Noah landed at Incheon with two suitcases, a job offer and a list of 40 things to do, copied from five different blogs. By day three he had a bank account he couldn't use, a phone plan in his boss's name, and no appointment with immigration.
Everything in Korea depends on everything else. The order matters.
Do things in this order: phone data, ARC appointment, address, then the ARC unlocks banking, a proper phone plan and everything after. Here’s the sequence that saves the most backtracking.
Day 1: arrive and get connected
- Prepaid eSIM or SIM with your passport, for maps and messages. See phone options.
- T-money card from any convenience store for subway and buses.
- Apps: KakaoTalk (everyone uses it), Naver Map or KakaoMap (Google Maps is limited in Korea), Papago for translation.
Week 1: start the paperwork
- Book your ARC appointment on HiKorea. Slots can be weeks out, and you must apply within 90 days. Full guide: getting your ARC.
- Ask HR for an employment certificate (재직증명서) and your contract. You’ll need them at the bank and immigration.
- Check your payslip setup: salary, meal allowance and the four insurances. Run your figure through the salary calculator.
Weeks 2–3: housing
- Before paying any deposit, read the registry. Follow protecting your deposit.
- On move-in day, report your address and get a fixed date (확정일자) on your lease.
- Compare offers with the jeonse/wolse converter.
Week 4 and after: once the ARC arrives
- Phone plan in your own name, spelled exactly as on your ARC.
- Bank account, and ask to lift any transfer limits. See opening a bank account.
- Health insurance: employees are covered from day one. Everyone else is enrolled after 6 months. See health insurance for foreigners.
Bank first, then phone, then ARC: the bank needs a phone in your name, and the phone carrier needs your ARC.
Prepaid data now, ARC booked in week one, then phone contract and bank once the card arrives.
Noah's redo: eSIM on day 1, ARC appointment booked on day 2 for week 4, lease signed in week 2 after a registry check.
ARC arrived in week 7. Phone plan and bank account were done the same afternoon.
Save these numbers: 1345 for immigration questions, 1330 for the 24-hour Korea Travel Hotline (free interpretation), 119 for fire and ambulance, and 112 for police. Interpreters can join emergency calls.
Learning Korean as you go? Our sister site Korean Toolbox has a romanizer, Korean numbers and Hangul practice.
Sources: Immigration Act art. 31; HiKorea; Korea Tourism Organization 1330 travel hotline.
Written from the laws and official notices in force on the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so check with the office named in the article before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.