Everything you need to settle in Korea, in one place.
Visas, insurance, work, housing, schools and the help you're entitled to, explained in plain English.
Photo: insung yoon / UnsplashVisa & Immigration
Visa types, your residence card, and the rules for staying legal.
Work, Pay & Tax
Housing
Daily Life
What's my take-home pay?
Type your yearly salary in won.
Health & Insurance
Schools & Study
Government Support
Legal Rights & Help
Culture & Events
Guides to Korean systems and laws
- Korean Visa Types Explained: Which One Fits You
- Foreign Resident Registration (ARC): Rules, Deadlines and Fines
- Reporting Changes to Immigration: Address, Job, Passport
- Changing Your Visa Status Inside Korea
- National Health Insurance for Foreigners in Korea
- National Pension for Foreigners: Who Pays and Who Gets It Back
- Employment and Industrial Accident Insurance for Foreign Workers
- Private Health Insurance in Korea: Do Foreigners Need It?
- Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) and Other Scholarships for Foreigners
- Applying to Korean Universities as an International Student
- Learning Korean: University Language Programs, KIIP and Free Classes
- Enrolling Foreign Children in Korean Public Schools
- Getting a Korean Driver's License or Exchanging Yours
- Essential Apps for Living in Korea
- Public Transport in Korea: T-money, Subway, Bus and Trains
- Emergency Numbers and Helplines for Foreigners in Korea
- Government Support Foreigners Can Get in Korea
- Child Benefits for Foreign Residents: What You Can and Can't Get
- Multicultural Family Support Centers and Danuri
- Foreign Resident and Worker Support Centers
Competitions and programs for foreigners
- CompetitionApply by 25 Oct 2026
2026 Byeolbyeol Hwaseong Awards: AI Ad and Short-Form Contest
Make an AI-generated short-form video, ad video or jingle about Hwaseong on the theme 'Happiness for all, a bigger Hwaseong'. The deadline was extended, and the total prize pool is large.
- Where
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- ProgramApply by 26 Oct 2026
GKL Volunteer Tour with International Students (Yeoncheon)
A free 2-day trip (1 night) to Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi-do that mixes volunteer work with local sightseeing. A nice way to see rural Korea and meet other students.
- Where
- Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do
- Cost
- Free. All on-site costs and volunteer supplies are covered.
- ProgramApply by 26 Oct 2026
Workshop: How to Find a Home in Seoul (for Foreign Residents and Students)
A free 2-hour workshop on renting in Seoul: how to find a place, what to check in a lease, and how to avoid common problems. Participants get a free multilingual housing guidebook.
- Where
- Seoul (Sinchon area, Seodaemun-gu). In Korean with English AI interpretation.
- Cost
- Free
Latest articles
Buying and Selling Secondhand on Karrot (당근) Without Speaking KoreanKarrot (당근) is Korea's neighborhood secondhand app. You need a Korean phone line in your own name to sign up, the menus can be set to English, and most trades are cash or transfer at a meetup near home.
Coupang Rocket Delivery for Foreigners: Sign-Up, Payment and ReturnsForeign residents can use Coupang with a Korean phone number, and it has an English mode. Foreign Visa, Mastercard and JCB cards in your own name work, WOW membership is ₩7,890 a month, and overseas Rocket Jikgu orders need a customs ID.
Getting Home at 2 a.m.: Kakao T vs Uber vs TADA in KoreaKakao T has the most taxis, Uber is the easiest with a foreign card, and TADA is a solid backup. In Seoul, regular taxis cost 20 to 40% more between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Midnight Snack in Korea: How to Order Food Delivery as a ForeignerBaemin is the easiest delivery app for foreigners: it works in English and takes foreign cards. Coupang Eats and Yogiyo mostly need a Korean number and a Korean card.
Naver Map vs Kakao Map: Which One to Use in Korea (and Why Google Maps Falls Short)Use Naver Map as your main app for transit, walking and English place search, and keep Kakao Map for live bus tracking and Kakao T taxis. Google Maps still can't give reliable walking or driving directions in Korea as of October 2026.
Papago Tricks for Menus, Letters and Signs in KoreaPapago, Naver's free translator, is usually the best app for Korean: use its camera for menus and letters, conversation mode at offices and clinics, and the honorifics option when you write to landlords. Never rely on it alone for contracts.
Calculators
Korea Salary Take-Home Calculator 연봉 실수령액
Enter your annual salary to see what lands in your bank account each month, with every deduction explained.
1 year rule · Labor law formulaKorea Severance Pay Calculator 퇴직금
Enter your dates and recent pay to see the severance your employer owes when you leave.
Lump-sum refund when you leaveNational Pension Refund Calculator 반환일시금
See how much National Pension money you can take home when you leave Korea, and check whether you qualify.
2026 minimum wage ₩10,320Part-Time Pay & Weekly Holiday Pay Calculator 알바 월급 · 주휴수당
Enter your hourly wage and schedule to see your monthly pay, including the paid weekly holiday most part-timers forget.
11 days in year 1, then 15+Annual Leave Calculator 연차
Enter your start date to see your paid leave days today, when the next ones arrive, and what unused days are worth.
Legal cap 5% · deposit ↔ rentJeonse / Wolse Rent Converter 전월세 전환
See how much your monthly rent changes if you pay a bigger or smaller deposit, and which deal costs less over two years.
- Official sources first. Every guide lists the laws, ministries and agencies it is based on, and the date we last checked it.
- Updated every January, when the minimum wage, insurance rates and tax tables change, and whenever a rule changes.
- The Korean words you'll need. Key terms come with their Hangul (외국인등록증, 전세, 퇴직금) so you can show them at the counter.
- Learning Korean? Our sister site Korean Toolbox has a romanizer, Korean numbers and Hangul practice.