After 15+ years, I lost my Korean residence for the first time ever and needed to get a new one. To be fair, I didn’t lose it so much as it was stolen while I was abroad traveling. What a bummer. As soon as I was back in Korea, I headed straight to the immigration office (also as directed by immigration at the airport) to get a new ARC. Follow @thesoulofseoulblog for more tips for life in Korea. If you need to get a replacement card whether it was lost or stolen, or you’re headed in for the renewal, here’s what to remember to get a new residence card in Korea: - Make an appointment with the correct immigration office. In Seoul, there are a couple immigration offices and which one you need to go to depends on where in Seoul you reside. You do NOT get to choose. It’s based on your address. Make an appointment at the correct one. - When you walk into the immigration office, check the sheet that’s printed and near the door to ensure your name and information is on it. - The day of your appointment, take your “old” residence card if you still have it, your passport, passport photo, bank card* (In previous years, I’ve always had to get cash from the ATM and give it at the desk to get stamps for the application. It seems this has changed recently as now you can just pay directly via the ATM and don’t need stamps at all. I got cash out without even reading the signage and then realized when I tried to pay for stamps haha.) - Fill out an application form with all of your relevant information. Application forms are available at the immigration office. - Check the immigration office website to ensure you don’t need any other documents. For a replacement ID this was all I needed. However, if it’s a renewal, you may need to show a certificate of enrollment if you’re a student, a family certificate if you’re extending your marriage visa, etc. - Hand in all relevant paperwork and you’ll be handed a paper with a date when you can come pick it up. Or you can opt to have it mailed to you. I picked mine up a month later when it was ready. #newarc #koreanarc #koreanresidencecard #koreanimmigration