Guides
Explained step by step: offices, housing, visas, travel and daily life in Korea. Every guide with sources and date.
Arriving & offices
- Foreigner registration in Korea: how to get your Residence CardResidence Card (ARC) in Korea: who has to register, how to book an appointment on HiKorea and which documents you need.
- Health insurance in Korea: NHIS for foreignersNHIS for foreigners in Korea: who has to be insured, how contributions are calculated, discounts for students and exemptions.
- Korean pension (NPS): money back when you leaveKorean pension NPS: Germans get their contributions plus interest back when they leave Korea. Here's how to apply for the refund.
- Exchanging a German driving licence in KoreaExchanging a German driving licence in Korea: which documents you need, what the embassy certifies and what it costs at the test site.
Housing
- Renting a flat in Seoul: deposit, rent and where to get helpRenting a flat in Seoul: jeonse or wolse, current average rents, agents who speak English and free rental counselling for foreigners.
- Sorting rubbish in Korea: how it works (example: Seoul-Seongbuk)Sorting rubbish in Korea: general waste bags, food waste, recycling and bulky waste, using Seoul-Seongbuk as an example. With prices and pick-up times.
Work, visas & study
- Working holiday visa (H-1) for South KoreaWorking holiday visa for South Korea: age limit, length of stay and where Germans apply for the H-1 visa. Explained in brief.
- A semester abroad in South Korea: visa, costs, housingA semester abroad in South Korea: which visa, semester dates, tuition fees, living costs and dorm, hasuk or studio.
- Learning Korean: Sejong Institute, TOPIK & coursesLearning Korean in Germany: King Sejong Institute Berlin, the TOPIK exam, registering via KEID and what you need on exam day.
Travel & getting around
- Entering Korea in 2026: K-ETA and e-Arrival CardEntering South Korea in 2026: do Germans need a K-ETA? And how does the free e-Arrival Card work? The essentials, briefly explained.
- Climate Card: unlimited subway and bus in SeoulClimate Card Seoul: prices for 1 to 7 days, where to buy it, paying with a foreign credit card and which lines aren't included.
- Across Korea by KTX: taking the train & the Korail PassAcross Korea by KTX: KTX or SRT, what the Korail Pass includes for foreign travellers and how to book tickets online or by app.
- Tax refund in Korea: get VAT back when you shopTax refund in Korea: who gets it, from which amount, instantly at the till or at the airport. Here's how to get the VAT back.
Daily life
- Important numbers in Korea: emergency, help, embassyEmergency numbers in Korea: police 112, fire 119, Travel Helpline 1330, immigration 1345 and the German Embassy Seoul at a glance.
- Opening a bank account in Korea: what you needOpening a bank account in Korea: the Mobile ARC, which proof banks ask for and what a limited account is. Explained briefly for foreigners.
- Phone, SIM and eSIM in Korea: how to get onlineSIM and eSIM in Korea: where to buy a USIM, data-only or data + voice, prepaid for foreigners and what to watch out for with an eSIM.
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