Visiting the Korea Immigration Office: Services, Appointments and Documents

What the immigration office does

The immigration office (churipguk oegugincheong, 출입국·외국인청) is where foreign residents complete the administrative side of their stay. The Korea Immigration Service operates regional offices and branch offices across the country, and nearly every significant stay-related transaction runs through them:

• Alien registration — applying for the Alien Registration Card (ARC) after arrival
• Visa extensions — extending the period of stay before it expires
• Status changes — changing from one visa category to another (for example tourist to work, or F-6 marriage applications)
• Re-entry permits — permission to leave and re-enter Korea without losing your status
• Certificate issuance — proof of registration, entry-exit records and similar documents

Which office you must use depends on your registered residence address — the immigration office covering the district where your ARC address is registered.

Booking an appointment

Most immigration services now run on appointments booked through the Hi Korea portal (hikorea.go.kr), the official immigration e-government site. In practice:

• Log in to Hi Korea (or the mobile app), and book a visit under the ‘Visit Appointment’ or equivalent menu, choosing the office and time.
• On the day, arrive with your passport and Alien Registration Card and take a ticket at the office.
• Some offices accept walk-ins for simple services, but for extensions and status changes an appointment is the reliable path — slots fill up, so book well ahead of your deadline.

The Hi Korea portal also has English and several other language interfaces, and the immigration call centre is available at 1345.

What to bring

The document set depends on the transaction, but the common core is:

• Passport (original)
• Alien Registration Card (original and a copy, if you already have one)
• Application form for the specific service (downloadable from Hi Korea)
• One passport photo (3.5 × 4.5 cm, taken within six months)
• Application fee (cash or card, depending on the office)

Transaction-specific documents are common — for an extension, proof that you still meet the visa conditions (employment contract, enrolment certificate, income proof); for a status change, the full document set for the new category. Check the Hi Korea page for your specific service and prepare documents in advance; missing documents are the most common reason a visit is sent back.

Practical notes

• Start early — ARC processing after arrival and visa extensions both have deadlines; apply well before they pass to avoid a late fee or an overstay problem.
• Correct office — confirm you are visiting the office that covers your registered address, not just the nearest one.
• Use the 1345 hotline — the immigration call centre handles enquiries in multiple languages and can confirm the exact documents you need.
• Keep records — keep the receipts and certificates issued, since they are asked for in later transactions.

Note — office locations, appointment procedures and required documents change. Confirm the current details on the Hi Korea portal and with the 1345 hotline before your visit.