'It has been 3 months and I still have no 외국인등록증' — Check that you applied within 90 days and check the progress

When does this apply to you?

• You came to Korea 2–3 months ago, but you have not received your 외국인등록증 (residence card).
• The company only says "We applied." They do not show you the date or any papers.
• You do not remember going to the 출입국·외국인관서 to apply. When you do alien registration, you give your fingerprints and face photo. If you are not sure, ask the company and check with the steps below.
• A bank or phone shop asked for your residence card, and you could not finish your business.

Applying and getting the card are different

Alien registration has three steps.

1. Applying: You visit the 출입국·외국인관서 for the area where you live. You submit the application form, your passport and other papers (Enforcement Decree Article 40). A company staff member can help prepare the papers or go with you. But if you are 17 or older, you must give your own biometric data (fingerprints, face) in person (출입국관리법 Article 38). The fee is 35,000 won.
2. Registration done: When the office finishes your registration, it gives you an 외국인등록번호 (alien registration number) (Enforcement Decree Article 40(2)).
3. Card issued: The office issues your 외국인등록증 (출입국관리법 Article 33).

정부24 says the processing time for alien registration is "immediately (within 3 working hours)." This is the time to process the application. There is no official number of days for when the card reaches your hands. If almost 3 months have passed since you entered Korea and you have no news, do not wait. Check now.

By law, the duty to register belongs to you, the foreigner. If you do not register, you can face up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won (출입국관리법 Article 95(7)). 하이코리아 says that if you visit after the deadline, you may have to pay a penalty or fine. Even if you are late, you should apply right away. Even if the company handles the application, check the date yourself.

Steps: what to do now

1. Ask the company staff member. If you send these sentences by text message or KakaoTalk, the answers will be saved as a record.
   • "When did you apply for my alien registration?"
   • "Which 출입국·외국인관서 did you apply to?"
   • "Did I get an alien registration number?"
   • "When and how will I get my card?"
2. Know the difference between a "reservation" and an "application". 하이코리아 says a visit reservation is "only a reservation, not an application." If only a reservation was made, check that the visit date is within 90 days. If no reservation date is available within 90 days, 하이코리아 says to visit the office for your area directly before the deadline.
3. Keep a record of the application. If there is a receipt or paper from the application, get a photo of it.
4. Try to get a 외국인등록 사실증명. Take your passport to a 주민센터 (읍·면·동 office) or the 출입국·외국인관서. The fee is 2,000 won per copy. If you log in to 정부24 and get it online, it is free (only you can apply online, not another person for you). This paper is issued only to people who have done alien registration (출입국관리법 Article 88(2)). If you can get it, your registration has been processed.
5. Check on 하이코리아. Log in with the account of the person who applied. Go to 'Information search (정보조회) → Application results (민원신청결과)'. You can see the results of online applications and visit reservations. If the company applied with its own account, ask the company staff member to show you the screen. For reservations made without an account, there is a menu called 'Visit reservation status (non-member) (방문예약 신청현황(비회원))'.
6. Call 1345. You can talk in Nepali. Write down your passport number, the date you entered Korea, and the company's name and address. Ask how to check the progress of your registration. If you press 1 in the phone menu (ARS), it also tells you the location and opening hours of the office for your area.
7. If no one has applied yet, apply right away. Ask the company to prepare the papers. Make a reservation at the office for your area with 'Visit reservation (방문예약)' on 하이코리아. Even if 90 days have already passed, do not delay. First ask the office or 1345 how your case will be handled.
8. If the company does not help, call the 외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workers Counseling Center) at 1577-0071 (Nepali available).

What you can do before the card comes

• Always carry your passport. Foreigners must always carry their passport or residence card (출입국관리법 Article 27). If you have no card, your passport is your ID.
• Phone: You can open a prepaid SIM with your passport. A postpaid (monthly contract) phone usually needs both the residence card and passport. See How to open a prepaid phone with only your passport.
• Bank: Whether you can open an account with only a passport, without a card, is different at each bank. Call and ask before you go. See Opening a bank account and getting a debit card. When your card comes, you should change the number on your bank account to your alien registration number (A bank account opened with a passport).
• Hospital: A passport is one of the IDs that hospitals accept to check your identity for health insurance (보건복지부 (Ministry of Health and Welfare), from 2024-05-20). But the law says foreign workers who have done alien registration join workplace health insurance (국민건강보험법 (National Health Insurance Act) Article 109(2)). So if your registration is late, your insurance may also be late. Ask at the hospital front desk if insurance applies to you, and check with the 국민건강보험공단 (National Health Insurance Service) at 1577-1000.
• Salary: Even without a card, you must be paid your wages directly and in full (근로기준법 (Labor Standards Act) Article 43). If you do not have a bank account yet, agree with the company on how you will be paid, and keep your 급여명세서 (payslip). Do not get paid into another person's account. When you open an account in your own name, get paid into that account.

What to bring

• Your original passport
• A copy of your 근로계약서 (employment contract)
• The date you entered Korea (the entry stamp in your passport)
• Company name, address, and the staff member's phone number
• A photo of the application receipt or papers (if you have them)
• If you have not applied yet: photos, the 35,000 won fee, a paper that proves where you live, and the 사업자등록증 (business registration certificate) that the company prepares
• Photos: The size and number are different in different guides (one photo of 3.5cm×4.5cm, or two photos of 3cm×4cm). Check with the office for your area or 1345.
• Drug test result: New E-9 workers usually take a group test during the employment training period. In this case, the testing center sends the result to immigration by computer, so you do not need a separate paper. Before you go to a hospital for a separate test, check with the company or 1345 first.

Be careful

• "The card is late" and "No one applied" are different. For the first, you can wait while you check. The second may break the duty to register, so act right away.
• The company is not allowed to take and keep your passport or residence card because of your work contract or a debt. No one may take a foreigner's passport or residence card to secure a work contract or the payment of a debt (출입국관리법 Article 33-3(1)). See Taking your passport or residence card is illegal.
• Be careful of people who ask for money and say "I will make it faster." The alien registration fee is 35,000 won. If someone asks for other money, check with 1345.
• If you moved to another dormitory: If you have not applied yet, apply at the office for the area where you live now. Check which office is for your area on 하이코리아 or with 1345. If you are already registered, there is a deadline to report your change of address. See Getting a new residence card and reporting a change of address.
• The full order of things to do in your first month in Korea is in Preparation before arrival and first-month checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How many days does it usually take? A. The official processing time is "immediately (within 3 working hours)." The time until you get the card depends on the office, and there is no official number of days. If you have had no news for almost 3 months, check with the steps in this guide.

Q. 90 days have passed and I have no residence card. Is this a problem? A. 정부24 says you must apply for alien registration within 90 days from the day you entered Korea. First check whether you applied within 90 days. You cannot control when the card arrives. Keep records that show your application date (receipt, certificate, company's reply). If no one applied, this may break the duty to register. Apply right away and talk to 1345.

Q. I got a registration number, but the card has not come. A. Your registration is done. You can get a 외국인등록 사실증명. Ask places like banks whether they accept that paper. Check with the office where you applied about where to get your card.

Q. The company has my residence card and does not give it to me. A. The residence card is an ID you must carry yourself. Ask for it back by text message. If they still do not give it, talk to 1345 or 1577-0071.

Where to get help

Organization	Phone / website	What they help with
외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)	1345	How to check registration progress, which office is for your area. 20 languages (including Nepali), weekdays 09:00–22:00 (after 18:00 only Korean, English, Chinese). Closed on public holidays. You pay for the call
외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workers Counseling Center)	1577-0071	When the company does not help you apply. Nepali available, 365 days, 09:00–18:00
국민건강보험공단	1577-1000	Whether health insurance applies to you
하이코리아	www.hikorea.go.kr	Visit reservation, application results, finding the 출입국·외국인관서 for your area
주민센터, 출입국·외국인관서	Visit in person	Issuing the 외국인등록 사실증명 (2,000 won per copy)
정부24	www.gov.kr	Getting the 외국인등록 사실증명 online (free, only for yourself)

Phone numbers for other organizations are in All help contacts.