Moving to South Korea in 2026: Visas, Pets and Costs

By the SettleBuddy editorial teamUpdated 14 October 20268 min read

A move to South Korea has four parts: the right status of stay, registration after you arrive, health insurance, and a budget. If you are bringing a cat or a dog there is a fifth, and it has to be prepared before the flight. This guide takes each in turn, using the Korea Immigration Service's Hi Korea site, the Korea Visa Portal, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, the National Health Insurance Service and the Ministry of Data and Statistics, as read on 14 October 2026.

Quick answer

Choose a status of stay that matches your purpose: an E-series status for work, D-2 or D-4 for study. A long-stay single-entry visa costs USD 60. If you will stay more than 90 days, register with immigration within 90 days of entry, for a fee of 30,000 won. After six months of stay, health insurance is mandatory. A dog or cat aged 90 days or older from a country that is not rabies-free needs a microchip and a rabies antibody test result of at least 0.5IU/㎖. The average household spends 3.993 million won a month.

Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, across its stone courtyard under a blue sky — Geunjeongjeon at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. Photo: Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).

Step 1: pick your status of stay

Hi Korea sorts stays into three kinds: short-term, up to 90 days; long-term, more than 91 days; and permanent residency, with an unlimited period of stay.

Purpose	Status	What it covers
Teaching a foreign language	E-2	Teaching spoken foreign language at schools above elementary level, company language facilities and similar organisations
Professional work under contract	E-7	Activities specially designated by the Minister of Justice through a contract with a Korean organisation
University teaching or research	E-1, E-3	Lecturing or research at higher education facilities, or research and development on invitation
Company transfer	D-7	Specialists dispatched to the Korean branch or subsidiary after more than a year with the foreign company
Investing in or running a company	D-8, D-9	Specialists in a foreign investment company, or those establishing and managing a company or trading
Degree study	D-2	Bachelor's, master's or doctoral study, or specific research, at a college, university or graduate school
Korean language study	D-4	Studying Korean at a university-operated language institute
Working holiday	H-1	Short-term employment to pay expenses, for nationals of countries with an agreement or MOU

The detail for workers is in our South Korea work visa guide, and for students in the South Korea student visa guide.

Step 2: get the visa

Where: a visa is issued by a Korean embassy or consulate. For several work and study statuses, the inviter in Korea can first apply online for a Confirmation of Visa Issuance, which is valid for 3 months.
Fees: USD 40 for a single-entry visa of 90 days or less, USD 60 for 91 days or longer, USD 70 for a double-entry visa and USD 90 for a multiple-entry visa. The fee is not refundable if the application is denied.
Do not arrive early. Hi Korea warns that if a visa applicant enters Korea before the visa is issued, the application is assumed to be withdrawn and the issuance is cancelled.
Collect it in time. A visa must be claimed within 3 months of the application or of the Minister of Justice's approval. Otherwise you apply again.

Visa-free visits and K-ETA

Nationals of countries with a visa waiver agreement can enter without a visa. The K-ETA site says travellers who need to apply for K-ETA are citizens who can enter the Republic of Korea without a visa. The fee is 10,000 won and assessment generally takes within 72 hours. The site also carries a notice dated 2026-03-20 on the extension of a temporary K-ETA exemption, so check whether your nationality is currently exempt. Short-term stay is limited to up to 90 days, and employment requires a status that allows it.

Step 3: register after arrival

Task	Rule
Foreign resident registration	Within 90 days of entry, for foreigners intending to stay more than 90 days
Where	The immigration office with jurisdiction over your place of residence
What to bring	Passport, application form, one colour photo of 3.5cm x 4.5cm, and documents that depend on your visa type
Fee	30,000 won
Carrying ID	Foreigners residing in Korea must carry their passport or registration card at all times
Extension of stay	Apply between 4 months before the expiry date and the expiry date

Changes to your registered details, such as a new passport, have to be reported to the immigration office. Hi Korea gives a deadline of 15 days and the Visa Portal's page gives 14 days, so report at once.

Step 4: health insurance

The National Health Insurance Service says any foreigner or overseas Korean who has stayed in Korea for over six months is subject to mandatory subscription to health insurance. The applicable visa types on its list include the D statuses for students and trainees, E-1 to E-7 and E-9 for workers, and the F statuses for residents and family members. Family members can be covered as dependents of an insured person if their income and property fall below set standards.

Step 5: working and changing jobs

Foreigners seeking employment must hold a visa that allows it and may only work at the workplace designated by the immigration office. Any change or addition to your workplace must be granted in advance by the local immigration office. The legal wage floor for 2026 is 10,320 won an hour, or 2,156,880 won a month on the 209-hour basis.

Step 6: bringing a dog or a cat

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) sets two tracks, and which one applies depends on the animal's age and where it comes from.

	Younger than 90 days, or from a rabies-free country	Aged 90 days or older, from a country that is not rabies-free
Microchip	Mandatory	Mandatory
Rabies vaccination before travel	Not required	A rabies-neutralizing antibody test is mandatory
Certificate at the port of entry	A health certificate from the exporting country's government agency stating the microchip number and birth date	A health certificate confirming the microchip number and the result of the rabies antibody test

The test threshold: an animal whose rabies-neutralizing antibody titer is below 0.5IU/㎖ may be quarantined for an extended period to undergo a test, at the owner's expense.
The laboratory: the test must be done by an internationally approved laboratory or by the competent authority of the exporting country, and APQA's wording is that it must be administered within 24 months after collecting blood samples.
The microchip: it must be ISO-compliant, to ISO11784 and 11785 standards. For any other chip you must bring your own scanner.
Release: an animal whose documents are verified and whose health is confirmed by a clinical examination may be released on the day of arrival.
No certificate: without a health certificate the animal has to return to the exporting country at the owner's cost.
Extended quarantine: the average extended period is 10 days, and it can be longer depending on the case.
Australia and Malaysia: cats from Australia and cats and dogs from Malaysia need an additional certificate on Hendra and Nipah virus. Without it the quarantine period is extended by 21 days.
Ten or more animals: travellers bringing ten or more cats or dogs must notify APQA in advance and obtain approval for a quarantine facility.

APQA notes that the list of rabies-free areas can change at any time with outbreaks, so check the status of your country shortly before you travel.

Step 7: budget

Measure	Figure
Average monthly household expenditure, second quarter of 2026	3.993 million won
of which consumption expenditure	2.932 million won
Average monthly household income	5.295 million won
Average household size	2.16 people
Consumer prices, year to September 2026	2.9 percent
Student living expenses, Study in Korea estimate	Approx. 750,000–1,000,000 KRW a month

The category breakdown is in our cost of living in South Korea guide, and one-off relocation costs are in cost of moving to South Korea.

Frequently asked questions

Can I move to South Korea without a job?

You need a status of stay that fits your purpose. Without a job offer, the routes described by the immigration service include study on a D-2 or D-4 visa, and a working holiday for nationals of countries with an agreement.

Can I bring my dog to South Korea?

Yes. The dog needs an ISO-compliant microchip and a health certificate from the exporting country's government agency. If it is aged 90 days or older and comes from a country that is not rabies-free, it also needs a rabies antibody test result, and a titer below 0.5IU/㎖ can mean extended quarantine.

Can I bring my cat to South Korea?

Yes, on the same rules as dogs. Cats imported from Australia also need an additional certificate on Hendra and Nipah virus.

Is there quarantine for pets entering Korea?

An animal with verified documents and a clean clinical examination may be released on the day of arrival. Animals without a microchip or a valid antibody test may be quarantined, and the average extended period is 10 days.

Do I have to register as a foreigner in Korea?

Yes, if you intend to stay more than 90 days. Registration is due within 90 days of entry and the fee is 30,000 won.

Do foreigners get health insurance in Korea?

Any foreigner who has stayed in Korea for over six months is subject to mandatory subscription to health insurance, according to the National Health Insurance Service.

How much does it cost to live in South Korea?

The average household spent 3.993 million won a month in the second quarter of 2026. The average household had 2.16 people.

Official sources

All figures verified against the official pages above on 14 October 2026. Pet import rules depend on the rabies status of the exporting country, which can change, and visa documents differ by status. Confirm both with the Korean embassy and APQA before you travel. Income tax is not covered here. Information, not legal advice.