Foreign nationals staying in South Korea for more than 90 days are required to register their initial place of residence and any future changes of residence. You must report your address to your region's immigration office, district (gu) office, or town (dong) community service center within 14 days of moving to the new place.
To register the change of address in person, you must visit the office with a copy of your lease agreement along with identification (residence registration card or passport). In case of proxy registration, the person submitting the papers on your behalf must bring their identification and documentation of their relationship with you.
Online application is also possible via the HiKorea website (available in Korean, English and Chinese). Go to "Petition Application," choose "e-Application," then select "Address Change Declaration" to find related information and submit your application. You need to be logged in to use this service.
Keep in mind it takes three working days -- excluding holidays -- for your application to be processed.
Penalties may be incurred for not registering an address change on time, so be sure to apply ahead of schedule. Failure to register the change in one's address is a violation of Article 36 of the Immigration Act, and can be punished by a fine of up to 1 million won. It's a relatively minor offense, but in some cases it can affect your ability to stay in Korea depending on the type of visa you hold.
