Child Benefits for Foreign Residents: What You Can and Can't Get

Korea’s main cash benefits for children follow the child’s nationality, not the parents’. If your child has Korean nationality and a resident registration number, you get the same benefits as Korean families, even if both parents are foreign. If your child is a foreign national, the national benefits are generally not available, except for recognized refugees and a few special groups.

Key facts


Child allowance (아동수당)	₩100,000 a month (more in non-capital and depopulating areas), under age 9 in 2026, rising one year each year to under 13 by 2030
Parent pay (부모급여)	₩1,000,000 a month at age 0, ₩500,000 a month at age 1
First Meeting Voucher (첫만남이용권)	₩2 million for a first child, ₩3 million for second and later children (born from 2024), on a National Happiness Card
Who qualifies	Children with Korean nationality and a resident registration number, including dual nationals; recognized refugees; special contributors
Who usually does not	Foreign-national children, including children of E, D, F-2 and F-4 visa holders
Apply	Community center (행정복지센터), Bokjiro (bokjiro.go.kr) or Gov24 (gov.kr)
Help	Health and welfare call center 129

The rule: it depends on the child

The government’s guidance for parent pay states it plainly: the child must hold Korean nationality, and “even if both parents are foreign, the child qualifies if the child is Korean.” It also includes:

dual nationals under the Nationality Act,
recognized refugees under the Refugee Act (not people whose refugee application is still being reviewed),
special contributors (특별기여자) under the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners.

District offices describe the child allowance the same way: children who hold Korean nationality with a valid resident registration number, including overseas Koreans living in Korea and dual nationals.

What each benefit pays

Child allowance (아동수당)

Age. Under 9 in 2026. The law raises the age by one year each year: under 10 in 2027, 11 in 2028, 12 in 2029 and 13 in 2030.
Amount (from April 2026). ₩100,000 a month in the capital region; ₩105,000 in other areas; ₩110,000 (or ₩120,000 in local gift certificates) in favored depopulating areas; ₩120,000 (or ₩130,000 in certificates) in special depopulating areas.
No income test.
Overseas stays. Payment stops if the child stays abroad for more than 90 days in a row, and restarts after return.

Parent pay (부모급여)

₩1,000,000 a month for children aged 0 (0 to 11 months), ₩500,000 for age 1 (12 to 23 months).
If the child attends daycare, the daycare fee voucher is paid first and only the difference (if any) is paid in cash.
Apply within 60 days of birth to get payments from the birth month. Later applications are paid from the month you apply.

First Meeting Voucher (첫만남이용권)

A one-time birth grant on the National Happiness Card: ₩2 million for a first child, ₩3 million for a second or later child born from January 1, 2024.
For children whose birth is registered and who receive a resident registration number.

Home childcare allowance (가정양육수당)

For children aged 24 to 86 months who do not use daycare or kindergarten fee support. Same nationality rule.

What foreign-national children can still get

Benefit	Available to foreign-national children?
Child allowance and parent pay	No (except recognized refugees and special contributors)
First Meeting Voucher	Generally no; it requires a resident registration number. Recognized refugees should ask the community center
National childcare fee support	No, with the same narrow exceptions
Local daycare fee support	Sometimes. Seoul covers 50% (ages 0 to 2) or 70% (ages 3 to 5) of the daycare fee in 2026; Jeonbuk and Gyeongbuk have programs. See daycare and kindergarten
National immunization for children	Yes, at public health centers and designated clinics. Children without a registration number can get a temporary management number at the health center
Pregnancy and birth medical voucher	Yes, if the mother is enrolled in National Health Insurance: ₩1 million per pregnancy (₩1.4 million for twins or more)
Public school	Yes, free. See enrolling foreign children in Korean schools
Tax: child deduction in year-end settlement	Yes, if you pay Korean income tax and meet the dependant rules

If one parent is Korean, make sure the child's birth is reported in Korea so the child gets a resident registration number. Many families in this situation miss months of payments because the child was only registered abroad.

How to apply

Get the child’s number. A Korean child gets a resident registration number after the birth report (출생신고). A child born abroad to a Korean parent needs the birth reported to the Korean family register first.
Apply. At your community center (행정복지센터), on Bokjiro or on Gov24. A foreign parent can apply for a Korean child; bring your residence card and passbook. At the community center you can apply for parent pay, child allowance and the First Meeting Voucher together.
Bank account. Payments go to a Korean bank account. See opening a bank account.

Ahmed (E-7) and Sofia (F-3) have a baby in Busan. The baby is a foreign national. They cannot get parent pay, child allowance or the First Meeting Voucher. Sofia's health insurance covers the pregnancy voucher, the baby gets free vaccinations at the health center, and they ask the district office whether Busan offers any local daycare support.

Common questions

I’m on an F-5 permanent residence visa. Does my foreign child get the child allowance?

No. Permanent residence of the parent does not change the rule. The child must hold Korean nationality, be a recognized refugee or be a special contributor.

My child has dual nationality. Is that enough?

Yes, as long as the child is registered as Korean and has a resident registration number.

What if my child naturalizes later?

Benefits can start once the child has Korean nationality and a registration number and you apply. Ask the community center whether any earlier months can be paid; do not assume they will be.

Do refugees get child benefits?

Recognized refugees (F-2-4) are included. Refugee applicants (G-1) and humanitarian status holders are not covered by these national benefits.

Who can I ask in my language?

Call 129 (Health and Welfare), Danuri 1577-1366 (marriage migrants and multicultural families) or 1345 (Immigration Contact Center).

Official sources

This guide explains the general rules as of the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so confirm with the office named here (or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.