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  • Yellow Fever Vaccine in Korea: Where to Get It and the Cost

    Yellow Fever Vaccine in Korea: Where to Get It and the Cost

    Older guides give the yellow fever vaccine a 10-year term. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) now states that one dose is valid for life. Protection takes about 10 days to build. In Korea, you get the shot only at a designated hospital. National quarantine stations issue and reissue the certificate, but they do not vaccinate.

    The paper you carry is the international certificate of vaccination (국제공인예방접종증명서), often called the yellow card. Some countries ask for it at the border. This guide covers who needs it and the 49 designated hospitals. It also covers the cost, what happens on the day, and how to replace a lost card.

    What this guide covers
    01 What the yellow card is and how long it lasts
    02 Who needs the yellow fever vaccine
    03 Where to get the shot in Korea
    04 How much it costs and how to pay
    05 What happens on the day
    06 How to replace a lost or old card
    07 What to say at the counter
    08 Frequently asked questions

    What the yellow card is and how long it lasts

    Rules verified October 2026 · Quarantine Act Article 28-2 · Enforcement Rule of the Quarantine Act, Form 32

    The Quarantine Act calls this paper the international certificate of vaccination. The form is set by the Enforcement Rule of the Quarantine Act and follows the World Health Organization (WHO) model.

    The yellow card at a glance
    Enforcement Rule of the Quarantine Act, Form 32 · KDCA vaccination guide
    Item What the rules say
    Korean name 국제공인예방접종증명서
    Language Filled in English or French
    Format Paper only. It is not issued electronically
    What it records Yellow fever and cholera vaccinations. This guide covers yellow fever
    Signature The clinician’s signature and the official stamp of the institution
    Vaccine Valid only for a vaccine approved by WHO
    Valid From 10 days after the shot, for life

    The 10-day wait is the part that catches travelers. KDCA tells you to get the shot at least 10 days before you visit a risk area. A shot taken the week before you fly may leave you short at the border.

    Who needs the yellow fever vaccine

    Country counts verified October 2026 · KDCA, citing the CDC Yellow Book of September 2026

    KDCA keeps two lists on its travel health site. One names 42 countries with yellow fever risk in Africa and Central and South America. The other names 21 countries that ask every arriving traveler for the certificate, wherever they come from. Other countries ask for it only if you have visited or passed through a risk country.

    These lists change with each country’s policy. This guide does not copy them. Open the KDCA yellow fever page for the current version, and check with the embassy of your destination before you travel.

    Who KDCA says can get the shot
    ✓ Age 9 months to 59. This is the standard range for the vaccine.
    ✓ Age 60 or older. Talk with the doctor first. The risk of side effects is higher.
    ✓ Cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Ask for an exemption certificate instead. It is covered in the last section.

    KDCA also lists people who handle material that may carry the virus, such as lab workers. For most readers, the deciding question is the travel route.

    Where to get the shot in Korea

    List verified 10 October 2026 · KDCA, international vaccination institutions (국제공인예방접종지정기관)

    KDCA lists 49 designated hospitals across Korea, and all of them give the yellow fever shot. Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon have 21 of them. The Korean names and booking phone numbers below are from the KDCA list. The English names are added to help you find each hospital.

    Designated hospitals in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon
    KDCA list as of 10 October 2026 · 21 of 49
    Hospital Korean name Area Booking phone
    National Medical Center 국립중앙의료원 Jung-gu, Seoul 1588-1775
    Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital 순천향대학교서울병원 Yongsan-gu, Seoul 02-709-9114
    Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital 이화여자대학교목동병원 Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 02-2650-5114
    Kangbuk Samsung Hospital 강북삼성병원 Jongno-gu, Seoul 02-2001-1130
    Seoul National University Hospital 서울대학교병원 Jongno-gu, Seoul 1588-5700
    Chung-Ang University Hospital 중앙대학교병원 Dongjak-gu, Seoul 1800-1114
    Korea University Guro Hospital 고려대학교구로병원 Guro-gu, Seoul 02-2626-1114
    Severance Hospital (Yonsei University) 연세대학교세브란스병원 Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 1599-1004
    Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital 가톨릭서울성모병원 Seocho-gu, Seoul 1588-1511
    Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong 강동경희대학교병원 Gangdong-gu, Seoul 02-440-7000
    Konkuk University Medical Center 건국대학교병원 Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 1588-1533
    Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital 한림대학교강남성심병원 Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 1577-5587
    Hanyang University Seoul Hospital 한양대학교병원 Seongdong-gu, Seoul 02-2290-8114
    Seoul National University Bundang Hospital 분당서울대병원 Seongnam, Gyeonggi 1588-3369
    NHIS Ilsan Hospital 건강보험공단일산병원 Goyang, Gyeonggi 1577-0013
    Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital 인제대학교일산백병원 Goyang, Gyeonggi 031-910-7000
    Hanyang University Guri Hospital 한양대구리병원 Guri, Gyeonggi 1644-9118
    Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital 가톨릭의정부성모병원 Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi 1661-7500
    Bucheon Sejong Hospital 부천세종병원 Bucheon, Gyeonggi 1599-6677
    Incheon Medical Center 인천광역시의료원 Jemulpo-gu, Incheon 032-580-6570
    Inha University Hospital 인하대병원 Jemulpo-gu, Incheon 032-890-2219

    Outside these three areas, the list has 28 more. Busan, Gwangju and South Jeolla, and South Gyeongsang have four each. Daejeon and Gangwon have three each. North Chungcheong and Jeju have two each. Sejong, South Chungcheong, North Jeolla, Ulsan, North Gyeongsang and Daegu have one each. The KDCA institution page shows them by region.

    Call before you go. Booking methods differ by hospital. Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, for example, takes yellow fever bookings by phone only.

    How much it costs and how to pay

    Fees verified October 2026 · KDCA vaccination guide · Enforcement Rule of the Quarantine Act, Annex 3

    The Enforcement Rule of the Quarantine Act sets the structure. You pay the actual cost of the vaccine, an administration fee, and 1,000 KRW for the certificate. KDCA publishes the amounts.

    What the yellow fever shot costs
    KDCA, international vaccination guide (designated hospitals)
    Item Fee
    Vaccine 38,250 KRW
    Certificate 1,000 KRW
    Administration fee, under age 1 22,380 KRW
    Administration fee, age 1 to 5 20,750 KRW
    Administration fee, age 6 or older 19,610 KRW

    For an adult, the three KDCA amounts add up to 58,860 KRW. KDCA asks you to buy a revenue stamp before the visit to pay for the vaccination. The type is an electronic revenue stamp for paper documents (종이문서용 전자수입인지). Banks, post offices and the e-revenue stamp website sell it.

    Ask the hospital what to buy
    Seoul National University Bundang Hospital asks for a 39,250 KRW revenue stamp. That is the vaccine plus the certificate. It also charges its own consultation fee. Hospitals word these items in different ways, so ask about the stamp and any fee when you book.

    Bring your passport as well. The certificate is filled in English, so the name on it should match your passport.

    What happens on the day

    Step 1 — Check your route and book

    Check whether your destination, or a country you pass through, asks for the certificate. Then call a designated hospital at least 10 days before departure.

    Step 2 — Buy the revenue stamp

    Buy the electronic revenue stamp for paper documents for the amount the hospital gives you.

    Step 3 — See the doctor and get the shot

    KDCA asks you to talk with the doctor before the shot. Afterwards, stay at the hospital for 20 to 30 minutes so staff can watch for a serious allergic reaction. Avoid heavy drinking and hard exercise that day.

    Step 4 — Collect the certificate on the spot

    The designated hospital issues the certificate at the same visit. Check the spelling of your name against your passport before you leave. Do not donate blood for 14 days.

    The yellow card is not the only vaccination paper in Korea.

    Related guide
    Vaccination Certificate in Korea: School Entry and English
    Need a record of routine vaccinations for school or a job? That is a different paper, issued free online or at a health center.

    That paper comes from the national vaccination record. It does not replace the yellow card at a border, and the yellow card does not replace it at a school.

    How to replace a lost or old card

    Reissue rules verified October 2026 · KDCA certificate guide · Gov24

    KDCA lists four reasons for a reissue: loss, damage, a change in personal details, and a change of the validity period. The last one matters if your old card shows an end date. A reissue costs 1,000 KRW per copy.

    Where to get a reissue
    KDCA, certificate guide · Gov24, 국제공인예방접종 증명서 재발급
    Where How you receive it Notes
    The designated hospital that gave your shot In person It can reissue only its own records
    National quarantine station In person Incheon Airport Quarantine Station (Terminal 1, 3rd floor) and Incheon Quarantine Station
    Gov24 online Pick up at a quarantine station or by mail Not open to foreign nationals or minors

    So a foreign resident who lost the card goes in person. Bring the old certificate if you still have it, your ID, and papers for any change in personal details. A proxy needs a letter of authorization. The airport desk is open on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00, except public holidays.

    If you cannot get the shot
    ✓ Exemption certificate (예방백신접종 면제 확인서). For people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, and for babies under 9 months.
    ✓ Issued on a doctor’s note. The note comes from a designated hospital.
    ✓ Not accepted everywhere. Some countries may still screen you or refuse it, so ask the embassy first.

    The exemption certificate is a separate paper from the yellow card. It does not show a vaccination.

    What to say at the counter

    A hospital reception desk runs in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    황열 예방접종 예약하고 싶어요.
    Hwang-nyeol ye-bang-jeop-jong ye-ya-ka-go si-peo-yo.
    “I would like to book a yellow fever shot.”
    Use this when you call the hospital.
    황열 예방접종 받으러 왔습니다.
    Hwang-nyeol ye-bang-jeop-jong ba-deu-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here for a yellow fever shot.”
    Say this first at the reception desk.
    수입인지 가져왔습니다.
    Su-i-bin-ji ga-jyeo-wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I brought the revenue stamp.”
    Hand it over with this line.
    증명서 이름은 여권과 같게 써 주세요.
    Jeung-myeong-seo i-reu-meun yeo-gwon-gwa gat-ge sseo ju-se-yo.
    “Please write my name on the certificate as it is in my passport.”
    Show your passport when you say this.
    증명서를 잃어버려서 재발급받고 싶어요.
    Jeung-myeong-seo-reul i-reo-beo-ryeo-seo jae-bal-geup-bat-go si-peo-yo.
    “I lost my certificate and would like a reissue.”
    Use this at a quarantine station or the hospital that gave the shot.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is yellow fever vaccine for life now?
    Yes. KDCA states that one dose is valid for life. The certificate takes effect 10 days after the shot. If your old card shows an end date, KDCA lists a change of the validity period as a reason for a reissue.
    Where can I get my yellow fever vaccine from?
    In Korea, only at one of the 49 designated hospitals on the KDCA list. National quarantine stations, including the one at Incheon Airport, issue and reissue certificates but do not give the shot.
    How much will a yellow fever vaccine cost?
    KDCA lists 38,250 KRW for the vaccine, 1,000 KRW for the certificate, and 19,610 KRW to administer it from age 6. That is 58,860 KRW for an adult. A hospital may add its own consultation fee.
    What do I need to get the yellow fever vaccine?
    A booking at a designated hospital, the revenue stamp, and your passport. Go at least 10 days before you travel.
    Do I really need a yellow fever vaccine?
    It depends on your route. KDCA lists 21 countries that ask every arriving traveler for the certificate. Others ask only if you have been in a risk country. Check with the embassy of your destination.
    Daily life documents
    Health Documents in Korea: Which One for Work or School
    The whole cluster in one page — which paper fits which situation, and how the three differ.
    Health Certificate in Korea: Who Needs One and How to Get It
    Three tests, a one-year term, and a 30-day renewal window for anyone working with food.
    E-2 Medical Check in Korea: Who Needs It and What It Covers
    Who must submit it, who is exempt, and what each box on the official form checks.
    Vaccination Certificate in Korea: School Entry and English
    When schools check the record themselves, and how to get the paper in English.
    TB Test for a Korea Visa: Who Needs It and Where to Get It
    Who the 35-country rule covers, what the test involves, and what a health center charges.
    Yellow Fever Vaccine in Korea: Where to Get It and the Cost
    Where to get the shot, what it costs, and how to replace a lost certificate.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Rules change, so open the page before you act on it.

    · Enforcement Rule of the Quarantine Act (검역법 시행규칙) · Article 23 and Form 32, the certificate · Article 29 and Annex 3, fees
    · KDCA travel health (질병관리청 해외감염병NOW) · 황열 예방접종 안내 · 황열, 콜레라 증명서 발급 안내 · 국제공인예방접종기관 안내
    · KDCA (질병관리청) · 해외여행 전, lifetime validity
    · Incheon International Airport (인천국제공항) · vaccination and reissue desk
    · Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (분당서울대병원) · travel clinic, an example of one hospital
    Information verified as of October 2026. Designated hospitals, fees and country requirements change. Confirm the details with the hospital, the embassy of your destination, or the KDCA call center at 1339 before you go.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Before You Sign a Lease in Korea: What the Landlord Must Show

    Before You Sign a Lease in Korea: What the Landlord Must Show

    Before you sign a lease in Korea, the landlord must show you two records. One is the fixed-date history of the house. The other is proof that taxes are paid. Article 3-7 of the Housing Lease Protection Act has required this since April 2023. A third record, the building’s register certificate, you can pull yourself for 1,000 KRW online.

    This guide shows where each record comes from, what you need to request it, and which part of each record answers which question. It also covers what the broker must explain, and what the standard contract lets you do if something was hidden. It does not tell you whether a house is safe to rent.

    What this guide covers
    01 What the landlord must show you
    02 How to read the register certificate
    03 How to check the landlord’s unpaid taxes
    04 How to see earlier fixed dates on the house
    05 What the broker must explain
    06 What the contract lets you do if something was hidden
    07 What to say at the counter
    08 Frequently asked questions

    What the landlord must show you

    Rule verified September 2026 · Housing Lease Protection Act, Article 3-7

    Article 3-7 of the Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법) lists two things the landlord must present when the contract is made. For each one, the landlord has a second option: consent, given before signing, to let you look the record up yourself.

    What the landlord must present
    Housing Lease Protection Act, Article 3-7 · added 18 April 2023
    Record Korean Or instead
    Fixed-date dates, rent and deposit information for the house 확정일자 부여일, 차임 및 보증금 등 정보 Consent to your request at a fixed-date office (Article 3-6 (4))
    Tax payment certificates, national and local 납세증명서 (국세 · 지방세) Consent to your viewing of unpaid national and local taxes

    Either way, the law expects the information to reach you by the time you sign. The duty covers contracts made after the article took effect. Sections 3 and 4 below show how to use each consent route.

    How to read the register certificate

    Fees verified September 2026 · Real Estate Registration Act, Article 19 · fee rule, Articles 2 and 3

    The register certificate (등기사항증명서) is the public record of the property. Article 19 of the Real Estate Registration Act (부동산등기법) lets anyone view it or get a certified copy for a fee, at any registry office. You do not need the landlord’s consent. The Internet Registry Office (인터넷등기소) offers the same record online.

    Register certificate fees
    Supreme Court fee rule for registration certificates · in force since 1 August 2025
    How Fee
    Certified copy, online or at a kiosk 1,000 KRW
    Certified copy at a registry office 1,200 KRW, up to 20 pages
    View only, online 700 KRW
    View only, at a registry office 1,200 KRW

    Article 15 (2) of the Act splits every record into three parts. Each part answers a different question.

    The three parts of a register record
    Real Estate Registration Act, Article 15 (2)
    Part Korean What it records
    Title section 표제부 The property itself: address, structure and area
    Section A 갑구 Ownership
    Section B 을구 Rights other than ownership, such as mortgages (저당권 and 근저당권), jeonse rights (전세권) and registered leases (임차권)

    The standard contract’s first page asks for the address and area of the home. Those lines can be read against the title section. The person signing as landlord can be read against the owner in Section A. Section B is where earlier claims on the property appear.

    How to check the landlord’s unpaid taxes

    Rules verified September 2026 · National Tax Collection Act, Article 109 · Local Tax Collection Act, Article 6

    Two parallel laws let a tenant view a landlord’s unpaid taxes. One covers national taxes, the other local taxes. The rules match on almost every point.

    Viewing the landlord’s unpaid taxes
    National Tax Collection Act Article 109 · Local Tax Collection Act Article 6 · their Enforcement Decrees
    National taxes (국세) Local taxes (지방세)
    Where to apply Any tax office (세무서) The head of the local government
    When Before the contract, or after signing until the lease starts Same
    Consent Needed, with one exception below Same
    Without consent After signing, if the deposit is over 10 million KRW, until the lease starts. The office then tells the landlord Same, over 10 million KRW
    What to bring Application form, proof of the landlord’s consent (or the contract, if no consent is needed), your ID Same
    What you see Reported but unpaid tax, tax billed but not yet due, and arrears Arrears, tax billed but not yet due, and reported but unpaid tax

    One timing rule applies to national tax. Tax the landlord reported but did not pay shows up 30 days after the filing deadline. For global income tax, it is 60 days (Enforcement Decree, Article 97 (3)).

    The consent-free route opens only after you sign. The standard contract has a special term that fits this window. It lets you cancel before the lease starts without losing the earnest money (section 6).

    How to see earlier fixed dates on the house

    Every fixed date given on a house goes into a register kept by the fixed-date office. Article 3-6 (4) of the Act lets a person about to sign a lease request that information, with the landlord’s consent. Annex 1 of the standard contract names this check for multi-household houses (다가구주택), where several tenants share one building.

    What to hand in
    ✓ The request form (임대차 정보제공 요청서, Form 3 of the Ministry of Justice rule)
    ✓ The landlord’s consent form (임대인의 동의서)
    ✓ Proof of that consent, such as the landlord’s seal certificate (인감증명서), signature certificate (본인서명사실확인서) or a copy of the landlord’s ID

    Under Article 6 (2) of the Enforcement Decree, you receive four items. They are the property, the date of each fixed date, the rent and deposit, and the lease terms. Names of other tenants are not included. The fee is 600 KRW per request, with 50 KRW more per page over 10.

    Apply at a fixed-date office: a community center (동 주민센터), a registry office, or a court. The same offices that stamp fixed dates keep this record.

    What the broker must explain

    A licensed broker (개업공인중개사) must check and explain the property before the deal is closed. The broker must also show the documents behind the explanation, such as the register certificate. For a housing lease, the Enforcement Decree adds items that apply only to leases.

    The full list also covers the building’s condition, facilities and surroundings. The items below are the ones tied to the lease and the deposit.

    Lease items the broker must explain
    ✓ Rights on the property: ownership, jeonse, mortgage, surface and lease rights
    ✓ The price of the deal, the brokerage fee and how each is worked out
    ✓ The management fee and how it is worked out
    ✓ The landlord’s duty to present information (Article 3-7), and the protection for small deposits (Article 8)
    ✓ The move-in household confirmation (전입세대확인서) under the Resident Registration Act
    ✓ For private rental housing, the deposit guarantee under the Special Act on Private Rental Housing
    ✓ That you can request fixed-date information and view the landlord’s unpaid taxes (Article 25-3)

    The broker writes these items into the explanation form (중개대상물 확인·설명서), signs it and gives each side a copy when the contract is written. The broker keeps a copy for three years. Article 17 of the Act also requires the broker’s registration certificate to hang where you can see it in the office.

    What the contract lets you do if something was hidden

    The standard lease contract prints a special term for this situation. It covers senior lease information the landlord did not disclose, and unpaid taxes above an amount written in the blank. If you find either, you may cancel before the lease starts. You keep the earnest money, notwithstanding Article 5 of the contract.

    Article 5 is the normal rule: before the intermediate payment, the tenant can cancel only by giving up the earnest money. The special term is the exception, and it only works if the amount blank is filled in when you sign.

    What to say at the counter

    Tax offices, community centers and registry offices run in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    미납국세 열람 신청하러 왔습니다.
    Mi-nap-guk-se yeol-lam sin-cheong-ha-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to apply to view unpaid national taxes.”
    Say this at a tax office. Any tax office takes it.
    미납지방세 열람 신청하러 왔습니다.
    Mi-nap-ji-bang-se yeol-lam sin-cheong-ha-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to apply to view unpaid local taxes.”
    Say this at the city, county or district office.
    임대차 정보제공 요청하러 왔습니다.
    Im-dae-cha jeong-bo-je-gong yo-cheong-ha-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to request lease information.”
    Say this at a community center for the fixed-date record.
    임대인 동의서 가져왔습니다.
    Im-dae-in dong-ui-seo ga-jyeo-wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I brought the landlord’s consent form.”
    Say this as you hand over the consent papers.
    등기사항증명서 발급해 주세요.
    Deung-gi-sa-hang-jeung-myeong-seo bal-geu-pae ju-se-yo.
    “Please issue a register certificate.”
    Say this at a registry office. Have the address ready.

    Frequently asked questions

    What should I check before signing a lease?
    Three records cover the main points. The register certificate shows the owner and any mortgages. The landlord’s unpaid taxes are one of the two lines the contract’s first page asks about. The fixed-date record shows earlier tenants’ deposits in the same house. The landlord must present the last two, or consent to your looking them up.
    Can I check the landlord’s taxes without consent?
    Only after you sign, and only if the deposit is over 10 million KRW. The window closes on the day the lease starts. The tax office or local government then notifies the landlord that you looked.
    What if the landlord will not consent?
    Consent is only one of the landlord’s two options. Article 3-7 still requires the landlord to present the tax payment certificates and the fixed-date information when the contract is made.
    Does the broker have to tell me about these checks?
    Yes. Article 25-3 of the Licensed Real Estate Agents Act covers this. On a housing lease, the broker must explain both routes: requesting fixed-date information and viewing the landlord’s unpaid taxes.
    What is the Korean rent deposit system?
    The standard contract sets the deposit apart from monthly rent. The tenant pays the deposit in stages, earnest money, intermediate and final payment. At the end, the landlord returns the deposit at the same time the tenant hands back the home (Article 9).
    Renting a home in Korea
    Korean Standard Lease Contract in English: What Each Part Says
    The official translation in three languages, and what each page, article and annex asks you to fill in.
    Before You Sign a Lease in Korea: What the Landlord Must Show
    The records the landlord must present, the landlord’s unpaid taxes, and how to read the register certificate.
    Fixed Date in Korea for Foreign Tenants: Protect Your Deposit
    Why your change-of-residence report is the move-in report, and where to get a fixed date for 600 KRW or less.

    Official sources

    Every rule here comes from the pages below. Laws and fees change, so open the page before you act on it.

    · Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법) · Article 3-6 · Article 3-7
    · Enforcement Decree of the Housing Lease Protection Act · Article 6, what information is given
    · Ministry of Justice rule on fixed dates (주택임대차계약증서상의 확정일자 부여 및 임대차 정보제공에 관한 규칙) · full text, Articles 7 and 8
    · Real Estate Registration Act (부동산등기법) · Article 15 · Article 19
    · Supreme Court fee rule (등기사항증명서 등 수수료규칙) · full text, Articles 2 and 3
    · National Tax Collection Act (국세징수법) · Article 109 · Enforcement Decree Article 97
    · Local Tax Collection Act (지방세징수법) · Article 6 · Enforcement Decree Article 8
    · Licensed Real Estate Agents Act (공인중개사법) · Article 25 · Article 25-3 · Enforcement Decree Article 21
    Information verified as of September 2026. Laws and fees are amended from time to time. Confirm the details with the office before you go. For questions about your stay, call the Immigration Contact Center at 1345.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • TB Test for a Korea Visa: Who Needs It and Where to Get It

    TB Test for a Korea Visa: Who Needs It and Where to Get It

    Many English guides say anyone applying for a long-stay visa to Korea needs a tuberculosis (TB) test. Korean rules are narrower. The requirement applies to nationals of 35 countries that Korea classes as high-risk for tuberculosis, and the paper you submit depends on where you apply.

    Inside Korea, the case that matters most is a change of status. Say you are a national of one of the 35 countries and entered on a short-term status. To stay beyond 90 days, you attach a TB certificate from a public health center or a designated hospital. This guide covers who is included, what the test involves, what it costs, and what the rules say happens if tuberculosis is found.

    What this guide covers
    01 Who has to submit a TB certificate
    02 When it is required inside Korea
    03 What the test involves
    04 Where to get it and what it costs
    05 What happens if tuberculosis is found
    06 What changes if you apply from abroad
    07 What to say at the counter
    08 Frequently asked questions

    Who has to submit a TB certificate

    Rules verified October 2026 · Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annexes 5 and 5-2 · Ministry of Justice announcement of 31 March 2020

    The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Welfare set the list of high-risk countries (결핵고위험국가). It started with 18 countries in 2016, added Laos in 2017, and added 16 more on 1 April 2020. A Korean embassy notice revised in October 2025 lists the same 35.

    The 35 high-risk countries
    Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health and Welfare, in force from 1 April 2020
    Region Countries
    Asia and Oceania (17) Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
    Central Asia and Europe (9) Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
    Africa (8) Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe
    Americas (1) Peru

    The rule is built around this list. Check it before you book a test.

    Who is exempt
    ✓ Diplomatic and official visa holders.
    ✓ Children under 6. A Seoul district health center states the same line as aged 5 or under.
    ✓ Pregnant women. Exempt at the time of application.

    For pregnant women, the notice treats the paper as a later submission. It can go in with the next stay permit application after the birth, such as an extension or a change of status.

    When it is required inside Korea

    Annex 5-2 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act lists the paper under a change of status. It covers a national of a high-risk country who entered on a short-term status. That person applies to change status in order to stay beyond 90 days. The annex adds “and other cases the Minister of Justice sets.”

    Which TB paper, where
    Immigration Act Enforcement Rule, Annexes 5 and 5-2 · Korean embassy notice
    Situation Paper named in the rule Issued by
    Changing from a short-term status to stay beyond 90 days, inside Korea TB confirmation (결핵확인서) A public health center or a hospital designated by the Minister of Justice
    Applying for a long-stay visa at a Korean embassy or consulate TB health certificate (결핵 건강진단서) A hospital designated by that embassy or consulate
    A registered foreign resident applying for a new visa after six straight months or more in a high-risk country within the past year TB health certificate (결핵 건강진단서) A hospital designated by that embassy or consulate

    The same kind of paper goes by several names. The rules use 결핵확인서 inside Korea and 결핵 건강진단서 abroad. Hi Korea titles its form 결핵진단서, and a Seoul district health center calls its paper 외국인 결핵검진 확인서. Inside Korea, health centers and designated hospitals use the Hi Korea form.

    What the test involves

    Hi Korea publishes the form for health centers and designated hospitals. It records your passport number, nationality and address in Korea, then the test in up to two stages.

    The boxes on the TB form
    Hi Korea, attachment 5 to the designated hospital guide
    Stage Korean box What it records
    Chest X-ray 흉부 X선 검사 Normal (정상), or findings that suggest tuberculosis (결핵 유소견). Findings unrelated to tuberculosis are marked normal
    Lab tests, only after TB findings 객담 도말 검사 · 결핵균 및 리팜핀 내성 검사 (Xpert MTB/RIF) · 객담 배양 검사 Sputum smear, TB bacteria and rifampicin resistance, and sputum culture, done at the same time
    Decision 판정 TB patient (drug-susceptible or multidrug-resistant), not a TB patient, or decision on hold

    A decision on hold lasts until the sputum culture result is in. The form puts that at one to two months, so a clear X-ray is the fast path. Since April 2020, drug-resistance testing has been mandatory for foreign residents with TB findings.

    Where to get it and what it costs

    Fee example verified October 2026 · Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center service page

    Hi Korea names two places: a hospital designated by the Minister of Justice, or a public health center. Hi Korea’s list of designated hospitals, dated 30 September 2026, names 1,125 institutions. Items differ by hospital, so call before you visit.

    Fees and processes can differ from one health center to the next. The table below is one example: the Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center in Seoul.

    One health center’s figures
    Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center, Seoul (page updated August 2024)
    Item Dongdaemun-gu example
    Fee 1,500 KRW
    Time to result 4 days. Group screenings can make the wait longer
    What to bring Passport and Alien Registration Card
    Test Chest X-ray, with a sputum test if the X-ray shows findings

    Treat these as one center’s numbers, not a national price. Check the page of the health center that serves your address before you go.

    What happens if tuberculosis is found

    The 2020 announcement by the two ministries sets out the policy. Individual cases are decided by the immigration office.

    What the announcement states
    ✓ Treatment. A foreign resident diagnosed with tuberculosis is treated in the same way as a Korean patient.
    ✓ Multidrug-resistant TB during a change of status. If it is found while a high-risk national moves from a short-term to a long-term status, long-term stay is restricted. The announcement describes hospital treatment until the person is no longer infectious, then departure from Korea.
    ✓ TB found before a visa is issued. The visa is not issued until treatment is complete.

    To lift a visa restriction after treatment, a Korean embassy notice asks for four documents. They are a TB certificate, a treatment result confirmation, a treatment progress record, and results from two or more sputum tests. For your own case, ask the immigration office or call 1345.

    What changes if you apply from abroad

    A long-stay visa application from outside Korea follows the embassy’s own notice. Each mission names its own designated hospitals. The notice checked here gives a validity of three months from the date of issue, and requires a chest X-ray first. If the X-ray is not normal, three sputum samples taken 24 hours apart are tested by smear and culture.

    Health checks at foreign resident registration are a separate matter.

    Related guide
    E-2 Medical Check in Korea: Who Needs It and What It Covers
    Registering on E-2, D-3, E-8, E-9, E-10 or H-2? Each visa has its own health paper at registration.

    Those registration papers are different documents from the TB certificate, even where they include a chest X-ray. Check both rules if your visa and nationality fall under each of them.

    What to say at the counter

    A health center desk runs in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    결핵검진 받으러 왔습니다.
    Gyeol-haek-geom-jin ba-deu-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here for a tuberculosis check.”
    Say this first at the desk.
    체류자격 변경에 낼 결핵진단서가 필요해요.
    Che-ryu-ja-gyeok byeon-gyeong-e nael gyeol-haek-jin-dan-seo-ga pi-ryo-hae-yo.
    “I need a TB certificate for a change of status.”
    Say this next, so the desk uses the right form.
    여권과 외국인등록증 가져왔습니다.
    Yeo-gwon-gwa oe-gu-gin-deung-nok-jeung ga-jyeo-wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I brought my passport and Alien Registration Card.”
    Hand them over with this line.
    결과는 언제 나오나요?
    Gyeol-gwa-neun eon-je na-o-na-yo?
    “When will the result be ready?”
    Ask before you leave.
    수수료는 얼마인가요?
    Su-su-ryo-neun eol-ma-in-ga-yo?
    “How much is the fee?”
    Fees differ by health center, so ask.

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is a TB test in Korea?
    Fees can differ by public health center. The Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center in Seoul lists 1,500 KRW, but other centers can differ. At a designated hospital, ask the hospital.
    How can I get tested for tuberculosis in Korea?
    Go to a public health center or a hospital designated by the Minister of Justice. The check starts with a chest X-ray. Sputum tests follow only if the X-ray shows findings.
    What happens if a TB test is positive for immigration?
    Treatment is the same as for a Korean patient. If multidrug-resistant TB is found during a change from a short-term to a long-term status, long-term stay is restricted. Ask the immigration office or call 1345 about your own case.
    Is this the same as the TB test in the food health certificate?
    No. The food health certificate (보건증) includes pulmonary tuberculosis as one of three items under food safety rules. It is a separate paper. The health certificate guide covers it.
    Do children need a TB certificate?
    Not under 6. The official notices exempt children under 6, along with diplomatic and official visa holders and pregnant women.
    Daily life documents
    Health Documents in Korea: Which One for Work or School
    The whole cluster in one page — which paper fits which situation, and how the three differ.
    Health Certificate in Korea: Who Needs One and How to Get It
    Three tests, a one-year term, and a 30-day renewal window for anyone working with food.
    E-2 Medical Check in Korea: Who Needs It and What It Covers
    Who must submit it, who is exempt, and what each box on the official form checks.
    Vaccination Certificate in Korea: School Entry and English
    When schools check the record themselves, and how to get the paper in English.
    TB Test for a Korea Visa: Who Needs It and Where to Get It
    Who the 35-country rule covers, what the test involves, and what a health center charges.
    Yellow Fever Vaccine in Korea: Where to Get It and the Cost
    Where to get the shot, what it costs, and how to replace a lost certificate.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Rules change, so open the page before you act on it.

    · Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법 시행규칙) · Article 76, Annexes 5 and 5-2
    · Immigration Act (출입국관리법) · Article 10-2, short-term and long-term status
    · Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Belarus (주벨라루스 대사관) · TB certificate for long-stay visas, revised October 2025
    · Dongdaemun-gu Public Health Center (동대문구보건소) · 외국인 결핵검진 확인서
    Information verified as of October 2026. The country list, fees and procedures can change. Confirm the details with your health center and the immigration office before you apply, or call the Immigration Contact Center at 1345.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Fixed Date in Korea for Foreign Tenants: Protect Your Deposit

    Fixed Date in Korea for Foreign Tenants: Protect Your Deposit

    The standard lease contract asks the tenant to complete a move-in report (전입신고) by an agreed date after moving in. For a registered foreign resident, that step has a different name. The report of a change of residence (체류지 변경신고) is the move-in report the Housing Lease Protection Act asks for.

    It is one of three records that protect a deposit: living in the home, that report, and a fixed date (확정일자) on your contract. This guide covers what each record does and where to get the fixed date. It also covers the lease report that can stand in for the fixed date.

    What this guide covers
    01 When your protection starts
    02 Why the change-of-residence report counts as a move-in report
    03 Where to get a fixed date and what it costs
    04 When you must file a lease report
    05 How to secure your deposit, step by step
    06 What keeps your protection in place
    07 What to say at the counter
    08 Frequently asked questions

    When your protection starts

    Rules verified September 2026 · Housing Lease Protection Act, Article 3 · Article 3-2

    Article 3 (1) of the Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법) sets two conditions: the home is handed over to you, and your registration is complete. From the next day, your lease holds against third parties, even without a registered lease. Under Article 3 (4), a new owner of the home takes over the landlord’s position.

    Article 3-2 (2) adds a third record. With both conditions met and a fixed date on the contract, you are repaid ahead of later-ranking creditors. That applies when the home is sold at auction or in a public sale for unpaid taxes.

    Three records and what each one does
    Housing Lease Protection Act · Immigration Act
    Record Korean What it gives you Rule
    Living in the home 주택의 인도 First half of the condition. You must actually take over the home Act, Article 3 (1)
    Change-of-residence report 체류지 변경신고 Second half. With handover, the lease holds against third parties from the next day Act, Article 3 (1) · Immigration Act, Article 88-2 (2)
    Fixed date on the contract 확정일자 With the two above, repayment ahead of later creditors in an auction or public sale Act, Article 3-2 (2)

    None of the three replaces another. The first two make the lease count against people outside the contract. The fixed date decides your place in line when money from a sale is paid out. Missing any one leaves a gap.

    Why the change-of-residence report counts as a move-in report

    Rule verified September 2026 · Immigration Act, Article 88-2 · Article 36

    Article 3 of the Act is written in the terms of resident registration (주민등록) and the move-in report. Article 88-2 (2) of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법) connects them to foreign residents. It says registration as a foreign national (외국인등록) and the change-of-residence report take the place of resident registration and the move-in report.

    The Immigration Act even uses the same word. Article 36 (1) tells a registered foreign resident who moves to file a 전입신고 within 15 days of moving in. It goes to the new city, county or district office, the community center (읍·면·동), or the immigration office for the new address. You bring your ARC, and the office writes the new address on it.

    If you register as a foreign national for the first time at the new home, that registration itself fills the same role. Article 88-2 (1) also covers paperwork. Where a procedure asks for a resident registration certificate (주민등록등본), your ARC or a certificate of foreign registration (외국인등록 사실증명) takes its place.

    Overseas Koreans who hold a domestic residence report (국내거소신고) follow a separate rule. Article 10 (4) of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans treats that report as foreign registration. A report of moving counts as a change-of-residence report.

    Where to get a fixed date and what it costs

    Fees verified September 2026 · Ministry of Justice rule on fixed dates, Article 8 · Supreme Court rule, Article 13

    Article 3-6 (1) of the Act lists who can put a fixed date on a lease. Two separate rules set the fees. A Ministry of Justice rule covers community centers. A Supreme Court rule covers courts, registry offices and the online route.

    Where to get a fixed date
    Housing Lease Protection Act Article 3-6 · fee rules of the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court
    Where How Fee
    Community center (동 주민센터) or 읍·면 office, or a city, county or district branch office In person, with the original contract and ID 600 KRW per contract. 100 KRW more for every 4 pages over 4
    District court, its branch, or a registry office (등기소) In person 600 KRW per contract, same page rule
    Internet Registry Office (인터넷등기소) Online, by the landlord or the tenant, with a digital certificate the court administration designates 500 KRW
    Notary (공증인) In person Set by the notary fee rule

    For an in-person visit, Article 2 (2) of the Ministry of Justice rule gives examples of accepted ID. The list names a resident registration card, a driver’s license, a passport and an alien registration card. The online route has its own clock under the Supreme Court rule (Article 8). A weekday application in working hours is stamped the same day. After 4 p.m. it may move to the next working day, and after 6 p.m. or on a weekend or holiday it does.

    What the office checks before stamping
    ✓ A complete contract: both parties, the home, the term, the rent and deposit
    ✓ Signatures or seals of both parties, or their agents
    ✓ Blank gaps inside the text crossed out with a line
    ✓ Corrections marked with the number of changed characters, and signed
    ✓ A seal across the page joins (간인) if the contract has two or more pages
    ✓ No fixed date on it already, unless new terms were added for a new contract

    The list comes from Article 3 of the Ministry of Justice rule. A contract that fails one line goes back to you, so check the pages before you leave home. The standard contract’s signature page already asks both sides to seal across each page join.

    When you must file a lease report

    Rules verified September 2026 · Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions, Article 6-2 · Enforcement Decree, Article 4-3

    A second law, the Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions (부동산 거래신고 등에 관한 법률), adds a report for larger leases. It is separate from the Immigration Act report, but it can save you the fixed-date trip.

    The lease report in six points
    ✓ Which leases: a deposit over 60 million KRW, or a monthly rent over 300,000 KRW. A renewal that only extends the term, with no change in money, is left out
    ✓ Where: special self-governing cities and provinces, cities, districts, and counties in metropolitan cities and Gyeonggi-do
    ✓ When: within 30 days of the contract date, not the move-in date
    ✓ Who: landlord and tenant jointly. Either one can file alone by handing in a contract that both signed and that lists every required item
    ✓ To whom: the city, county or district office. A local ordinance can pass the work to community centers
    ✓ If you skip it: a fine of up to 1 million KRW (Article 28 (5))

    The link to the fixed date is Article 6-5 (3). Once a report filed with the contract is accepted, the contract counts as having a fixed date. So one trip can cover both. The report is written with foreign tenants in view. Article 6-2 of the Enforcement Rule asks for a foreign registration number in place of a resident number.

    Article 6-5 (1) also treats a move-in report under the Resident Registration Act (주민등록법) as a lease report. The lease report above is the direct route, and it is the one this guide uses.

    How to secure your deposit, step by step

    The law does not force an order among these steps, except that the fixed date needs a signed contract first. The sequence below keeps the one-day gaps short.

    Step 1 — Keep the signed original and your ARC together

    Both offices ask for them. The fixed-date desk needs the original contract, not a copy. The immigration report needs your ARC.

    Step 2 — Take over the home on the handover date

    Handover is the first half of the Article 3 condition. Article 2 of the standard contract sets the date, and the lease term runs from it.

    Step 3 — File the change-of-residence report within 15 days

    Go to the community center, the city, county or district office, or the immigration office for the new address. The next day is the earliest your lease can hold against third parties, so a later report means a later start.

    Related guide
    ARC Address or Passport Change in Korea: The 15-Day Rule
    Your protection as a tenant starts only after this report. This guide covers the proof of residence to bring, filing online on Hi Korea, and the fine for a late report.

    Step 4 — Get the fixed date, or file the lease report with the contract

    If your lease meets the reporting amounts, file the report with the contract attached and let it count as the fixed date. If not, ask for the fixed date. A community center can do the fixed date, and may take the report too, depending on local rules.

    Step 5 — Keep what you receive

    Keep the contract with the fixed-date stamp, or the lease report certificate (임대차 신고필증), with the contract. Your ARC now shows the new address.

    What keeps your protection in place

    Protection is not a one-time stamp. Annex 1 of the standard contract says to keep both possession and registration for the whole lease term. Two events change what you need.

    When something changes
    Annex 1 of the standard contract · Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions
    Event What to do Rule
    The deposit goes up during the term or at renewal Get a new fixed date for the added amount Standard contract, Annex 1
    A reported lease changes its deposit or rent Report the change within 30 days Reporting Act, Article 6-3
    The lease is cancelled after a report Report the cancellation within 30 days Reporting Act, Article 6-3
    The lease ends and the deposit is not returned A lease registration order (임차권등기명령) keeps your rights after you move Act, Article 3-3

    The last row matters if you must move before you are repaid. Once the lease registration is in place, Article 3-3 (5) lets you keep the rights you already had. That holds even after you stop living there or move your registration.

    What to say at the counter

    Community center counters run in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    체류지 변경신고 하러 왔습니다.
    Che-ryu-ji byeon-gyeong-sin-go ha-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to report a change of residence.”
    Say this first. Hand over your ARC with it.
    확정일자 받으러 왔습니다.
    Hwak-jeong-il-ja ba-deu-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to get a fixed date.”
    Use this at the same desk after the report, or on its own.
    계약서 원본하고 외국인등록증 가져왔습니다.
    Gye-yak-seo won-bon-ha-go oe-gu-gin-deung-nok-jeung ga-jyeo-wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I brought the original contract and my alien registration card.”
    Say this as you hand the two over.
    주택 임대차 계약 신고도 여기서 할 수 있나요?
    Ju-taek im-dae-cha gye-yak sin-go-do yeo-gi-seo hal su in-na-yo?
    “Can I also file the housing lease report here?”
    Ask this if your lease meets the reporting amounts.
    임대차 신고필증 받을 수 있을까요?
    Im-dae-cha sin-go-pil-jeung ba-deul su i-sseul-kka-yo?
    “Could I get the lease report certificate?”
    Ask this at the end, after the report is accepted.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can a foreigner rent an apartment in South Korea?
    The lease rules are written with foreign tenants in view. The fixed-date rule lists the alien registration card as accepted ID. The lease report asks for a foreign registration number. And Article 88-2 of the Immigration Act lets your registration and change-of-residence report stand in for the Korean resident’s steps.
    How do I report a change in address in Korea?
    File a change-of-residence report within 15 days of moving in, under Article 36 of the Immigration Act. Go to the city, county or district office, the community center, or the immigration office for the new address, with your ARC. Hi Korea’s e-application also takes it.
    When does my protection start?
    The day after both conditions are met: you have taken over the home, and your change-of-residence report is filed. That is Article 3 (1) of the Housing Lease Protection Act, read with Article 88-2 (2) of the Immigration Act.
    Do I still need a fixed date if I file the lease report?
    Not if you file the report with the contract attached. Article 6-5 (3) of the Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions treats the accepted report as a fixed date. A report filed without the contract does not.
    What if my landlord raises the deposit?
    Get a new fixed date for the added amount, as Annex 1 of the standard contract says. If the lease was reported, report the change within 30 days. During the term, an increase is capped at 5% and cannot come within a year of the last one.
    Renting a home in Korea
    Korean Standard Lease Contract in English: What Each Part Says
    The official translation in three languages, and what each page, article and annex asks you to fill in.
    Before You Sign a Lease in Korea: What the Landlord Must Show
    The records the landlord must present, the landlord’s unpaid taxes, and how to read the register certificate.
    Fixed Date in Korea for Foreign Tenants: Protect Your Deposit
    Why your change-of-residence report is the move-in report, and where to get a fixed date for 600 KRW or less.

    Official sources

    Every rule here comes from the pages below. Laws and fees change, so open the page before you act on it.

    · Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법) · Article 3 · Article 3-2 · Article 3-3 · Article 3-6
    · Immigration Act (출입국관리법) · Article 36, change of residence · Article 88-2
    · Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans (재외동포의 출입국과 법적 지위에 관한 법률) · Article 10
    · Ministry of Justice rule on fixed dates (주택임대차계약증서상의 확정일자 부여 및 임대차 정보제공에 관한 규칙) · full text, Articles 2, 3 and 8
    · Supreme Court rule on fixed dates (주택임대차계약증서의 확정일자 부여 및 정보제공에 관한 규칙) · full text, Articles 6, 8 and 13
    · Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions (부동산 거래신고 등에 관한 법률) · Article 6-2 · Article 6-3 · Article 6-5 · Article 28
    · Enforcement Decree and Rule of that Act · Decree Article 4-3, amounts and areas · Rule Article 6-2, report items and filing
    Information verified as of September 2026. Laws and fees are amended from time to time. Confirm the details with the office that handles your report before you go. For questions about your stay and the change-of-residence report, call the Immigration Contact Center at 1345.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Health Documents in Korea: Which One for Work or School

    Health Documents in Korea: Which One for Work or School

    Three health papers come up when foreign residents start work or school in Korea. A food job needs a health certificate (보건증). A hagwon teaching job and E-2 registration need a pre-employment medical check (채용신체검사서). A child’s school entry runs on the national vaccination record, which you can print as a vaccination certificate (예방접종증명서).

    Each paper comes from a different law and a different office, and none of them replaces another. This page sorts them by situation, compares them side by side, and points to the full guide for each one.

    What this guide covers
    01 Start here: which paper for which situation
    02 How the three papers differ
    03 Why the online routes fail for foreign residents
    04 Which papers are easy to confuse with these
    05 Frequently asked questions

    Start here: which paper for which situation

    Rules verified October 2026 · Food Sanitation Act · Hagwon Act · Immigration Act Enforcement Rule, Annex 5-2 · School Health Act

    Find the row that matches what you are about to do. The rules look at the work or the visa, not at your nationality.

    Which paper for which situation
    Sorted by what you are about to do
    Your situation Paper Full guide
    Working directly with food that is not fully packaged: cooking, serving, selling Health certificate (보건증), officially the health examination result (건강진단 결과서) Health certificate guide
    Teaching a foreign language at a hagwon (학원) Pre-employment medical check (채용신체검사서) with a drug test, issued within one month E-2 medical check guide
    Registering as a foreign resident on E-2, D-3, or E-6 (some performers) Pre-employment medical check (채용신체검사서) E-2 medical check guide
    Registering on E-8, E-9, E-10 or H-2 A drug test confirmation or a health certificate (건강진단서) set for your visa Visa table in the E-2 guide
    A child entering elementary school, middle school or daycare Usually nothing to hand in. The school or daycare checks the national record Vaccination certificate guide
    Proof of vaccinations for use outside Korea Vaccination certificate (예방접종증명서) in English Vaccination certificate guide
    Travel that needs a yellow fever vaccination International certificate of vaccination (국제공인예방접종증명서) Yellow fever vaccine guide

    If two rows fit you, each rule applies on its own. An E-2 teacher hired by a hagwon, for example, falls under the second and third rows, and the two rules ask for the paper separately.

    How the three papers differ

    Fees verified October 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2021-34 · Gov24

    The three papers prove different things, come from different places and age differently.

    The three papers side by side
    From the rules and official service pages behind each guide
    Health certificate (보건증) Pre-employment medical check (채용신체검사서) Vaccination certificate (예방접종증명서)
    What it shows Three tests: typhoid, paratyphoid, pulmonary tuberculosis A general physical. For E-2, also a syphilis test, a chest X-ray and a drug test The doses entered in the national vaccination system
    Who issues it Public health centers, general hospitals, hospitals and clinics For registration, a hospital designated by the Minister of Justice Vaccination Helper, Gov24, public health centers, contracted clinics
    Time limit in the rules Valid one year. Renew within 30 days before or after expiry For a hagwon, issued within one month of the hiring date None set in the Act
    Fee Set by local ordinance at public health centers Capped at 30,000 KRW. The drug test is outside the cap No fee (Gov24)

    The time-limit row is where the papers differ most. A health certificate runs on a yearly cycle, and a hagwon wants a pre-employment check from the last month. The vaccination certificate has no expiry in the Act, because it records doses that were already given.

    Why the online routes fail for foreign residents

    Two of the three papers can be printed online. Both online routes stop at the same point: a login that depends on a Korean digital identity.

    ✓ Health certificate. The public health portal e-보건소 accepts a simple certificate (간편인증) or a joint certificate (공동인증서). Simple verification needs mobile phone identity confirmation in your own name. Details in the health certificate guide.
    ✓ Vaccination certificate. Vaccination Helper (예방접종도우미) needs a digital certificate (인증서). Its FAQ states that accounts made with an English name fail more often. Details in the vaccination guide.

    The in-person routes need only an ID. If you have no Korean digital certificate, plan for a visit to the public health center from the start. The pre-employment medical check is issued by the hospital that examines you, so this problem does not arise there.

    Which papers are easy to confuse with these

    Several other papers share a word with these three in English. In Korean the names are all different.

    Papers that look similar
    Korean names as written in the rules
    Paper What it is Not the same as
    Medical certificate (진단서) A doctor’s diagnosis. The ministry caps a general certificate at 20,000 KRW, and an English one also at 20,000 KRW. Hospital papers guide A health certificate or a pre-employment check
    Health certificate (건강진단서) for E-10 or H-2 A visa form issued by a hospital designated by the Minister of Justice The food health certificate (보건증), despite the same English name
    Tuberculosis certificate (결핵진단서) Hi Korea asks for it from nationals of 35 high-risk countries who change from a short-term to a long-term status. TB test guide The tuberculosis item inside the food health certificate
    International certificate of vaccination (국제공인예방접종증명서) Issued under the Quarantine Act for quarantine diseases such as yellow fever. Yellow fever vaccine guide The vaccination certificate

    When an office names a paper only in English, ask for the Korean name. The Korean names on this page are the ones the rules use, so they are the names the desk will recognize.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I get a health certificate in Korea?
    Take the examination at a public health center or a hospital before you start food work. Collect the result in person, send someone with a proxy form, or print it online if your case meets the portal’s conditions. The health certificate guide has every step.
    How to get a medical certificate in Korea?
    It depends on which paper you mean. A doctor’s medical certificate (진단서) comes from the clinic that examined you, with the fee capped at 20,000 KRW for a general one. A medical check for a hagwon job or E-2 registration is the pre-employment medical check covered in the E-2 medical check guide.
    Do I need all three papers?
    No. Each one belongs to a situation. Most people need one of them, and some need two. Use the table at the top of this page.
    Which of these papers can I get at a public health center?
    The health certificate and the vaccination certificate, yes. For the pre-employment check, the Ministry of Justice notice allows public health centers to be designated. Check whether yours is on the Hi Korea list.
    Daily life documents
    Health Documents in Korea: Which One for Work or School
    The whole cluster in one page — which paper fits which situation, and how the three differ.
    Health Certificate in Korea: Who Needs One and How to Get It
    Three tests, a one-year term, and a 30-day renewal window for anyone working with food.
    E-2 Medical Check in Korea: Who Needs It and What It Covers
    Who must submit it, who is exempt, and what each box on the official form checks.
    Vaccination Certificate in Korea: School Entry and English
    When schools check the record themselves, and how to get the paper in English.
    TB Test for a Korea Visa: Who Needs It and Where to Get It
    Who the 35-country rule covers, what the test involves, and what a health center charges.
    Yellow Fever Vaccine in Korea: Where to Get It and the Cost
    Where to get the shot, what it costs, and how to replace a lost certificate.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below and from the sources listed in each full guide. Rules change, so open the page before you act on it.

    · Food Sanitation Act (식품위생법) · Article 40 · Enforcement Rule Article 49 · Health Examination Rule for Food Service Workers
    · Hagwon Act (학원의 설립ㆍ운영 및 과외교습에 관한 법률) · Article 13-2, hiring foreign instructors
    · Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법 시행규칙) · Article 76 and Annex 5-2
    · School Health Act (학교보건법) · Article 10 · Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act · Article 27
    · Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) · 의료기관의 제증명수수료 항목 및 금액에 관한 기준, fee caps
    · Hi Korea (하이코리아) · 법무부지정 건강검진 가능 의료기관
    · Public health portal e-보건소 · online issue of 건강진단결과서 · Vaccination Helper (예방접종도우미) · certificate service · Gov24 (정부24) · 예방접종증명
    Information verified as of October 2026. Rules, fees and designated hospitals change. Confirm the details with the issuing office before you go. For visa questions, call the Immigration Contact Center at 1345.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Korean Standard Lease Contract in English: What Each Part Says

    Korean Standard Lease Contract in English: What Each Part Says

    Since 10 March 2026, the Ministry of Justice has published the standard housing lease contract (주택임대차 표준계약서) in English, Chinese and Vietnamese. Each file keeps the Korean text and pairs it with the translation, line by line. You and your landlord can point at the same clause on the same page.

    The translation follows the October 2023 version of the form, the latest one on the Ministry’s list. This guide goes through each part in order: the first page, the 13 articles, the special terms and the two annexes. For each part, it gives the Korean label and what the blank asks for. It does not tell you whether to sign.

    What this guide covers
    01 Where to get the translated contract
    02 Which form your landlord has to use
    03 What the first page asks
    04 What the 13 articles set
    05 What the special terms add
    06 What the two annexes are for
    07 How “resident registration” applies to a foreign resident
    08 Frequently asked questions

    Where to get the translated contract

    Files verified September 2026 · Ministry of Justice notice of 10 March 2026

    The files sit on one notice in the Ministry of Justice’s housing lease library: 주택임대차 표준계약서 번역본(영어, 중국어, 베트남어) 다운받기. There is one pair of files per language, and each file has a view button (바로보기) that opens it in your browser.

    The translated standard lease contract
    Ministry of Justice · posted 10 March 2026
    Language Title on the file Files
    English Standard Residential Lease Contract HWP · PDF
    Chinese 住房租赁标准合同 HWP · PDF
    Vietnamese Hợp đồng Thuê Nhà ở Tiêu chuẩn HWP · PDF

    All three files keep the Korean text beside the translation. So if your landlord or broker reads Korean, both of you can point at the same line. The PDF opens on any phone. HWP is the file format of the Korean word processor Hangul, and it is the version you can type into.

    The Ministry lists these files under the Korea Open Government License Type 4 (공공누리 제4유형). That license allows use with the source named, but not commercial use or changes. For that reason, this guide links to the notice rather than copying the text. Open the file next to this page and follow along.

    Which form your landlord has to use

    Article 30 of the Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법) sets the rule. When a housing lease is made in writing, the standard form is used first. The Minister of Justice sets that form with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The exception is simple: both sides agree to use a different form.

    So a broker’s own contract is lawful if you both agree to it. This is a priority rule, not a ban. If the paper in front of you is a different form, the translated standard contract still works as a checklist. Each article below has a line you can look for in the other form.

    Two more rules apply whichever form you sign. Article 10 of the Act voids any term that breaks the Act and is unfavorable to the tenant. And disputes over the use of the standard contract are among the cases the Housing Lease Dispute Conciliation Committee can mediate (Article 22).

    What the first page asks

    Page one describes the home and the kind of contract. Most of it is plain facts: address, area, and which rooms you are renting. Two lines need more attention, because they are where the landlord states what is already owed on the building.

    Page one, line by line
    Korean label · wording on the English form · what goes in the blank
    Korean label On the English form What goes there
    소재지(도로명주소) Location (road-name address) The street address of the building
    임차할 부분 Portion to be leased Building, floor and unit number, and the area in square meters
    계약의 종류 Type of contract New contract, renewal by agreement, or renewal by the tenant’s right under Article 6-3. For a renewal, the previous term, deposit and rent
    미납 국세·지방세 Unpaid national or local taxes The landlord ticks “none” and signs, or ticks “yes” and the details go on the broker’s explanation form
    선순위 확정일자 현황 Senior leases assigned with fixed dates Earlier tenants who hold a fixed date. Same two choices, same signature
    확정일자 부여란 Fixed-date assignment Space for the fixed-date stamp. No separate application is needed once a lease report with the contract attached is accepted
    보증금 있는 월세 · 전세 · 월세 Lease with deposit and monthly rent · Lease with deposit · Lease with monthly rent Tick one

    One line reads differently in the Vietnamese file. For the unit, the Korean asks for 동·층·호, and the Vietnamese renders 동 as Phường/Xã, an administrative ward. In a detailed address, 동 is the building number inside a complex, as in 101동.

    The two lines on unpaid taxes and senior leases are the only places on page one where the landlord signs. When the answer is “yes”, the details go into the broker’s explanation form (중개대상물 확인·설명서). They sit on page 2, under the item for actual rights and rights not shown on the register.

    The Act backs these lines with a duty. Under Article 3-7, added in 2023, the landlord must show you two things when the contract is made. The first is the fixed-date record for the house. The second is proof of tax payment. Before signing, the landlord can meet each duty instead by consenting to let you look the record up yourself.

    What the 13 articles set

    The 13 articles are the body of the contract. The table sums up what each one sets, in plain words. The exact wording is in the file, with the Korean and the translation side by side.

    The 13 articles in one table
    Korean title · title on the English form · what the article sets
    No. Title What it sets
    1 보증금과 차임 및 관리비
    Deposits, Rents, and Management Fees    		 The deposit, the earnest money paid at signing, dates for the intermediate and final payments, the monthly rent and its payment day, and management fees. A fixed fee of 100,000 KRW or more a month is broken into eight items
    2 임대차기간
    Term of lease    		 The handover date, and a lease term that runs from the day of handover
    3 입주 전 수리
    Repairs before move-in    		 Whether repairs are needed, the deadline, and what happens if they are not done. One listed option is to deduct the cost from the deposit or rent
    4 임차주택의 사용·관리·수선
    Use, Management, and Repair    		 No structural change, subletting, transfer or non-residential use without the landlord’s consent. Who pays for which repairs during the lease
    5 계약의 해제
    Rescission    		 Until the intermediate payment, or the final payment if there is none, the landlord can cancel by paying back double the earnest money. The tenant can cancel by giving it up
    6 채무불이행과 손해배상
    Non-Performance and Compensation    		 If one side fails to perform, the other sets a reasonable deadline, then may cancel and claim damages
    7 계약의 해지
    Termination    		 The tenant may end the lease if part of the home becomes unusable without the tenant’s fault. The landlord may end it if unpaid rent reaches two payments, or if Article 4 (1) is broken
    8 갱신요구와 거절
    Request for and Refusal of Contract Renewal    		 The tenant may ask to renew between six and two months before the end. The landlord may refuse only on the grounds in Article 6-3 (1) of the Act
    9 계약의 종료
    Termination or Expiration of Contract    		 The tenant returns the home in its original state, and the landlord returns the deposit at the same time. Normal wear and aging are not the tenant’s to restore
    10 비용의 정산
    Settlement of Expenses    		 Utilities and management fees are settled at the end. The tenant may claim back the long-term repair reserve from the owner or the management office
    11 분쟁의 해결
    Resolution of Disputes    		 The two sides try talks, or mediation by the Housing Lease Dispute Conciliation Committee
    12 중개보수 등
    Brokerage Fee, etc.    		 The broker’s fee as an amount or a rate, with VAT in or out. Each side pays its own share
    13 중개대상물확인·설명서 교부
    Explanation Manual for Verifying the Premises    		 The broker gives each side the explanation form and a copy of the broker’s guarantee certificate on a set date

    Article 4 comes with a note on the form that splits repair costs. Repairs from aging or defects in main systems, such as heating, water and sewage, and wiring, fall to the landlord. Damage caused by the tenant, small routine repairs, and consumables such as light bulbs fall to the tenant. The note cites Article 623 of the Civil Act and court rulings.

    What the special terms add

    Special terms (특약사항) come after Article 13. The form already prints six of them, plus a blank space marked “Other” (기타) for terms the two sides add.

    The printed special terms
    ✓ Move-in report and fixed date by a set date. The tenant fills in a date. The landlord may not put a mortgage or other security right on the home until the day after that date
    ✓ If the landlord breaks that term, the tenant may cancel or end the lease, and the landlord pays for the damage
    ✓ Undisclosed senior leases or unpaid taxes. The tax trigger is an amount written in the blank. If the tenant finds either, the tenant may cancel before the lease starts without losing the earnest money
    ✓ Mediation before court. Agree or disagree to apply to the conciliation committee before filing a lawsuit. The form notes a result within 60 days, 90 at most
    ✓ Demolition or rebuilding plans. None, or yes with a start date and duration
    ✓ Detailed address. If the unit has no detailed address, whether the owner consents to the tenant applying for one

    The third term is the one with a number left open. The form does not suggest an amount. It only sets the rule that applies once the two sides write one in.

    The first term ties into timing. Protection against third parties starts the day after you move in and register, as Annex 1 below shows. The printed term keeps the landlord from adding a mortgage until the day after the agreed date.

    What the two annexes are for

    Rules verified September 2026 · Housing Lease Protection Act Articles 3, 3-2, 6, 6-2, 6-3 and 7 · Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions, Article 6-2

    Annex 1 (별지1) is a summary of the rules that protect a tenant, grouped by stage. Annex 2 (별지2) is a form the landlord uses to refuse a renewal. Both come attached to the contract in the same file.

    Annex 1 in brief
    What the annex says · where the rule comes from
    Stage What the annex says Source
    Rights Handover plus registration lets you claim the lease against third parties from the next day. Add a fixed date and you are repaid ahead of later creditors. Keep both for the whole term Act, Articles 3 and 3-2
    Before signing Check the register certificate, unpaid taxes, and fixed-date records for a multi-household house. With the landlord’s consent, tax records are at the tax office and fixed-date records at the community center or registry Act, Article 3-6
    Lease report Covered areas only. A deposit over 60 million KRW or rent over 300,000 KRW a month is reported within 30 days to the city, county or district office. A report with the contract attached counts as a fixed date Reporting Act, Articles 6-2 and 6-5
    Rent increase No more than 5% of the current rent or deposit, and not within one year of the contract or the last increase Act, Article 7
    Silent renewal If neither side gives notice in time, the lease renews on the same terms for two years Act, Article 6
    Renewal request Once only, for two years, with any increase capped at 5%. A silent renewal or a renewal by agreement does not use it up Act, Article 6-3
    Higher deposit Get a new fixed date for the added amount Annex 1
    Disputes Conciliation committees at the Korea Legal Aid Corporation, the Korea Real Estate Board, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation and local governments Act, Article 14
    Count the 30 days from the date the contract is made
    In Annex 1, the Korean line counts the 30-day lease report from the contract date (계약체결일). The English line says “within 30 days of this contract’s entering into force”. Article 6-2 of the Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions uses the contract date. Go by the contract date, not the move-in date.

    One more point sits in the Act, not the annex. The annex says a tenant may end a silently renewed lease at any time. Article 6-2 adds that the notice takes effect three months after the landlord receives it.

    Annex 2 is the Notice of Refusal to Renew (계약갱신 거절통지서). It lists the nine grounds in Article 6-3 (1) of the Act as tick boxes. They run from rent arrears of two payments to the landlord’s family moving in. The form states that the refusal takes effect when the notice reaches the tenant.

    How “resident registration” applies to a foreign resident

    Rule verified September 2026 · Immigration Act, Article 88-2

    The contract and Annex 1 speak of resident registration (주민등록) and the move-in report (전입신고). The first special term asks for a date to complete the move-in report and get the fixed date. Read those words through one article of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법).

    Article 88-2 (2) names two procedures: registration as a foreign national (외국인등록) and the report of a change of residence (체류지 변경신고). They take the place of resident registration and the move-in report. So for a foreign resident, the move-in step on this contract is the change-of-residence report. The Immigration Act gives 15 days from the move for that report.

    Overseas Koreans who hold a domestic residence report (국내거소신고) are covered by a separate rule. Article 10 (4) of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans treats that report as registration. A report of moving counts as a change-of-residence report.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the format of a lease agreement in English?
    The official one in Korea is the Ministry of Justice’s translated standard contract. The English file runs 11 pages. It has a first page on the home, 13 articles, printed special terms, a signature page and two annexes. Every Korean line is paired with its English line.
    Is there a standard rental agreement?
    Yes. The Ministry of Justice drafted it with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and outside experts. Article 30 of the Housing Lease Protection Act says it is used first, unless both sides agree on another form.
    How many years contract in South Korea?
    Article 4 of the Housing Lease Protection Act treats a lease with no term, or a term under two years, as a two-year lease. The tenant may still choose to hold to the shorter term. A renewal request adds two more years, once.
    What is the difference between jeonse and wolse?
    The contract offers three boxes. Jeonse (전세) is a lease with a deposit and no monthly rent. Wolse (월세) is a lease with monthly rent. The third, 보증금 있는 월세, has both. Article 12 of the Act applies its rules to jeonse even when it is not registered.
    What are the rights of tenants in South Korea?
    Annex 1 of the standard contract lists the main ones. There is a two-year minimum term, one renewal request, and a 5% cap on increases. With registration, possession and a fixed date, you are repaid ahead of later creditors. Terms that break the Act to the tenant’s disadvantage are void.
    Renting a home in Korea
    Korean Standard Lease Contract in English: What Each Part Says
    The official translation in three languages, and what each page, article and annex asks you to fill in.
    Before You Sign a Lease in Korea: What the Landlord Must Show
    The records the landlord must present, the landlord’s unpaid taxes, and how to read the register certificate.
    Fixed Date in Korea for Foreign Tenants: Protect Your Deposit
    Why your change-of-residence report is the move-in report, and where to get a fixed date for 600 KRW or less.

    Official sources

    Every rule here comes from the pages below. Laws and forms change, so open the page before you act on it.

    · Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법) · full text · Article 30, standard contract
    · Enforcement Decree of the Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법 시행령) · Article 22, disputes the committee mediates
    · Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions (부동산 거래신고 등에 관한 법률) · Article 6-2, lease report · Enforcement Decree Article 4-3, amounts and areas
    · Immigration Act (출입국관리법) · Article 88-2, registration in place of resident registration
    · Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans (재외동포의 출입국과 법적 지위에 관한 법률) · Article 10
    Information verified as of September 2026. Laws and the standard form are amended from time to time. Confirm the details with the official source before you sign. For questions about your stay, call the Immigration Contact Center at 1345.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Vaccination Certificate in Korea: School Entry and English

    Vaccination Certificate in Korea: School Entry and English

    Many parents print a vaccination certificate (예방접종증명서) before their child starts school in Korea. For elementary and middle school entry, that paper is often not needed. The school checks the national vaccination record itself. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) states that no certificate has to be handed in when the doses show up there.

    The certificate matters in other cases: when a record is missing, when doses were given abroad, or when you need proof outside Korea. This guide covers what the certificate shows, who checks the record, and which vaccines the school check covers. It then shows how to get the paper in Korean or English. It also covers where foreign residents get stuck online.

    What this guide covers
    01 What the certificate shows
    02 Who checks your child’s vaccination record
    03 Which vaccines the school check covers
    04 How to get it, step by step
    05 Why the online route may fail for foreign residents
    06 What to do about vaccinations given abroad
    07 What to say at the counter
    08 Frequently asked questions

    What the certificate shows

    The certificate is a legal form: Form 16 of the Enforcement Rule of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. The form itself is printed in Korean and English, under the English title Certificate of Immunization.

    The boxes on the certificate
    Enforcement Rule of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, Form 16
    Korean box English on the form
    성명 Name
    생년월일 Date of Birth (Month/Day/Year)
    성별 Sex
    접종명 Vaccine
    접종차수 Vaccination Series
    접종일 Date Given (Month/Day/Year)
    접종기관 Provider/Clinic
    직인 Seal of the issuer: KDCA, a city, county or district head, or the head of a medical institution

    The certificate lists only doses entered into the national vaccination system. If a dose you know your child received is missing, KDCA’s guide says to ask the clinic that gave it to register it.

    Who checks your child’s vaccination record

    Rules verified October 2026 · School Health Act Article 10 · Infant Care Act Article 31-3

    Korean law puts the check on the institution, not on the parent.

    Who checks the record, and when
    School Health Act Article 10 · Infant Care Act Article 31-3 · Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act Article 31
    Where Who checks When
    Elementary and middle school The principal Within 90 days of entry. The result goes into the education information system
    Daycare center (어린이집) The director Every year, and within 30 days of a child’s first day of care
    Kindergarten (유치원) The director, when the local government requests it —

    If a dose is missing, the school must guide you to complete it and can ask the local health center for help. A daycare director may also guide you to the missing doses.

    Which vaccines the school check covers

    KDCA and the Ministry of Education run a joint check for children entering elementary and middle school. They link student records with vaccination records and check the doses below.

    Doses on the school entry check
    KDCA, school entry vaccination check program (reviewed January 2026)
    School Doses checked
    Elementary school DTaP dose 5 · polio dose 4 · MMR dose 2 · Japanese encephalitis (inactivated dose 4, or live attenuated dose 2)
    Middle school Tdap dose 6 · Japanese encephalitis (inactivated dose 5, or live attenuated dose 2) · HPV dose 1 (girls only)

    Two exceptions are set out in the same guide. A child who cannot take a pertussis vaccine may receive Td instead, after talking to a doctor. A child with a medical reason not to be vaccinated needs that reason registered by the clinic. If the clinic cannot, get a document that states the reason. Submit it through the school, or take it to a health center.

    How to get it, step by step

    Fee verified October 2026 · Gov24 service page for 예방접종증명

    Step 1 — Check the record first

    Log in to the Vaccination Helper site (예방접종도우미, nip.kdca.go.kr). Register your child under 아이정보 등록, then open 아이 예방접종내역 조회. If the school entry doses are all there, the school can see them too.

    Step 2 — Choose Korean or English

    Open 전자민원서비스 and choose 국문 (Korean) or 영문 (English). For the English version, link your passport details or type your English name and address. KDCA asks for the address as a Korean road-name address.

    Step 3 — Sign with a digital certificate

    Online issue needs a digital certificate (인증서) in the applicant’s name. A parent issues a child’s certificate from the parent’s account. Without an account, you can issue only your own certificate.

    Step 4 — Try Gov24 if the site fails

    KDCA points to Gov24 (정부24) as the other online route. Search for 예방접종증명 and choose the relationship to the child on the form.

    Step 5 — Or go in person

    Visit a public health center or a contracted clinic (위탁의료기관) and show an ID such as your Alien Registration Card. Gov24 lists no fee, and processing as immediate, within three working hours.

    Why the online route may fail for foreign residents

    KDCA’s own FAQ describes the problems that hit foreign residents hardest.

    Four points where online issue stops
    1. A digital certificate is required. KDCA states that online issue does not work without one.
    2. The name on your account must match the certificate holder exactly. The site’s example: Hong Gil Dong and HongGilDong count as different people.
    3. Accounts made with an English name fail more often. The fix is a change to the registry record, and KDCA directs you to its Q&A board for it.
    4. On the English certificate, a clinic name may print in Korean if the clinic’s English name has not been updated.

    The first two points are the same wall foreign residents hit on other Korean public portals: the login depends on a Korean digital identity. The in-person route needs only an ID.

    Related guide
    Health Certificate in Korea: Who Needs One and How to Get It
    The same login wall appears on the public health portal. This guide covers the routes that avoid it.

    If you have no digital certificate, plan for a health center visit from the start.

    What to do about vaccinations given abroad

    The Korean certificate lists only doses in the Korean system. Doses given in another country are not there until a health center registers them. KDCA sets out the steps in its school entry guide.

    Registering doses given abroad
    ✓ Get a record from the clinic abroad. An English vaccination certificate, or a document with the clinic’s seal or the doctor’s official signature.
    ✓ Send it to your nearest public health center. Fax or email is accepted. Ask for it to be registered (전산등록).
    ✓ Be ready for a translation. If a document is unclear or needs translating, the officer may ask for notarization or a notarized translation.

    Start this before school entry. Once registered, the doses sit in the same record the school checks.

    What to say at the counter

    A health center desk runs in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    예방접종증명서 발급받으러 왔습니다.
    Ye-bang-jeop-jong-jeung-myeong-seo bal-geup-ba-deu-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to get a vaccination certificate.”
    Say this first at the desk.
    영문으로 발급해 주세요.
    Yeong-mu-neu-ro bal-geu-pae ju-se-yo.
    “Please issue it in English.”
    Use this if you need the paper outside Korea.
    아이 예방접종 기록을 확인하고 싶어요.
    A-i ye-bang-jeop-jong gi-ro-geul hwa-gin-ha-go si-peo-yo.
    “I would like to check my child’s vaccination record.”
    Use this before school entry.
    외국에서 접종한 기록을 전산등록하고 싶어요.
    Oe-gu-ge-seo jeop-jong-han gi-ro-geul jeon-san-deung-no-ka-go si-peo-yo.
    “I would like to register vaccinations given abroad.”
    Bring the record from the clinic abroad.
    인증서가 없어서 방문했습니다.
    In-jeung-seo-ga eop-seo-seo bang-mun-haet-seum-ni-da.
    “I came in person because I do not have a digital certificate.”
    Use this if the online route failed.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is a vaccination certificate?
    In Korea it is the 예방접종증명서, an official record of the doses entered into the national vaccination system. It lists each vaccine, the dose number, the date and the provider. The legal form is printed in Korean and English.
    Are vaccines mandatory in South Korea?
    The law calls a set of them essential vaccinations (필수예방접종) and requires local governments to offer them through health centers. Schools and daycare centers must check each child’s record and guide families to complete missing doses.
    How do I get an international certificate of vaccination?
    That is a different paper: the international certificate of vaccination (국제공인예방접종증명서) under Article 28-2 of the Quarantine Act. It records vaccinations such as yellow fever. A designated hospital gives the shot and issues the paper on the spot. Gov24 offers online reissues, but not to foreign nationals. The yellow fever vaccine guide covers where to go and what it costs.
    Does the certificate cost money?
    Gov24 lists no fee for the vaccination certificate.
    Can someone else get it for me?
    In person, Gov24 accepts the person or a proxy. Online, no proxy is allowed. Parents issue a child’s certificate from their own account after registering the child.
    Daily life documents
    Health Documents in Korea: Which One for Work or School
    The whole cluster in one page — which paper fits which situation, and how the three differ.
    Health Certificate in Korea: Who Needs One and How to Get It
    Three tests, a one-year term, and a 30-day renewal window for anyone working with food.
    E-2 Medical Check in Korea: Who Needs It and What It Covers
    Who must submit it, who is exempt, and what each box on the official form checks.
    Vaccination Certificate in Korea: School Entry and English
    When schools check the record themselves, and how to get the paper in English.
    TB Test for a Korea Visa: Who Needs It and Where to Get It
    Who the 35-country rule covers, what the test involves, and what a health center charges.
    Yellow Fever Vaccine in Korea: Where to Get It and the Cost
    Where to get the shot, what it costs, and how to replace a lost certificate.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Rules change, so open the page before you act on it.

    · Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act (감염병의 예방 및 관리에 관한 법률) · Article 27, vaccination certificate · Article 31, checking vaccination records
    · Enforcement Rule of the same Act (같은 법 시행규칙) · Article 22 and Form 16, the certificate form
    · School Health Act (학교보건법) · Article 10, school entry check
    · Infant Care Act (영유아보육법) · Article 31-3, daycare check
    · KDCA Vaccination Helper (예방접종도우미) · certificate service · school entry check program · certificate FAQ
    Information verified as of October 2026. Online services and school check rules change. Confirm the details with your local health center or the KDCA call center at 1339 before you go.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Living in Ansan: A Guide for Foreign Residents

    Living in Ansan: A Guide for Foreign Residents

    Ansan holds more foreign residents than any other city or district in Korea. In Danwon-gu, the western half of the city, they are 21.63% of everyone living there. That concentration built something unusual: a set of public services aimed at foreign residents that most Korean cities do not have.

    Almost all of it sits in one building. A counselling line in fourteen languages, a free clinic, an immigration counter and a media studio share an address five hundred meters from Ansan Station. What does not fit there is a ten-minute train ride away.

    This page sorts the five guides by what you came to do, then shows the two things no single guide can: what shares a building, and what days each place is open.

    What this guide covers
    01 Start here: which guide for which errand
    02 Why Ansan has what other cities do not
    03 One building, four services
    04 Which days each place is open
    05 Two stations, and which one you need
    06 What sits outside these guides
    07 Frequently asked questions

    Start here: which guide for which errand

    Services verified September 2026 · Ansan City · Korea Immigration Service · Ansan Danwon Public Health Center

    Find the row that matches what you need, then open the guide behind it.

    Five guides, five errands
    Each one covers a single service in full
    What you need Where to read
    To learn Korean, or to take the KIIP stages Korean classes in Ansan: 14 KIIP centers
    To explain a problem in your own language The helpline on 1644-7111
    To see a doctor without paying The free clinic at Wongok
    To register, extend your stay, or ask about a visa Three immigration addresses
    To use the media studio, a meeting room, or the food street The Multicultural Village Special Zone

    Four of those five are reachable from Ansan Station. The immigration guide is the one that splits, because part of that service sits at the other end of the city.

    Why Ansan has what other cities do not

    The Ministry of the Interior and Safety counts foreign residents by city and district each year. Ansan is first among all of them.

    · 109,872 foreign residents in Ansan, or 15.7% of the city. First place nationally, ahead of the second city by about thirty thousand people.
    · 21.63% in Danwon-gu, the district that holds Wongok-dong and most of the services in these guides.
    · Inside the special zone itself, 89.2% of residents are registered foreign residents or overseas Koreans, as of end June 2024.

    Those numbers explain the rest. A city where one district in five people is a foreign resident builds a counselling line in fourteen languages, opens a clinic that treats foreign workers free, and moves its counters to Sunday because that is when people can come.

    The same concentration is why the immigration office here covers five cities rather than one, and why a second immigration counter exists beside Ansan Station instead of only at the main office. Scale changed what the city and the ministry each decided to build.

    One building, four services

    This is the part no single guide shows. Bubu-ro 43 in Danwon-gu holds four separate services run by three different bodies, stacked on four floors.

    Bubu-ro 43, floor by floor
    안산시외국인주민지원본부 · 500m from Ansan Station
    Floor Service Run by
    1F Multilingual counselling, 1644-7111 Ansan City
    1F Immigration Plus Center — registration, extension, certificates Ministry of Justice
    2F Free meeting rooms Ansan City
    3F Free clinic — Korean medicine, dental, screening Danwon Public Health Center

    The first floor is the one to know. A person who needs to extend a stay and cannot explain the paperwork in Korean can do both things without leaving the ground floor. That combination does not exist in most Korean cities.

    Which days each place is open

    Here is the trap. These services share a building but not a schedule, and the differences are not small.

    Opening patterns, side by side
    Three different patterns in one building
    Service Open Closed
    Helpline 1644-7111 Mon–Thu 09:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–19:00 Fri, Sat
    Media center Mon–Thu and Sun, 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:30 Fri, Sat, holidays
    Meeting rooms Daily 10:00–17:00 —
    Free clinic Weekdays only, 09:00–18:00, lunch 12:00–13:00 Sat, Sun

    Read the last two rows together. The clinic is the one service in this building that keeps an ordinary Korean schedule — open Friday, closed Sunday. Everything else is the reverse. A Sunday trip reaches the helpline and the studio but not a doctor.

    The immigration counter on the same floor is run by the justice ministry rather than the city, and its counter hours are not published on the office pages. Confirm that one separately before you go.

    Two stations, and which one you need

    Ansan Station and Gojan Station are both on Line 4 and the Suin-Bundang Line, about ten minutes apart. Nearly everything in these guides is at one or the other.

    · Ansan Station (안산역). The support headquarters, the special zone and the food street. Exit 1 for the building, across the road for the food street.
    · Gojan Station (고잔역). The immigration office and its civil service center, for visas, nationality and anything the Plus Center cannot take. Exit 2, then 500 meters.
    · Everywhere else. The 14 KIIP centers are spread across the city, so check the list rather than assuming a station.

    If the errand is a visa or a nationality question, it is Gojan. Almost anything else starts at Ansan Station.

    Korean classes are the exception to both. The city has fourteen KIIP operating institutions, scattered rather than clustered, and the right one depends on which stage you are entering and which schedule you can keep. That guide lists all fourteen with their addresses.

    What sits outside these guides

    Everything above is run by Ansan City or by the immigration office that covers it. National services are a separate layer, and they reach further than any city can.

    · 1345 for visas and residence, on weekdays in twenty languages.
    · 1577-1366 at any hour, including the nights and weekends when the Ansan line is closed.
    · 1350 for unpaid wages and other employment matters, which the Ansan helpline also takes.

    Those and the free legal routes are covered in the national guide to getting help in Korea, which sorts them the same way this page sorts the Ansan services.

    Frequently asked questions

    Do I have to live in Ansan to use these services?
    It differs by service, and each guide covers its own rule. The immigration office and both Plus Centers serve five cities: Ansan, Siheung, Anyang, Gunpo and Gwangmyeong. The media center lists Ansan residents. The city pages do not publish an eligibility rule for the helpline, so ask when you call.
    Which day should I plan a visit for?
    Sunday for the helpline, the media center and most Korean classes. A weekday for the clinic, which is closed at the weekend. Never Friday if the city services are what you need, because that is when most of them close.
    Can I do everything in one trip?
    Four of the five services share one building, so a single visit can cover counselling, an immigration counter and a meeting room. The clinic on the third floor needs a weekday, and a visa question needs Gojan Station, so those two rarely fit into the same trip as the rest.
    Is anything in Ansan available in English?
    The helpline carries fourteen languages including English, and the immigration line on 1345 carries twenty. Written information is mostly Korean, which is why these guides exist. Each one keeps the Korean terms alongside the English so you can show a screen at a counter.
    I live in Siheung. Does any of this apply to me?
    The immigration guide does, and directly: Siheung is inside the same district, and Siheung has its own Plus Center covering the same five cities. The city services in these guides are run by Ansan City, so check with your own city for the equivalent.
    Ansan guides
    Living in Ansan: A Guide for Foreign Residents
    The whole cluster in one page — which service for which errand, what shares one building, and which days each place is open.
    Korean Classes in Ansan: 14 KIIP Centers, Cost, and Levels
    Government Korean classes at 14 centers across the city, with addresses, cost, and how the stages work.
    Ansan Multilingual Helpline: 14 Languages and Sunday Hours
    Fourteen languages on one city number, and which national line to use outside its listed hours.
    Ansan Free Clinic: Hours, Treatments, and Who Pays Nothing
    Korean medicine every weekday, dental twice a month, and no fee for foreign workers.
    Ansan Immigration Office: Three Addresses and What Each One Does
    Residence work finishes near Ansan Station; visas and nationality need the Gojan office. Five cities share the same district.
    Ansan Multicultural Village: What Is There and When It Opens
    The special zone across from Ansan Station, the building that anchors it, and the Monday-to-Thursday-and-Sunday pattern.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below, and each linked guide carries its own sources in full.

    · Ministry of the Interior and Safety · annual statistics on foreign residents by local government
    · Korea Immigration Service · Ansan office, departments and duties
    · Ansan Danwon Public Health Center · Wongok branch, services and fees
    Information verified as of September 2026. Opening patterns differ by service and change without notice, so confirm before you travel. The multilingual helpline on 1644-7111 can check for you in fourteen languages.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Siheung Immigration Office: What the Plus Center Handles

    Siheung Immigration Office: What the Plus Center Handles

    Where you go for an immigration errand in Siheung depends on what the errand is. Registration, extensions and most residence work finish at the Siheung Plus Center in Jeongwang-dong. Visas, nationality and immigration offences still take you to the Ansan Immigration Office near Gojan Station.

    That split comes from the Ministry of Justice’s own division of duties for the Ansan office, which runs both counters. This guide lists what the Siheung counter does, what it sends to Ansan, and when each part of its building is open.

    What this guide covers
    01 What the Siheung Plus Center handles
    02 What still needs the Ansan office
    03 Who can use the Siheung counter
    04 When each part of the building is open
    05 How to get there
    06 What to say at the counter
    07 Frequently asked questions

    What the Siheung Plus Center handles

    Duties verified September 2026 · Ansan Immigration Office, Korea Immigration Service

    The Siheung Multicultural Migrant Plus Center (시흥 다문화이주민플러스센터) is a counter of the Ansan Immigration Office. The office publishes the same list of duties for it as for its Plus Center in Ansan.

    · Alien registration (외국인등록) and overseas Korean residence reports (거소신고)
    · Granting or changing a status of stay, and extension of stay (체류기간 연장)
    · Permission for activities outside your status, and adding or changing a workplace
    · Employment change reports for foreign workers (고용변동신고)
    · Issuing certificates

    The counter opened in April 2019. Siheung City set it up with the interior, justice and labor ministries, inside the city’s welfare center for foreign residents. It is on the second floor of the Siheung Foreigners’ Welfare Center (시흥시외국인복지센터).

    Immigration offence work is on the list too, with one limit. Reports, industrial accident cases involving foreign nationals, and departure orders are handled at the Ansan office instead.

    What still needs the Ansan office

    Two kinds of work do not move to Siheung at all.

    Visa work and nationality work are Ansan only
    Under the Siheung Plus Center, the Ministry of Justice notes that visa work is handled at the Ansan Immigration Office (안산출입국·외국인사무소). Nationality work, such as naturalization or renouncing nationality, belongs to its Nationality and Visa Section.

    The Ansan office has two buildings next to each other near Gojan Station, and they split the work between them. The guide below sorts them by task.

    Related guide
    Ansan Immigration Office: Three Addresses and What Each One Does
    Which Gojan Station building handles visas and nationality, and what the Ansan Plus Center next to Ansan Station does.

    Check which building you need before you travel. The trip from Jeongwang-dong to Gojan Station is the one worth planning.

    Who can use the Siheung counter

    Jurisdiction verified September 2026 · Hi Korea jurisdiction lookup

    The Siheung counter is not only for Siheung. The Hi Korea jurisdiction lookup lists the same five cities for all three counters of the Ansan office.

    Three counters, one district
    Ansan · Siheung · Anyang · Gunpo · Gwangmyeong
    Counter Address What it handles
    Siheung Plus Center 5 Gongdan 1-daero 259beon-gil, 2F
    시흥시 공단1대로259번길 5    		 Residence work and certificates. No visa work
    Ansan Plus Center 43 Bubu-ro, 1F
    안산시 부부로 43    		 The same duties as the Siheung counter
    Ansan Immigration Office 88 and 96 Gwangdeok 4-ro
    안산시 광덕4로 88 · 96    		 Everything, including visas and nationality

    For a Siheung resident, the nearest counter and a counter with jurisdiction are the same building. Residents of Anyang, Gunpo and Gwangmyeong may use it too. Those three cities joined the Ansan office’s district in March 2022, when it became an office in its own right.

    When each part of the building is open

    Hours verified September 2026 · Siheung Foreigners’ Welfare Center

    The building holds two operations with two different weeks. The welfare center is a city facility, and the Plus Center belongs to the immigration office.

    One building, two weeks
    Siheung Foreigners’ Welfare Center · 5 Gongdan 1-daero 259beon-gil
    Part of the building Days Hours
    Plus Center, 2F
    Immigration counter    		 Monday to Friday 09:00–18:00
    Welfare center
    Counseling in several languages    		 Sunday to Friday
    Closed Saturday    		 09:00–18:00, lunch 12:00–13:00
    Counselor days vary by language
    Sunday Korean classes
    Eight classes, free    		 Sunday 09:30–14:30

    Come on a Sunday and the Korean classes and most counselors are working, but the immigration counter is closed. The Plus Center hours above are the ones the welfare center lists on its own page, so confirm them before you travel.

    How to get there

    The building is in Jeongwang-dong, a short bus ride from Jeongwang Station.

    · Address. 5 Gongdan 1-daero 259beon-gil, Siheung (시흥시 공단1대로259번길 5). The Plus Center is on the second floor.
    · From the station. Jeongwang Station (정왕역), exit 1, then bus 20-1 or bus 30 from the transfer center, about ten minutes.
    · Where to get off. On bus 20-1, get off at Jeongwang 119 Safety Center (정왕119안전센터). On bus 30, get off at Siheung Post Office Central Hospital (시흥우체국 센트럴병원).

    For the building, call the welfare center on 031-434-0411. For immigration questions, the Ansan office’s main number is 031-364-5705. The Immigration Contact Center on 1345 answers Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 22:00, except public holidays.

    What to say at the counter

    These counters run in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    플러스센터는 몇 층인가요?
    Peul-leo-seu-sen-teo-neun myeot-cheung-in-ga-yo?
    “Which floor is the Plus Center on?”
    Ask this at the building entrance. The welfare center is on the other floors.
    여기서 처리할 수 있나요?
    Yeo-gi-seo cheo-ri-hal su in-na-yo?
    “Can this be handled here?”
    Ask this before you take a number, not after.
    외국인등록 하러 왔습니다.
    Oe-gu-gin-deung-nok ha-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to register as a foreign resident.”
    외국인등록 is the term on the application form.
    체류기간 연장 신청하러 왔습니다.
    Che-ryu-gi-gan yeon-jang sin-cheong-ha-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to apply for an extension of stay.”
    체류기간 연장 is the term used in the Immigration Act.
    사증 업무는 어디로 가야 하나요?
    Sa-jeung eom-mu-neun eo-di-ro ga-ya ha-na-yo?
    “Where do I go for visa matters?”
    사증 is the legal word for a visa. Visa work goes to the Ansan office.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I go to the immigration office without an appointment in Korea?
    Hi Korea has required a visit reservation at immigration offices since 1 April 2021, and you cannot book for the same day. A short list of services, such as issuing certificates, is named as walk-in. The booking form asks for the office, date and time, so choose the counter you plan to visit.
    Is there an immigration office in Siheung?
    Not a separate office. Siheung is inside the district of the Ansan Immigration Office, which runs the Siheung Plus Center in Jeongwang-dong as one of its counters. Visa and nationality work still go to Ansan.
    Do I need to register if I stay exactly 90 days?
    Article 31 of the Immigration Act sets the rule. You must register if you stay in Korea for more than 90 days from the day you entered. The registration is due within 90 days of entry.
    Where do I report a change of address in Siheung?
    At the community service center (행정복지센터) for your new address, or at the Civil Affairs and Passport Division of Siheung City Hall. Article 36 of the Immigration Act gives you 15 days from moving in, and also allows the report at the immigration office. Bring your registration card, because the new address is written on it.
    When can I call 1345?
    Hi Korea lists the Immigration Contact Center on 1345 as open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 22:00, except public holidays. Call before you travel if you are not sure which counter handles your errand.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Duties, hours and addresses change, so open the page before you travel.

    Information verified as of September 2026. The Plus Center hours come from the welfare center’s page, so confirm on 031-364-5705 or 1345 before you travel, and book your visit in advance.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Ansan Multicultural Village: What Is There and When It Opens

    Ansan Multicultural Village: What Is There and When It Opens

    Plan a Friday visit to Wongok-dong and you will find the doors locked. The city facilities for foreign residents there run Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and close on Friday and Saturday — the opposite of what a Korean public building usually does.

    That schedule is not an oversight. It is built around factory shifts, and it is the single most useful thing to know about the district before you go. Sunday is a full working day at these counters.

    This guide covers what the special zone is, when each facility opens, and what sits inside the building that anchors it.

    What this guide covers
    01 What the special zone actually is
    02 Why Friday is the wrong day
    03 What is inside the support headquarters
    04 The food street, and a document that comes with it
    05 How to get there
    06 What to say at the counter
    07 Frequently asked questions

    What the special zone actually is

    Zone figures verified September 2026 · Ansan City, Multicultural Village Special Zone status page

    A special zone in Korea is a designated area with its own development plan, not a neighborhood nickname. This one has a name, a date and a land register behind it.

    Ansan Multicultural-Village Special Zone
    안산 다문화마을특구 · the city’s own English name for it
    Item Detail
    Designated 14 May 2009, by what is now the Ministry of SMEs and Startups
    Where Wongok-dong 795 and 914 land parcels in Danwon-gu — part of Wongok-dong, not all of it
    Area 405,918.4 square meters
    Residents 19,965 people, of whom 17,806 are registered foreign residents or overseas Koreans — 89.2%. As of end June 2024

    That last figure is the reason the district feels different from the rest of the city. Read the date on it, though: the city page still carries the June 2024 count, so treat it as the most recent published number rather than as today’s.

    The stated purposes are three: building a shared intercultural community, improving welfare and living conditions for foreign residents, and strengthening the local commercial district.

    Why Friday is the wrong day

    The city facilities in this district keep a schedule shaped by who uses them. People working six-day factory weeks cannot reach a counter on a Tuesday afternoon, so the counters moved.

    Monday to Thursday, and Sunday
    The multilingual counseling center and the media center both run Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, and both close on Friday and Saturday. Korean classes and TOPIK preparation in the district mostly run on Sundays too.

    Come on a Sunday and the district is working. Come on a Friday and much of it is shut. That inversion catches out anyone who plans around a normal Korean week, and it is not written in English anywhere official.

    What is inside the support headquarters

    One building at Bubu-ro 43 holds most of what the district offers. It is the Ansan Foreign Resident’s Support Headquarters (안산시외국인주민지원본부), and the floors are stacked with different services.

    Floor by floor
    Bubu-ro 43, Danwon-gu · 부부로 43
    Floor What is there Notes
    B1 Small multicultural library, Korean classrooms —
    1F Counseling center, media center, immigration Plus Center Media center 031-369-1766
    2F Intercultural community center — two meeting rooms, free Daily 10:00–17:00 · 031-481-3745
    3F World culture experience hall, and the free clinic No dedicated parking

    The media center is the one people do not expect. A video studio for one to six people and an editing room with two workstations, open to anyone aged 19 or over living in Ansan, Korean or not. It runs 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:30, on the Monday-to-Thursday-and-Sunday pattern.

    The meeting rooms on the second floor take twelve people each, or about twenty-five with the folding partition opened, and cost nothing. Booking goes through a form sent to the city’s global team.

    Related guide
    Ansan Multilingual Helpline: 14 Languages and Sunday Hours
    The counseling center on the ground floor of this building, the language menu, and which number to press.

    Calling ahead in your own language is the cheapest way to check whether a service is running on the day you can travel.

    The food street, and a document that comes with it

    Three projects are listed under the zone plan: a permanently car-free street, the multicultural food street, and something less obvious.

    · A car-free street, 365 days a year.
    · The multicultural food street, opposite Ansan Station, with restaurants run by migrants from around a dozen countries.
    · Employment recommendation letters for foreign cooks (외국인 조리사 고용 추천서), issued by the city.

    That third item is an administrative service attached to the zone, and it matters to anyone hoping to cook professionally in one of these restaurants. The city’s multicultural special zone team handles it on 031-481-3905.

    The city also publishes a restaurant directory and an e-book guide to the food street, both on the special zone pages.

    How to get there

    The zone sits directly across from Ansan Station, which makes it one of the easier destinations in this guide.

    · The food street. Ansan Station (안산역), and it begins opposite the station.
    · The support headquarters. Ansan Station exit 1, cross the footbridge, about 500 meters. Next to the Wongok-dong community service center.
    · Parking. The culture experience hall has none of its own.

    Anything you came to do at a counter in this building works best on a Sunday or early in the week. The district is busiest on Sundays, which is also when it is most alive.

    The immigration Plus Center on the ground floor is a separate operation from the city services upstairs, run by the justice ministry rather than by Ansan City, so its counter hours are set independently. Check that one on its own before you rely on the Sunday pattern.

    What to say at the counter

    These counters run in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    오늘 여는 날인가요?
    O-neul yeo-neun na-rin-ga-yo?
    “Is it open today?”
    Worth asking by phone before you travel, given the Friday closure.
    미디어센터 이용하고 싶습니다.
    Mi-di-eo-sen-teo i-yong-ha-go sip-seum-ni-da.
    “I would like to use the media center.”
    The studio and editing room are on the first floor.
    회의실 예약할 수 있나요?
    Hoe-ui-sil ye-ya-kal su in-na-yo?
    “Can I book a meeting room?”
    Second floor. A form goes in before the day.
    신청서 어디서 쓰나요?
    Sin-cheong-seo eo-di-seo sseu-na-yo?
    “Where do I fill in the application form?”
    Most services here start with a paper form.
    주차할 수 있나요?
    Ju-cha-hal su in-na-yo?
    “Is there parking?”
    The culture experience hall has no dedicated parking.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is the whole of Wongok-dong the special zone?
    No. The designation covers Wongok-dong 795 and 914 land parcels, which is part of the neighborhood rather than all of it. The city publishes a zone map on its special zone pages if you need the boundary.
    Can I use the media center if I am not Korean?
    The published condition is being 19 or over and living in Ansan, and the notice names Korean and foreign residents together. It is open on the Monday-to-Thursday-and-Sunday pattern, closed Friday, Saturday and public holidays.
    Do the meeting rooms really cost nothing?
    The city lists them as free, for up to twelve people per room or around twenty-five with the partition open, daily from 10:00 to 17:00. A request form goes to the city global team, so arrange it in advance rather than turning up.
    What is the cook recommendation letter for?
    It is listed as one of the zone’s projects, issued by the city for foreign cooks. The special zone team on 031-481-3905 handles the details, including who qualifies and what the letter is used for.
    Is the population figure current?
    The city page gives end June 2024 as the basis for 19,965 residents and the 89.2% share. That is the most recent figure published on the status page, so quote it with the date attached.
    Ansan guides
    Living in Ansan: A Guide for Foreign Residents
    The whole cluster in one page — which service for which errand, what shares one building, and which days each place is open.
    Korean Classes in Ansan: 14 KIIP Centers, Cost, and Levels
    Government Korean classes at 14 centers across the city, with addresses, cost, and how the stages work.
    Ansan Multilingual Helpline: 14 Languages and Sunday Hours
    Fourteen languages on one city number, and which national line to use outside its listed hours.
    Ansan Free Clinic: Hours, Treatments, and Who Pays Nothing
    Korean medicine every weekday, dental twice a month, and no fee for foreign workers.
    Ansan Immigration Office: Three Addresses and What Each One Does
    Residence work finishes near Ansan Station; visas and nationality need the Gojan office. Five cities share the same district.
    Ansan Multicultural Village: What Is There and When It Opens
    The special zone across from Ansan Station, the building that anchors it, and the Monday-to-Thursday-and-Sunday pattern.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Opening patterns and figures change, so open the page before you travel.

    · Ansan City, Foreign Resident’s Support Headquarters · building floor plan and facilities
    · Korea Immigration Service · directions to the Plus Center in this building
    Information verified as of September 2026. The population figure carries an end-June 2024 basis on the city page. Opening patterns differ by facility, so confirm before you travel, or call the multilingual helpline on 1644-7111.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.