Immigration control is put in place to manage the movement of people into or out of the Republic of Korea. Immigration control performs a variety of functions such as visa control over entry into and departure from the Republic of Korea, entry inspections, permission for changes in status of sojourn, registration of foreign nationals, attainment of nationality, and re-attainment of nationality, etc.

Korean Visas

Foreign nationals entering Korea are generally required to have a valid passport and a Korean visa assigned by a Korean embassy or consular office (i.e., the visa must be obtained).

Registration of Foreign Nationals

If a foreign national intends to sojourn in the Republic of Korea in excess of 90 days from the date of entry (or longer for some nationalities), the foreign national shall file for registration with the Commissioner of the regional Immigration Service having jurisdiction over his/her place of sojourn within 90 days from the date of entry into the Republic of Korea.

Report of Change in Place of Sojourn

If a foreign national who has filed for registration changes his/her place of sojourn, that person shall fill in a moving-in report to the head of the city/gun/gu of the new place of sojourn or the Commissioner of the regional Immigration Service having jurisdiction over the new place of sojourn within 14 days from the date on which the foreign national moves in.

Permission for Extension of Period of Sojourn

If a foreign national intends to continue his/her sojourn beyond the permitted period, he/she shall obtain permission for extension of the period of sojourn from the Minister of Justice before the permitted period of sojourn expires.