Korean immigration offices offer services only to those who make an appointment in advance. You will have to make an online reservation for services such as visa extension/transfer, ID card application, etc. So, you need to be in Korea to make an appointment on HiKorea. This is possible through the HiKorea website and is a fairly simple process.
Follow these steps to book your appointment at the Korean immigration offices.
1. Go to the HiKorea website and click the "Apply" button in the "Reserve Visit" section
2. Choose the correct button at the bottom of the webpage to make a reservation as a member HiKorea (left) or non-member (right). If this is your first visit to the immigration office or you do not have a HiKorea account, you can set up an appointment as a non-member using the information from your passport or ID card, if you already have one. If this is the first time you have applied for an ID card in Korea, you will need to use your passport information.
3. Completing your personal data
If you are not a HiKorea member
After clicking on the non-member section, a page will appear where you can choose to continue booking either by using your ID card information or by using your passport information.
If you choose to use ID card information, click the "Identity authentication”. All you have to do is enter your ID card number and issue date and click on the confirmation.
If you choose to use your passport information, click on “Identify verification using the passport number”. Then you will need to enter your passport number, country of citizenship, and date of birth. Click Confirm when you're done.
4. You will then need to complete the application form for scheduling.
You will first need to choose which immigration office you want to book for next to the "Competent authority" tab. If you are not sure which immigration office you would need to visit, click the "detailed search" button.
A pop-up window will appear where you can enter the region and then the city, county, and/or district (si, dong, gu) where you live to find the right immigration office to visit.
* If you live in Seoul, you can only enter the name of the district (gu).
Choose the residence category you belong to. If you are not from China, choose the option "Control of foreign (non-Chinese) residents", the first of the three possible options.
You will then be asked to select the reason for booking an appointment from the list of options available. You will have the option to enter your mobile phone number (Korean) for booking messages immediately after this section (we advise you to do this to receive an update on the date and number of the booking).
Create a 4-digit password to make changes to or make a reservation subsequent correction.
Finally, choose the date you want to visit the immigration office. Click the calendar button and you will see a list of available dates for the month. If you request an ID card or extend your visa, take into account the expiration date of the visa to avoid fines. Try to choose a booking date that allows the closest date to visit ifs possible, as reservations for immigration offices are filled in very quickly.
■ Selected Date (You can apply on the following day)
■ Reservation Unavailable (Reservation expiration)
· Time schedules, which are already reserved, are grayed out
· If you are unable to schedule an in-person visit before your visa expiration date, or deadlines to report any change of your stay, we suggest using an online petition.
· Reservation time slots are currently in limited operation to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
You have the option to describe the purpose of the visit so that the person who will handle the case will be prepared in advance to help you with your situation.
Press the Apply button and your visit will then be confirmed.
5. You will be directed to a new page with the booking receipt. Make sure you save and print this receipt for your visit. Sometimes you must present the booking receipt/message on the phone that you received on the day of the appointment.
If you are a HiKorea member
If you are a HiKorea member, follow the steps starting with choosing the immigration office (No. 4). You will notice that the name and phone numbers are filled in automatically. Then everything will be basically the same.
The immigration office requires a reservation in case you want to go there in person. So, make sure you have one before your visa expires. If you are unable to schedule an in-person visit before your visa expiration date, or deadlines to report any change of your stay, we suggest using an online petition or you can present yourself on the last day of your visa expiration without an appointment, note that you may wait there a long time since those numbers are not a priority.
