Reporting changes to your alien registration in Korea is a legal duty, and it covers your personal details and, for some statuses, the organisation you belong to. If you hold a Foreigner Registration card, a short list of these details must be kept correct. Missing the deadline is treated as a breach of the Immigration Act, and a fine follows.
This guide sets out which changes must be reported, the deadline, where you go, and what you bring. It also covers Overseas Korean (F-4) holders, who hold a different card and follow separate rules.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who it applies to | Registered foreigners who hold a Foreigner Registration card. Overseas Korean (F-4) holders follow separate residence rules. |
| What must be reported | Name, sex, date of birth or nationality; passport number, date of issuance or expiration date; organisation details for certain D status holders. |
| Deadline | Within 15 days from the change. The note on the same official page refers to 14 days, so treat 14 days as your safe limit. |
| Where to report | The local immigration office, in person or through an appointed agent. |
| What you need | Your passport, your Foreigner Registration card, and the Application form of Report on changes of particulars of Foreigner Registration card. |
| If you do not report | You are considered to be in breach of Immigration Act Article 35 and will be fined accordingly. |
| F-4 change of address | Within 14 days, at a Si/Gun/Gu or Eup/Myeon/Dong office for the new residence, or the local immigration office with jurisdiction over it. |
| Fees | A fee appears in the F-4 document lists. Check the current amount on the official page. |
Who has to report, and which card you hold
The rule applies to you if you are a registered foreigner, meaning you hold a Foreigner Registration card. If any of the listed changes happens to you, the change to your registration details must be reported to the local immigration office.
- You hold a Foreigner Registration card: follow the rules for reporting changes of particulars of that card.
- You hold an Overseas Korean Resident Card under Overseas Korean (F-4) status: follow the rules for reporting your domestic place of residence, and for reissuing or returning the card.
- You are not sure which card you hold: take it and your passport to the local immigration office and ask before you fill in any form.
The two procedures use different forms and different offices, so settle this question first. An Overseas Korean (F-4) holder reports a domestic place of residence using the Overseas Korean (F-4) Application Form.
Reporting changes to your alien registration in Korea: the full list of changes
Reporting changes to your alien registration in Korea covers a fixed list of items. The official guidance calls them the changes that must be reflected on the Foreigner Registration card. Only the listed items trigger this particular report, so a change that is not on the list may belong to a different immigration procedure.
- Name, sex, date of birth or nationality.
- Passport number, date of issuance or expiration date.
- Details of the organization you belong to, including a change of its name, if you hold Cultural Arts (D-1), Overseas Study (D-2) or General Training (D-4) status.
- Details of the organizations you belong to, including a change of their name, if you hold Journalism (D-5), Religious Affairs (D-6), Supervisory Intra-company Transfer (D-7), Corporate Investment (D-8) or Trade Management (D-9) status.
A new passport is easy to overlook. When you renew it, the passport number, the date of issuance and the expiration date all change at once, and all three are on the list. If the organisation recorded on your card changes its name, that is also a reportable change for the status groups above.
The deadline, and how to report
The official guidance states that the change must be reported to the local immigration office within 15 days from its occurrence. The note at the bottom of the same page is stricter: a registered foreigner who does not report within 14 days is considered to be in breach of Immigration Act Article 35 and will be fined accordingly. Both figures appear on the same page, so report within 14 days and you are inside either version.
The clock starts on the date the change happened, not on the date you noticed it. This report has its own deadline, so do not wait for your next extension.
- Identify exactly which item on your card has changed, such as your passport number or your name.
- Collect the document that proves the change, for example your new passport.
- Prepare the Application form of Report on changes of particulars of Foreigner Registration card.
- Bring your passport and your Foreigner Registration card together with the form.
- Go to the local immigration office within the deadline, in person or through an appointed agent.
The documents named for this report are your passport, your Foreigner Registration card and the application form. What an office asks for in addition can depend on your status of stay and on the office itself. Check the current requirements on the official page before you travel. You can also call the 1345 Immigration Contact Center, open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 22:00, excluding public holidays, with call charges applying.
If you hold an Overseas Korean (F-4) resident card
An Overseas Korean (F-4) holder who intends to stay in Korea more than 91 days from the entry date must report a domestic place of residence at a jurisdictional immigration office within 90 days. The report asks for details such as your name, gender and date of birth, your address in your country of residence, your place of residence in Korea, your job, your nationality, and your passport number.
- In person at the jurisdictional immigration office. Advance reservation on the HiKorea website is required.
- Through agency services, for those who have filed for foreigner registration or reported a domestic place of residence with 10 fingerprints provided.
- By e-Application on the HiKorea website.
When an F-4 holder changes a place of residence inside Korea, the change must be reported within 14 days, at a Si/Gun/Gu or Eup/Myeon/Dong office in which the new residence is located, or the local immigration office with jurisdiction over it. You bring the Overseas Korean (F-4) Application Form, your passport, your Overseas Korean Resident Card, a fee, and documents proving your place of residence. Failure to report results in an administrative fine of 2 million KRW or less under Article 6 (2) of the Act on The Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans.
The card can be reissued where it is lost, worn out, or has no space left to write on; where the name, date of birth, nationality or country of residence has changed; or where all report cards need renewing at once, for reasons such as forgery prevention. A fee is named for both the change of residence and the re-issuance, so check the current amount on the official page before you go.
| Ground for returning the card | Deadline |
|---|---|
| The person becomes a Korean national | Within 30 days from the date resident registration is completed |
| The person becomes disqualified for Overseas Korean (F-4) status | Within 30 days from the date the person learns of the fact |
| The person changes status of stay | When permission to change the status of stay is obtained |
| The person dies in Korea | Within 30 days from the date the relevant person learns of the death, with a document verifying death attached |
| The person departs Korea within the F-4 period of stay with no intention to re-enter | The card is returned at departure |
The card is returned to the local immigration office with jurisdiction over the residence, by the person concerned, a spouse or parent, or another person listed in Article 89 (1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act. Failure to return it results in an administrative fine of 1 million KRW or less.
⚠️ Every foreigner staying in Korea must always carry the passport and Overseas Korean Resident Card, and must present them when an immigration control official or a competent public official asks.
Common mistakes when reporting changes to your alien registration in Korea
Most problems come from the same few assumptions. The deadline runs from the date of the change, not from your next office visit.
- Treating a passport renewal as unrelated to your card, when the passport number, issuance date and expiration date are all reportable.
- Waiting for your next extension or application instead of filing this report, which has its own form and deadline.
- Mixing up the two address routes. The Si/Gun/Gu or Eup/Myeon/Dong route is set out for an F-4 holder, so if you hold a Foreigner Registration card and your address has changed, confirm where to report before you travel.
- Bringing only the proof of the change and forgetting the passport, the card or the report form.
- Using 15 days as the limit when the penalty note on the same official page refers to 14 days.
What you need can also depend on your status of stay and on the office you visit. If you are unsure whether your situation counts as a reportable change, confirm it with the local immigration office or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center before the deadline passes.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I have to report a change to my Foreigner Registration card?
The official rule says the change must be reported to the local immigration office within 15 days from its occurrence. The note on the same page says that failing to report within 14 days is a breach of Immigration Act Article 35, with a fine. Reporting within 14 days keeps you inside both figures.
Do I need to report a new passport?
Yes. Your passport number, date of issuance and expiration date are all listed among the details that must be reflected on your Foreigner Registration card, so a passport renewal is a reportable change.
Can someone else file the report for me?
Yes. The official guidance says the report may be made in person or through an appointed agent, submitted to the local immigration office with the necessary documents.
What does it cost to report a change?
For the report of changes of particulars of the Foreigner Registration card, the official guidance names your passport, your card and the application form as the required documents. A fee is named for the Overseas Korean (F-4) change of place of residence and for re-issuing an Overseas Korean Resident Card. Check the current requirements and amounts on the official page, or call 1345, before you go.
Is reporting changes to your alien registration in Korea the same thing as reporting a new address?
The official guidance sets the two out separately. Changes to the listed details on your Foreigner Registration card go to the local immigration office within 15 days from the change, with the penalty note referring to 14 days. For an F-4 holder, the place of residence in Korea is reported within 90 days, and a later change of that residence within 14 days.
If something on this list has already changed, work out the date it happened and aim to file within 14 days, with your passport, your card and the report form in hand. Reporting changes to your alien registration in Korea is a short visit when you bring the right documents, and reporting late is treated as a breach of Immigration Act Article 35. Rules, forms and fees are updated from time to time, so confirm the current requirements on the official page, or by calling 1345, before you go.
Last checked: October 27, 2026. Rules, fees and required documents in Korea change often, and some depend on your visa type and district office. Always confirm the current details on the official pages below before you go.