population
51.7M
World Bank 2025
Population density
530 / km²
World Bank 2023
Unemployment
2.7%
World Bank 2025
English proficiency
moderate
EF EPI
Currency
KRW
ISO 4217
Getting set up in South Korea: key steps & official resources
The main immigration, tax, healthcare and housing bodies you'll deal with, with the official portals and typical costs. Curated and hand-verified — last reviewed June 2026. Figures are approximate; always confirm the current numbers on the official site.
- Immigration and visas run through the Korea Immigration Service / Hi Korea (www.hikorea.go.kr); common routes include the D-8 (investor), D-10 (job-seeker), E-7 (skilled worker) and F-series (family/residence) visas.
- Register for an Alien Registration Card (ARC) at an immigration office within 90 days of arrival — it's needed for banking, phone contracts and most services.
- National Health Insurance (NHIS, www.nhis.or.kr) is mandatory and long-stay foreigners are auto-enrolled after 6 months; the tax authority is the NTS (www.nts.go.kr).
- Renting typically uses jeonse (a large lump-sum deposit that is refunded) or wolse (a smaller deposit plus monthly rent). Main portals: Zigbang (www.zigbang.com), Dabang. Emergency 112 (police), 119 (fire/ambulance).
- Key figures (approximate — verify current values): wolse deposits commonly run ₩5–10 million with monthly rent on top, while jeonse deposits can be tens to hundreds of millions of won; the ARC issuance fee is ~₩30,000; NHIS contributions for foreigners have a monthly minimum.
The South Korea relocation checklist at a glance
1Before you go
- Confirm which visa or residency route fits your situation
- Gather and, where needed, apostille/translate key documents
- Sort out international health insurance for the gap period
- Budget the move and notify your bank of the relocation
2First week
- Register your address with the local authority
- Get a local SIM / mobile number
- Start the local bank account application
- Locate the nearest clinic and pharmacy
3First month
- Complete residency registration and get your ID number
- Enroll in the healthcare system or private insurance
- Set up utilities and a long-term rental contract
- Understand your tax residency obligations
4First 90 days
- Exchange or apply for a local driving license if required
- Build a local support network and language basics
- Review and optimize banking, taxes, and insurance
- Handle school enrollment or childcare if you have kids
This is a general outline. Your personalized plan above adapts every step to where you're moving from, your visa status, and your situation. Always verify official requirements: this is not legal or immigration advice.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to move to South Korea?
It depends on your passport and why you are moving: tourist entry rules are different from working, studying or joining family. Generate a free plan above and we check the visa route for your exact passport and situation, using a 238-country visa matrix.
Can I use WhatsApp and Telegram in South Korea?
Network measurements over the last six months show Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger working normally in South Korea (OONI, 5 January 2026 to 7 July 2026). This reflects measured reachability, not an official policy statement.
How current is this data?
Climate, inflation and life expectancy were refreshed 12 July 2026; prices, taxes and air quality 7 July 2026; messenger reachability 7 July 2026. Tax regimes are hand-verified against official government sources. Every fact on this page shows its source.