How to Report an Address Change in Korea (2026)

Last updated: July 27, 2026

Moving to a new home in Korea creates one immigration task that is easy to overlook. To report an address change in Korea, you must update the residence record held by immigration; signing a lease, changing your utility accounts, or telling your employer does not replace the official report. Registered foreign residents must normally report the new place of stay within 15 days of moving in. Overseas Korean (F-4) residents who have made a domestic residence report should use the shorter 14-day deadline.

The process is usually straightforward when your proof of residence is ready. You can file electronically through HiKorea, visit a local government office responsible for the new address, or go to the immigration office with jurisdiction over the new residence. The right route depends less on your visa type than on whether your documents and online identity verification work smoothly.

This guide explains who must report, what to prepare, how to file online or in person, and what to do when your name is not on the lease.

Address-change deadlines at a glance

Your situation	Deadline after moving in	Where to report
Registered foreign resident with a Residence Card, including most long-term visa holders	Within 15 days	HiKorea, the local office for the new address, or the immigration office with jurisdiction
Overseas Korean (F-4) holder with a domestic residence report	Within 14 days	HiKorea, the local office for the new address, or the immigration office with jurisdiction
Short-term visitor who has not completed foreign resident registration	This registered-resident procedure generally does not apply	Check the rules for your specific entry or stay record

The 15-day rule comes from Article 36 of Korea’s Immigration Act. Korea Immigration Service guidance separately states a 14-day period for F-4 holders reporting a change of domestic residence. Because missing the deadline can lead to an immigration violation and a monetary sanction, file as soon as your new residence begins rather than trying to calculate the last possible business day.

Who needs to report a move?

This guide is primarily for people who already have a Korean Residence Card and have moved from the address recorded with immigration. It covers common long-term statuses such as work, study, residence, permanent residence, and marriage-migrant visas. F-4 holders have a parallel domestic-residence reporting duty with a slightly shorter deadline.

A move across the country clearly requires a report, but a short move can also count. If the address recorded with immigration changes—another apartment building, a different unit, a dormitory, or a new room provided by an employer—treat it as reportable. Korea Immigration Service has specifically used an example of an F-4 resident moving to the building next door in the same apartment complex: the move still had to be reported.

Do not confuse this report with changing your employer, school, passport information, or visa status. Those are separate immigration matters with their own rules. Likewise, a Korean citizen’s resident registration move-in report is not the same procedure, even though a local community service center may handle both types of filing.

Documents to prepare

Bring originals for an in-person visit and prepare clear, complete scans for an online application. The core checklist is:

Your passport
Your current Residence Card
The integrated application/report form, or the F-4 domestic residence change form when applicable
Proof that you actually live at the new address

A lease or rental agreement in your name is the simplest proof. A purchase contract can also establish residence. The document should show the complete address and enough information to connect you to the home. If a contract has been renewed implicitly and the written term has expired, Korea Immigration Service guidance says the existing lease may still be accepted, although an officer can request additional proof.

If you are about to sign a new lease, review the practical checks in our guide to Korean rental contracts before committing your deposit.

If your name is not on the lease

Many foreign residents live with a spouse, partner, relative, employer, or friend whose name appears on the housing contract. In that case, a verbal explanation is unlikely to be enough. Korea Immigration Service guidance lists a confirmation from the accommodation provider as an alternative, together with supporting material such as the provider’s identification and the provider’s lease.

Prepare the official Confirmation of Residence/Accommodation form, a copy of the accommodation provider’s ID, and evidence showing that the provider has the right to occupy the home. The exact combination can vary with the relationship and property arrangement. Call 1345 before filing if the provider is a company, dormitory, hotel, or person whose contract does not clearly match the new address.

How to report an address change in Korea online

Online filing is convenient when the HiKorea identity check works and your evidence can be uploaded clearly. It also leaves a digital record of the submission.

Go to HiKorea and select the electronic civil-service or e-Application area.
Sign in or complete the identity-verification method presented by the site.
Choose the service for reporting a change of place of stay. F-4 holders should choose the domestic residence change service that matches their status.
Enter the new address exactly as it appears on the lease or other proof. Include the building and unit details.
Upload the documents requested on screen. Make sure every page is upright, readable, and not cut off.
Review the move-in date, address, and attachments before submitting.
Save or print the filing receipt and check the application status until it shows that the report has been processed.

A submission receipt is useful evidence, but it is not a reason to ignore a rejection or request for more documents. Check messages from the portal and respond promptly. Do not write the new address on the physical Residence Card yourself. If you need the card annotation updated after an electronic report, ask 1345 or the local office what is required for your card type. Holders of a mobile Residence Card should follow the current electronic-card instructions shown by the service.

When online filing is not the best choice

Use an in-person route if you cannot complete identity verification, the address-search tool does not find your unit, your file is rejected, or your proof of residence needs explanation. If the legal deadline has already passed, do not keep retrying the website or enter an inaccurate date. Contact 1345 and follow the instructions for a late report; an immigration office may need to review it in person.

Option 2: Report at a local government office

You may report at the city, county, district, town, township, or neighborhood office responsible for the new residence. In everyday terms, this often means the administrative welfare center (haengbok bokji senteo) or community service center for your new neighborhood.

Use the office for the new address, not the neighborhood you left. At the information desk, say that you need to report a foreign resident’s change of place of stay: chelyuji byeongyeong singo (체류지 변경 신고). F-4 holders can say geoso ijeon singo (거소 이전 신고).

Bring your passport, Residence Card, completed form if available, and residence evidence. Staff should record the change and return your card after handling the address notation required for an in-person report. Before leaving, check that the address and move-in date are correct and keep any receipt or stamped copy.

Option 3: Report at the immigration office

You can also use the immigration office with jurisdiction over the new home. Do not go to the Ministry of Justice headquarters in Gwacheon; immigration services are handled by regional offices and branches.

Visit-reservation and walk-in rules can differ by petition type and may be updated. Check the current office instructions on HiKorea or call 1345 before making a long trip.

The immigration-office route is particularly sensible when you are late, your housing evidence is unusual, or another immigration record also needs attention. Bring the same core documents and any extra evidence discussed with the contact center.

What this report does not update

An immigration address change should not be treated as a universal forwarding service. Your landlord, employer, university, bank, card company, mobile carrier, insurer, and delivery apps may still hold the old address. Update important accounts separately, especially those that send cards, bills, tax notices, or identity-verification mail.

If you have just moved into an apartment, our electricity, water, and gas setup guide can help with the next round of practical tasks.

Also check whether your postal mail is still going to the previous home. A timely immigration report protects your official record, but it cannot prevent sensitive private mail from being delivered to an address still saved with a bank or service provider.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming the lease updates immigration automatically. A real-estate agent or landlord does not normally complete your personal immigration report.
Using the old office. The law points to the authority responsible for the new residence.
Counting on the longer deadline when you hold F-4 status. F-4 domestic residence changes use 14 days, while registered foreign residents generally use 15.
Uploading only the signature page. Your proof should show the parties, address, and relevant contract details.
Submitting an address that omits the unit. Copy the full road-name or lot-number address and unit information carefully.
Assuming online submission means completion. Save the receipt and check for approval or a request to supplement documents.
Waiting after a rejection. If the deadline is close, call 1345 and use an in-person office rather than repeatedly sending the same file.

A simple moving-week checklist

Confirm the exact move-in date and complete new address.
Photograph or scan every relevant page of the housing document.
If your name is absent, obtain the accommodation confirmation and provider documents.
File within 14 days for F-4 or 15 days for most registered foreign residents.
Keep the receipt and verify that the report is processed.
Update banks, telecom accounts, employers, schools, insurers, and delivery services separately.
Keep copies of the old and new housing documents in case an office asks for clarification.

Frequently asked questions

Can my landlord report the address change for me?

Do not assume so. The reporting duty belongs to the resident, and a landlord’s housing paperwork is not a substitute. If a representative will file for you, confirm the permitted procedure and required authorization with 1345 first.

Do I have to report a move within the same apartment complex?

If the address recorded with immigration changes, report it. Korea Immigration Service guidance specifically says that moving to the building next door in the same complex still triggers the duty.

Can I report at any community service center?

Use the local government office responsible for your new residence. If you are unsure which center covers the address, call the district office or 1345 before visiting.

What should I do if I am already late?

Contact the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 and follow its instructions. Do not enter a false move-in date. A late report may require an in-person review and can result in a sanction.

Does the report change my address with my bank and phone company?

No. Treat those as separate account updates. The immigration report changes your official residence record; it does not reliably update every private organization you use.

Official sources and accuracy note

Accuracy disclaimer: Immigration procedures, required evidence, online authentication, and office practices can change and may differ by status or individual circumstances. This article provides general information, not legal advice. Check HiKorea or call the Ministry of Justice Immigration Contact Center at 1345 before relying on a deadline or document list in a time-sensitive case.