South Korea · East Asia
Moving to Seoul
Seoul quick facts
Cost of living in Seoul
Getting set up in South Korea
Visas & the Alien Registration Card (ARC)
Most Western nationals can enter Korea visa-free for up to 90 days, but that short-stay entry does NOT let you work or live here. To stay beyond 90 days you need the right visa category first, then within 90 days of arrival you must register at your local immigration office and obtain an Alien Registration Card (ARC / Residence Card, 외국인등록증) booked through the HiKorea portal. The ARC and its 13-digit registration number are the master key that unlock a bank account, a phone plan, NHIS health insurance, and almost every Korean app via real-name verification (본인인증). The visa landscape splits into E-series work visas (E-7 skilled, E-2 teaching), D-series (D-8 startup, D-10 job-seeking, D-2 student), F-series long-term residence (F-2 points, F-5 permanent), and the F-1-D Workation visa for remote workers paid by a foreign employer.
Read the full step-by-step guideDriving & getting around Seoul
Honestly, most expats in Seoul never drive — the subway and bus network is one of the best on Earth: vast, punctual, cheap, fully English-signed, and all on a single tap-and-go T-money card with near-free transfers. For taxis, Kakao T is the one app that matters; rides are metered, cheap, and everywhere. If you do want to drive, you can use your home licence plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) for up to one year from your date of entry. Once you're a resident with an Alien Registration Card (ARC), you exchange your foreign licence for a Korean one at a KoROAD Driver's License Examination Office — and thanks to reciprocity with many countries, that's usually just an eyesight test and a fee, with no road test. Korea drives on the RIGHT.
Read the full step-by-step guideOpening a bank account & going cashless
Before your Alien Registration Card (ARC) arrives, a few banks will open only a LIMITED account on your passport — you can deposit and withdraw cash, but you cannot transfer, bank online, or send money abroad. A full-feature account needs your ARC plus a Korean phone number registered in the exact same name, because every transfer and mobile-banking login runs through real-name identity verification (본인인증) tied to that phone; foreign phones simply fail. Even after you open a full account, anti-fraud (voice-phishing / 보이스피싱) rules cap brand-new accounts at a 'limited transaction account' (한도제한계좌) of about ₩1,000,000 (~US$730) per day for ATM and transfers until you prove the account's purpose. Korea is intensely cashless — a Korean check card and a T-money transit card matter far more than carrying cash, and the won is stable, so your real friction is moving money in and out, not holding it.
Read the full step-by-step guideHealthcare: NHIS, hospitals & insurance
South Korea's National Health Insurance (NHIS) is mandatory: any foreigner staying 6 months or longer is automatically enrolled and you cannot easily opt out. NHIS covers roughly 60-70% of medical costs, so care is world-class, fast, and remarkably cheap — a GP visit often costs you only ₩5,000-8,000 (~US$4-6) out of pocket. If you have an employer, the premium is split with them and deducted from payroll; if you have no workplace you're billed directly as a 'local subscriber' at a floor of around ₩150,000/month (~US$110). Because NHIS is so strong, private insurance is an optional top-up (실비/silson) rather than a necessity, and unpaid premiums can block your visa extension.
Read the full step-by-step guideGetting a SIM & mobile data
On arrival you can be online in minutes: a data-only eSIM (Airalo, Holafly) works the moment you land, and a prepaid (선불) SIM bought on just your passport at Incheon Airport gives you a 010 number for the first weeks. But a long-term postpaid (후불) plan — and the cheap MVNO (알뜰폰) plans that run on the same towers for a fraction of the price — essentially require your ARC plus a Korean bank account. The catch that makes this critical: only a Korean number registered to YOUR name and ARC passes 본인인증 (real-name verification), the gate that unlocks banking apps, KakaoTalk verification, Toss, delivery, and government services. A passport-prepaid SIM or data eSIM gives you connectivity but does NOT satisfy that verification. Plan to bridge with eSIM/prepaid, then switch to postpaid or an 알뜰폰 plan in your name once the ARC lands.
Read the full step-by-step guideIncome tax, residency & the 19% flat rate
You become a Korean tax resident if you have a domicile (settled life) in Korea or stay 183+ days, and residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates of 6%-45% plus a 10% local income surtax (so roughly 6.6%-49.5%). A key relief: if you have been a Korean resident for 5 years or fewer out of the last 10, your foreign-source income is taxed only when paid by a Korean entity or remitted to Korea. Foreign employees can instead ELECT a flat 19% rate (about 20.9% with the local surtax) on their Korean employment income for up to ~20 years from starting work in Korea — a big saving for higher earners, but it forfeits all deductions and credits. Most employees never file a return: the employer reconciles everything in the January-February year-end settlement (연말정산). The self-employed, freelancers, and people with mixed income instead file a global income tax return (종합소득세) every May via the Hometax portal.
Read the full step-by-step guideEach guide has verified costs, timelines, required documents, and the non-obvious gotchas — sourced from official government pages.
Essential Korean phrases
What to know before you go
Get your ARC fast — it unlocks everything
CriticalThe Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증, ARC) is your master key: a Korean bank account, a phone contract, health insurance, and most apps all hinge on it. If you're staying over 90 days you must register via HiKorea and your local immigration office. Until the ARC arrives, you're locked out of half of daily life, so make it your first mission.
Master the T-money card and world-class transit
ImportantOne rechargeable T-money card (buy at any convenience store) covers the subway, buses and taxis, with cheap, automatic transfers between them. Seoul's metro is vast, spotless, punctual and signed in English. Top up with cash at convenience stores or station machines; it's the backbone of getting around.
Brace for the foreigner 'real-name verification' wall
CriticalEndless Korean apps — banking, delivery (Baemin/Coupang), some KakaoTalk features — demand 본인인증 (real-name identity verification) tied to a Korean phone number registered to your ARC. A foreign SIM or a phone in someone else's name often fails it. Get a Korean number in your own name (with your ARC) early, or you'll hit walls constantly.
Korea is near-cashless — but carry a Korean card
Good to knowCards and mobile pay are accepted almost everywhere, often even for tiny amounts. But foreign-issued cards are sometimes declined, and many local services (and Apple Pay's patchy rollout) favour Korean cards. A local debit card tied to your account smooths daily life; keep a little cash for small/old shops and markets.
Learn the trash rules — they're strictly enforced
Good to knowSeoul mandates separated recycling and, crucially, food waste (음식물) goes in special bags/bins, while general trash needs volume-rate bags (종량제봉투) bought locally. Get it wrong and you can be fined or your bag left uncollected. Ask your landlord exactly how your building handles it.
Enjoy how safe — and how late — Seoul is
Good to knowSeoul is one of the world's safest big cities; late-night solo travel and 24/7 cafés, study rooms and convenience stores are normal. Healthcare via NHIS is excellent and affordable. The flip side is an intense work/study culture and long hours — pace yourself.
Top industries & employers
Technology & electronics
Samsung, LG, SK Hynix, Naver, Kakao
A global tech and semiconductor powerhouse; Naver and Kakao dominate Korea's internet and messaging.
Entertainment & K-culture
HYBE, SM, JYP, YG, CJ ENM
The engine of the global K-pop and K-drama wave — a huge, fast-growing creative industry.
Gaming
Nexon, NCSoft, Krafton, Smilegate
One of the world's biggest games industries, from PC and mobile to global hits like PUBG.
Startups & platforms
Coupang, Toss, Baemin (Woowa), Karrot
A booming startup scene — e-commerce, fintech 'super-apps', delivery and unicorns galore.
Automotive
Hyundai, Kia
Home to a top-five global automaker, increasingly leading in EVs.
Beauty & cosmetics
Amorepacific, LG H&H, indie K-beauty
K-beauty is a worldwide export phenomenon, R&D and brands centred on Seoul.
Where to go in Seoul
Gyeongbokgung & Bukchon Hanok Village
Landmark · Jongno
The grandest royal palace, with the changing-of-the-guard, beside lanes of traditional hanok houses.
Local tip: Rent a hanbok nearby to enter the palace free; visit Bukchon early and quietly — people still live there.
Namsan & N Seoul Tower
Nature · Jung-gu
A forested mountain in the city's heart, with trails and a tower view over the whole megacity.
Local tip: Hike up from Myeongdong rather than taking the cable car; the night view from the top is the real reward.
Han River parks (Hangang)
Nature · Riverside
Vast riverside parks for cycling, picnics and the famous order-in fried chicken and ramyeon by the water.
Local tip: Grab convenience-store ramyeon (cook it at the riverside machines) and chimaek (chicken + beer) at sunset in summer.
Gwangjang Market
Food · Jongno
A buzzing covered market of street-food legends — bindaetteok (mung-bean pancake), mayak gimbap and live octopus.
Local tip: Go hungry and mid-afternoon; sit at a stall the locals are queuing for and point at what looks good.
Hongdae
Nightlife · Mapo-gu
The youthful university district of indie music, buskers, clubs, cafés and all-night energy.
Local tip: Weeknights are friendlier than the weekend crush; wander the backstreets for the best small bars and live shows.
Ikseon-dong
Hidden gemCulture · Jongno
A maze of restored hanok alleys turned into hidden cafés, boutiques and restaurants — old Seoul made cool.
Local tip: Come on a weekday afternoon to actually get a table; it's tiny, photogenic and packed at weekends.