Nobody tells you that the first month in Korea is basically a video game where you're trying to unlock achievements in a specific order, and if you do them out of sequence, everything breaks. I learned this the hard way — arrived excited, tried to open a bank account on day three, got turned away, then tried to get a proper phone plan, got turned away again, and spent two weeks paying ATM fees that made me want to cry.

So here's what actually happens, in the order it actually needs to happen.

Day One: The Airport Is Your Friend

Before you walk out of Incheon arrivals, stop. This is the single most important instruction in this entire post. In the arrivals hall, before you exit through customs, there are booths for SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus. Buy a prepaid SIM right there. You need a working Korean phone number for basically everything — KakaoTalk, navigation, ordering food, your landlord texting you at 11pm about the water heater. The daily tourist SIM plans run about ₩3,000–5,000 per day, which adds up, but for your first couple of weeks before you have an ARC card, this is your only realistic option.

Also at the airport: grab a T-money card from any GS25 or 7-Eleven in the terminal. Top it up with ₩30,000 or so and you've got your bus and subway card sorted. Take the AREX train into the city — it's about ₩9,500 to Seoul Station and infinitely less stressful than a taxi when you're jet-lagged and don't know the road system yet.

While you're getting settled those first few days, download Naver Map and switch away from Google Maps permanently. Google Maps is genuinely bad in Korea — not just a little bad, structurally bad, because Korean mapping data has government restrictions on it. Naver Map and KakaoMap actually work. Also download Papago for translation; it's much better than Google Translate for Korean.

The One Thing That Controls Everything

Here's the thing nobody explains clearly upfront: your ARC (Foreigner Registration Card, officially "외국인등록증") is the key that unlocks almost every other adult function in Korea. No ARC means no real bank account, no cheaper monthly phone plan, no Korean payment apps, no Kakao Bank, limited access to streaming services and apps. The entire first month is basically structured around getting this card.

You need to apply within 90 days of arrival, but don't wait 90 days. Apply in week two. Processing takes two to three weeks, sometimes longer during busy seasons like August and September when thousands of international students are also applying. If you apply at day 85, your card arrives after your legal deadline and that's a problem.

To apply, book an appointment through the Hi Korea website (www.hikorea.go.kr) or call the immigration hotline at 1345 — they have English service. Do not just walk into the immigration office without an appointment. I've seen people do this and end up waiting four hours to be told the appointment window is already full. Come prepared with: your passport and a copy, completed application form (downloadable from Hi Korea or available at the office), two passport-sized photos with a white background (3.5×4.5cm — get these from the photo machines at subway stations or pharmacies), your lease agreement or an address confirmation letter from your employer, and about ₩30,000 for the fee. Check the current fee on the official site because these things do change.

If your employer is handling housing for you, ask them explicitly for a certificate confirming your address in the right format. "My employer is providing housing" is not a document. You need a piece of paper with a signature on it.

What to Actually Do While You're Waiting

Two to three weeks is a long time to feel stuck. Here's what you can do while the immigration office processes your application.

This is honestly the best time to figure out your neighborhood. Find your nearest 주민센터 (dong community center) — you'll need to register your address there within 14 days of moving in anyway. It's also worth locating your nearest large grocery store (Emart, Homeplus, and Lotte Mart are the big three), your nearest pharmacy (약국), and your nearest convenience store. Convenience stores in Korea are extraordinary — GS25, CU, and 7-Eleven are open 24/7 and sell everything from hot food to printer services to utility bill payments.

Set up your Coupang account. Even without a Korean bank account you can often pay with a foreign card initially, and Coupang is how you get household basics delivered to your door, often within hours. When I first moved into my apartment the place had zero kitchen equipment and I had a full set of pots, dishes, and a kettle the next morning.

If you're employed, this is a good time to talk to your HR department about what they're handling and what they're not. Some employers — especially language institutes and universities — will walk you through the ARC process, health insurance enrollment, everything. Others will hand you a pamphlet and wish you luck. Know which situation you're in before week three arrives.

ARC in Hand — Now Everything Opens Up

When you get the text or email that your ARC is ready, go pick it up at the immigration office. Bring your passport.

Then go straight to a bank. KEB Hana Bank tends to be the most foreigner-friendly and has a product specifically designed for foreign residents; Woori and IBK are also solid options. Bring your ARC, your passport, and if you're employed, your employment contract. Set up internet banking while you're there — you'll need it for auto-paying utility bills.

Next: health insurance. If you're employed, your employer should have already enrolled you in the workplace health insurance (직장가입자) and it comes automatically out of your salary. If you're not employed or are a student, you're enrolled as a local subscriber (지역가입자) and need to visit the nearest NHIS office (국민건강보험공단) to confirm your enrollment and understand your premiums. The foreigner hotline for NHIS is 1577-1000 and they have multilingual staff. Don't skip this step — some foreigners are surprised by sudden billing because they didn't know they were enrolled; others find out they weren't enrolled and had an uninsured gap. With insurance, a visit to a regular Korean clinic costs you around ₩3,000–10,000 out of pocket. Without it, you're paying full price.

Once you have a bank account, switch your phone plan. Go to a telecom store or look into MVNOs (budget carriers like HelloMobile) for plans around ₩35,000–55,000 per month that are significantly cheaper than tourist SIM daily rates. You'll now be able to sign up for Kakao Pay and Naver Pay too, which make paying for everything dramatically easier.

The Parts Nobody Likes to Talk About

This section is real talk. Moving to Korea has genuinely hard parts and you'll feel better knowing they're normal.

The bureaucratic catch-22 is real. You sometimes can't get an apartment without a bank account, can't get a bank account without an ARC, and can't always get an ARC without a confirmed address. Different people navigate this differently depending on their visa type and employer situation. If you're an English teacher, your school often sorts housing first. If you're arriving independently, you may spend a week in a gosiwon (small room-rental) or Airbnb while you get your address sorted.

The immigration office is genuinely overwhelming. Even with an appointment, plan for a two to three hour visit. Bring water, snacks, and something to do. The staff are usually professional but the volume of people they process is enormous.

Document requirements can differ between offices and even between officers at the same office. What someone online said they needed in 2023 may not be exactly what you need today. If in doubt, call 1345 and ask before you make the trip.

If you're looking at housing, please use a licensed real estate agent (공인중개사) and be very careful with jeonse contracts — the large lump-sum rental deposit system. There was a serious wave of jeonse fraud in Korea between 2022 and 2024 that caught many foreigners off guard. For most new arrivals, a standard monthly-rent (월세) contract with a smaller deposit is far safer until you understand the system. Check the current legal protections on the official site before signing anything.

One Last Thing Before You Land

If you can do anything before you get on the plane: download KakaoTalk and Papago, get some Korean won in cash (₩200,000–300,000 for the first few days), and look up which neighborhood you're going to be in so you're not completely disoriented when you arrive. The rest you figure out on the ground. Korea is genuinely one of the best places to live once you're set up — the food, the public transit, the healthcare system, the delivery speeds — but that first month of bureaucracy is a real gauntlet.

You'll get through it. Everyone does. And about a month in, when your ARC card arrives and you open your first Korean bank account, it feels like you've actually unlocked the country.

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