Settle-in checklist
Living in Korea

Settle-in checklist

Each task is documented elsewhere — what travelers miss is the order. Do these in sequence in your first two weeks.

  1. 1

    Arrival basics

    eSIM/prepaid SIM, T-money, cash, address card. Get connected before anything else.

    Arrival pack →
  2. 2

    Apply for your ARC

    File within 90 days at an immigration office via HiKorea booking. Some banks now accept the mobile ARC.

    🧾 Bring: Passport, photo, application, fee, proof of address/enrollment

    Visa / ARC / HiKorea →
  3. 3

    Open a bank account

    Before ARC you get a limited account; full features after ARC. Bring passport + phone.

    Banking + NHIS →
  4. 4

    Get a phone plan (010)

    Move prepaid → postpaid once you have ARC. Needed for app verification across Korea.

    Mobile carrier / 010 →
  5. 5

    Move in & register

    Sign the lease, do 전입신고 (resident registration) + 확정일자 at the community center, set up utilities.

    Renting a home →
  6. 6

    NHIS (health insurance)

    Long-stayers are auto-enrolled — no application needed. D-2 degree students are covered from the date of alien registration on first entry, not after a wait; only D-4 trainees wait 6 months from entry. Pay on time — arrears can block visa renewal.

    Banking + NHIS →