Moving to Seoul: a housing-first checklist for your first 90 days

What do you need to do when moving to Seoul?

Book a temporary place for your first weeks, find and sign a long-term lease, then file your address report within 15 days of moving in. Register with immigration for a residence card within 90 days of entry, open a bank account and phone plan, and expect National Health Insurance after six months.

The deadlines are fixed by law, but the order is up to you, and it matters. Immigration asks for proof of where you live, banks ask for your residence card, and your deposit is only protected once your address is registered. So we treat housing as step one. This checklist runs from about eight weeks before you fly to day 90, with the rules as of November 2026.

Which deadlines apply after you arrive in Korea?

Three official clocks start when you land or move: 90 days to register for a residence card, 15 days to report each new address, and six months until National Health Insurance enrollment for most foreigners.

The two immigration rules come from the Immigration Act on law.go.kr (version in force from October 2, 2026). The fee is set in its Enforcement Rule, which lists ₩35,000 for issuing or reissuing a residence card; some older city pages still show ₩30,000, so check the current amount on HiKorea before you go. Visits for registration need an online reservation on HiKorea ("Reserve Visit"), while a change of address or passport can be handled without one, according to Hanam City's foreign-resident page.

What should you do before you fly to Seoul?

About eight to four weeks before departure, settle your visa, set a housing budget that includes a deposit, choose two or three target districts, and book somewhere to stay for your first two to six weeks.

• Visa and paperwork: confirm your visa type and what your employer or school will provide. Keep your passport and any work or admission letter where you can reach them; landlords, banks and immigration all ask for them.
• Passport photos: registration asks for colour photos. Hanam City's page lists 3.5 × 4.5 cm photos taken within the past six months; bring a few.
• Deposit money: Seoul's city government says a monthly-rent deposit is generally ten to twenty times the monthly rent. Work out how you will move that sum to Korea before you need it.
• Target areas: pick districts by commute and budget. Our neighborhood comparison and rent guide give the sourced prices.
• Temporary stay: book your first weeks. Our guide to renting in Seoul for one to three months compares the options.

Where should you stay for your first weeks in Seoul?

Somewhere you can leave without penalty once your lease starts, and that can give you a document showing you live there, because immigration asks for proof of residence when you register.

Hanam City's foreign-resident page lists the documents accepted as proof of where you live: a lease contract, a certificate of accommodation, an advance notice on expiration of stay, or a utility bill payment receipt, and it notes that the officer may ask for more. In practice this is why we suggest signing the long-term lease before your registration appointment if you can: the lease itself becomes the proof, and the address on your card is the one you will actually keep. If your 90 days are running short, ask your temporary host whether they can issue a certificate of accommodation.

Short-term options include short-term rental platforms, serviced residences and goshiwon rooms; our goshiwon guide covers what those cost.

When should you look for a long-term apartment?

In your first two to four weeks. Viewings, the registry check, the contract and the move can take that long, and you want the lease signed with time to spare before day 90.

Most foreigners sign a wolse (월세, monthly rent) lease: a deposit, 보증금 (bojeunggeum), plus monthly rent. Seoul's guide says that, generally, 10% of the deposit is paid as a contract fee when you sign and the rest when you move in, and that a tenant who cancels midway does not get that contract fee back. Under Article 4 of the Housing Lease Protection Act, a lease with no term or a term under two years is treated as two years, though the tenant can choose to rely on the shorter term.

For a sense of scale: Korea Real Estate Board data reported by The Korea Herald put the average monthly rent for multifamily homes in Seoul at a record ₩675,000 in August 2026, with an average deposit of ₩61.17 million. The same article cites the city's 2024 Seoul Survey: 52.5% of foreign residents surveyed lived in monthly rentals, against 28% overall.

The search itself, from realtor fees to the registry check, is covered step by step in our pillar guide, how to rent an apartment in Seoul as a foreigner.

Why does the address report matter for your deposit?

Because Korean law protects a tenant's deposit only after the tenant has moved in and registered the address, and for a foreigner the moving report is that registration.

Article 3 of the Housing Lease Protection Act says a lease becomes effective against third parties (대항력, daehangnyeok) from the day after the tenant has taken possession of the home and completed resident registration. Article 88-2 of the Immigration Act says a foreigner's registration and moving report replace a Korean's resident registration and moving-in report. Article 3-2 of the Housing Lease Protection Act then gives a tenant with both of those and a fixed date (확정일자, hwakjeong ilja) on the lease priority over later creditors if the home is auctioned.

How much money do you need upfront when moving to Seoul?

Plan for the deposit, the first month's rent, the realtor's fee, a temporary stay and the ₩35,000 residence card fee. For most renters the deposit is by far the largest part.

For example, a flat at ₩700,000 a month with a ₩10 million deposit means ₩1 million at signing (10%), then ₩9 million plus the first month's rent at move-in, before the realtor's fee. The fee brackets and worked examples are in our guide to Korean real estate agents.

How do you set up a bank account and phone in Seoul?

For a phone plan, Seoul's guide says you present your ID at a carrier's store; for a bank account it lists the residence card and passport. Ask each provider what it accepts, because document rules are set by the company.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's banking guide says a resident foreigner opens an account by visiting a branch with a residence card and passport, and lists foreign-language lines such as KEB Hana Bank (1599-1111, press 8) and Woori Bank (1599-2288). Its communication guide says you open a mobile plan by visiting a store of a carrier such as KT, LG U+ or SK Telecom and presenting your ID, and gives each carrier's English line. A Korean phone number and a bank account will also be asked for when you set up utilities and pay rent, so these come straight after the lease.

What does the full 90-day checklist look like?

Here is the whole sequence in one list. Dates count from your arrival; adjust them to your start date at work or school.

• 8–4 weeks before: visa confirmed, deposit funds planned, target districts chosen, temporary stay booked, passport photos taken.
• Week 1: phone plan; start viewings with licensed agents (공인중개사, gongin junggaesa); check HiKorea for registration slots.
• Weeks 2–4: registry check, sign the lease, pay the contract fee; book your registration visit on HiKorea.
• Move-in day: pay the balance, photograph the condition of the flat, note meter readings, then file the moving report and get the fixed date on your lease.
• By day 90: registration done at the immigration office for your area, with the lease as proof of residence and ₩35,000 in cash.
• After the card arrives: open a full bank account; set up utilities and internet in your name where needed.
• Month 6: National Health Insurance enrollment if you are not covered at work; if no notice arrives, the NHIS says to visit a branch office.

Any later move restarts the 15-day clock for the moving report.

Where can you get help moving to Seoul?

Seoul runs free support for foreign residents, and private services can cover the Korean-language parts of the search and the move.

• Seoul Foreign Resident Center: the city's English housing page lists in-depth real estate consulting every Monday, 2–5 p.m., at 40 Dosin-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, in seven languages including English (02-2229-4900, help@sfrc.seoul.kr).
• Immigration Contact Center: 1345, listed on Incheon Metropolitan City's registration page alongside HiKorea, for visa and registration questions.
• National Health Insurance Service: 1577-1000, press 7 for foreign languages (weekdays 9 a.m.–6 p.m.).
• Seoul Housing Help: an independent bilingual service in Seoul that books viewings and interprets with Korean realtors and landlords; licensed agents handle the brokerage. Our Complete Relocation package adds a pre-arrival checklist, move-in day, utilities setup, address-registration guidance and help booking your immigration appointment. We do not provide visa or immigration representation. Prices are on our pricing page, and the first 15-minute call is free.

Sources (read November 5, 2026): Immigration Act Articles 31, 33, 36 and 88-2 (in force October 2, 2026) and Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act Articles 72 and 74 (in force October 23, 2026), and Housing Lease Protection Act Articles 3, 3-2 and 4 (in force January 2, 2026), law.go.kr; Hanam City, "Information on registering foreign residents" (hanam.go.kr); Incheon Metropolitan City, "Expatriate Registration and Residence" (incheon.go.kr); National Health Insurance Service, foreigner enrollment notice (nhis.or.kr); Seoul Metropolitan Government, "Wolse/Jeonse", "Banking" and "Communication" (english.seoul.go.kr); Easy Law, brokerage fee guide (easylaw.go.kr); The Korea Herald, September 30, 2026. — This guide is general information, not legal advice. Seoul Housing Help is not a real-estate agency or law firm; licensed agents handle brokerage and a lawyer can advise on your contract.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing to do when moving to Seoul?

Sort out where you will sleep for the first few weeks, then start the long-term apartment search. Registration with immigration asks for a document proving where you live, and your bank, phone and deposit protection all build on that address, so housing comes first. See our short-term rental guide for the first weeks.

How long do I have to get a residence card in Korea?

Under Article 31 of the Immigration Act, a foreigner who will stay more than 90 days must register within 90 days of the date of entry at the immigration office for the area where they live. The residence card fee is ₩35,000 under the Act's Enforcement Rule as of November 2026, paid in cash.

Do I have to report my new address in Korea?

Yes. A registered foreigner who moves must file a moving report within 15 days of moving in, at the local community service center or the immigration office (Immigration Act, Article 36). Under Article 88-2 this report counts as the resident registration that gives a tenant's deposit legal protection.

Can I open a bank account in Seoul before I get my residence card?

Banks set their own document rules. The Seoul Metropolitan Government's English guide lists a residence card and passport as what a resident foreigner presents to open an account, so plan to open a full account once your card is issued, and ask your bank directly what it accepts before then.

When do foreigners get health insurance in Korea?

According to the National Health Insurance Service, foreigners who have stayed in Korea for more than six months are enrolled in National Health Insurance; marriage-visa (F-6) holders can enroll from their date of entry. Employees are usually covered through their workplace. The NHIS foreign-language line is 1577-1000 (press 7).