The Korean Alien Registration Card

While communicating with someone from HandS Korea, you may have heard talks of a certain Alien Registration Card, or ARC. No need to worry about it too much prior to your arrival to Korea. It is something that all long-term staying foreign nationals in Korea are required to have. All client schools of HandS Korea will help you obtain this final part of registration as an temporary citizen here in Korea.

Here's a break down of how it'll work :

- You'll arrive in Korea and within the first couple of weeks that you begin working, you'll make a visit to a Korean hospital/health center to get a general physical to get a public health statement. (It's required in order to get the actual ARC.) You should expect a blood and urine sample, vision exam, and chest x-ray. This costs approximately 50,000 KRW and your school may or may not pay for this.


- A representative of your school will take you (or go for you) to the Korean Immigration office nearest to your school. For this visit, you'll need the public health statement (that you got at the hospital), an original university degree/diploma, 2 passport photos (you can get them in the subway at a photo booth for about 5,000 KRW), passport, your school's business registration number/certificate (your school will provide this). *Optional--10,000 KRW : Your school may or may not pay for this fee.

- Once these documents are processed, anywhere from a couple of days or a week later, you'll receive a happy little credit card-sized card that will serve as a means of valid, Korean identification for you! (Some nightclubs/bars and all casinos will ask you for your ARC or passport.)