IntroductionGetting help with living in South Korea

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Help guidefrom setsthe outSouth essentialKorean informationgovernment

For forany Britishquestions citizensabout moving to or living in South Korea.Korea, Readyou aboutmay howbe ourable Britishto get help from the:

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SupportRead forthe Britishtravel Nationalsadvice Abroad:for ASouth GuideKorea setsto outunderstand howthe Britishrisks nationalsyou canmay stayface safeif abroadyou andlive howin theor FCDOvisit canSouth helpKorea. ifThis youincludes dothe getlatest intoinformation difficulty.on:

• visas and entry requirements
• laws and cultural differences
• safety and security

Read generalour guidance on movingon moving, living or retiring abroad.

ToGet stayhelp upfrom to date:  follow the BritishUK Embassygovernment Seoul on Facebookabroad, Twitter,including andin Instagram.an emergency.

BeforeVisas, youresidency goand citizenship

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• Hi permitsKorea andwebsite

Registering theas requirementsa for visas. 

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ForeignersTo areregister, allowedyou’ll need to entermake andan liveappointment inat Southyour Korealocal withimmigration theiroffice familyon membersthe andHi dependants. Korea website.

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Passports

Permanent and travel

residency 

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• contact essential;the ensureSouth thatKorean comprehensiveEmbassy travelin insuranceLondon

Help iswith takenvisa, outresidency beforeand youcitizenship travel.applications

The MakeBritish sureEmbassy thatin yourSeoul policycannot provideshelp forwith theSouth following:

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contact:
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• Bringing the bodySouth home,Korean Embassy in the event of a deathLondon
• Bringingan yourEnglish-speaking familylawyer home, in theSouth event of your illness or injuryKorea

Passports and travel

IfRead youour needguidance emergencyon medicalmoving, assistance,living youor canretiring attendabroad. anyThis medicalcovers clinic,how Hospitalto:

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Healthcare in South Korea. 

Korea

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Korea

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Fordegree. moreRead information,our pleaseguidance visiton thedocuments Ministryfor ofBritish Healthpeople and Welfareabroad website..

Working

Recognition inof South Korea

qualifications

If you arewant planning to movework toin South KoreaKorea, and work, you may need ato visa.get Readyour theforeign Southqualifications Koreanrecognised. government’s Read guidance on workingrecognition of qualifications in South Korea.

Driving asin aSouth foreignKorea

Read national and howour toguidance geton amoving, visaliving or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

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• drive universityabroad degreelegally
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• get fordriving manylicence employmentletters

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Studyingadvice infor South Korea

IfKorea. youThis planincludes toinformation studyon driving in South Korea, including driving licence rules.

If you mustlive meetin allSouth visaKorea, requirementsyou’ll beforeneed youa travel.South PleaseKorean visitdriving thelicence.

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Tax

Thea UKrequired hasdocument, a doublebut taxationthe agreementBritish withEmbassy Southin KoreaSeoul thatdoes younot doprovide notthis payservice. taxYou’ll onneed theto sameget incomeyour inUK bothlicence countries.legalised Askinstead. theRead relevantdocuments taxfor authorityBritish yourpeople questionsabroad aboutfor doubleguidance taxationon relief.  how to do this.

YouRead shouldKoROAD’s getguidance professionalon advicehow onto payingget taxa innew South Korea.Korean Finddriving an English-speaking lawyer in South Korealicence.

Disabled drivers

ReadYou guidancemay on: *be taxable ifto youapply leavefor thea UKSouth toKorean livedisabled abroad *parking taxpermit. onContact your UKlocal incomeauthority ifin youSouth live abroadKorea * taxor ifKoROAD you(in getKorean) ato pensionfind andout livehow abroad *to payingapply.

If Nationalyou Insurancehave whilea abroadUK Blue Badge to protectand yourlive Statein PensionSouth andKorea, entitlementyou must return it to otherthe benefitsoriginal andUK allowancesissuing authority.

BenefitsTax

CheckRead whichour UKguidance benefitson youmoving, canliving claimor whileretiring abroad. andThis howcovers totax, claimincluding them.

Manypaying income-relatedUK benefitstax suchand asNational PensionInsurance.

The CreditUK andhas Housinga Benefitdouble cannottaxation beagreement paidwith ifSouth you’reKorea abroadso forthat moreyou thando 4not weeks.

The Socialpay Welfaretax Department provides information on socialthe securitysame forincome residents in Southboth Koreacountries.

Contact whothe areSouth financiallyKorean vulnerable.National IfTax youService are(NTS) consideringfor movingany orquestions retiringabout abroad,double pleasetaxation click here for information.relief.

Pensions

Read StateConsider Pensiongetting guidanceprofessional ifadvice youon havepaying livedtax in Australia,South CanadaKorea. orTo Newdo Zealand andthis, youfind arean claimingEnglish-speaking orlawyer waitingin toSouth claimKorea.

Pensions

Claiming your UK State Pension.

pension

IfRead youour retireguidance inon Southmoving, Korea,living youor canretiring abroad. This covers:

• how to claim your your UK State Pension or new
• where the UK Stategovernment Pension. Contactpays an annual increase in the InternationalState Pension

Claiming Centrea forSouth furtherKorean information.

pension

ThereYou aremay mandatorybe deductionsable forto tax,claim healtha insuranceSouth andKorean pension insurance if you arehave workingworked inand Southpaid Korea.contributions Ifto you’rethe notNational working,Pension Plan.

If you paywork healthcarein costsSouth yourselfKorea, withoutthere anyare insurancemandatory cover.deductions for pension insurance. It isn’tis not normally possible to claim reimbursementback of pension insurance payments unless you have been resident in South Korea for at least 10 years.

PleaseContact visitthe the NationalSouth HealthKorean InsuranceNational Pension Service. 

Life certificatesor foryour UKemployer Stateto Pensions

Iffind youout getwhether a ‘lifeyou certificate’can fromclaim.

Benefits

Claiming the UK Pensionbenefits

Read Service,our youguidance muston respondmoving, asliving soonor asretiring possible.abroad. YourThis paymentscovers mayhow beto suspendedclaim ifUK youbenefits doabroad, not.including Child Benefit.

Money

Claiming andSouth banking

Korean benefits

TheYou localmay currencybe isentitled theto some South Korean Won.benefits.

To Therefind areout aif numberyou’re ofeligible banksand inhow Southto Korea.claim:

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• contact the banksSouth onKorean howMinistry toof openHealth anand account.
  Welfare

AccommodationBuying and buyingrenting property

Foreigners owning property in South Korea

Read areour notguidance discriminatedon against,moving, andliving foreignor ownershipretiring ofabroad. businessThis iscovers largelybuying permittedand inrenting most sectors. Buying property isabroad.

Contact straightforward,an unlessEnglish-speaking youlawyer needin aSouth mortgage.Korea Eachif bankyou’re hasconsidering different conditions for mortgages. Please consult banks separately.

See also buying a property abroad.or land.

DrivingVoting in South Korea

UK elections

Read theour guidance on whatmoving, actionsliving youor mustretiring doabroad. toThis drivecovers legallyhow in South Koreato:

Information

• vote onin drivingUK abroadelections https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad 

  Iffrom you’reabroad

• register askedas foran aoverseas lettervoter

South authenticating,Korean certifyingelections

You ormay validatingbe youreligible UKto driver’svote licence,in yousome shouldSouth contactKorean yourelections.

Read UKguidance issuingon officethe (e.g.right theto DVLA)

Guidancevote forand travellingstand byin roadelections in South Korea .

Studying in South Korea

If you wishplan to takestudy yourin vehicleSouth withKorea, you,you see https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk

Drivingmust licencemeet rulesall invisa Southrequirements Koreabefore if you live there

travel.

InFor ordermore toinformation:

• visit drivethe Study in Korea,Korea youwebsite
• read willguidance requireon atravel Koreangrants drivingfor licence.students Pleasestudying visitabroad the Koreanor Driver’son Licenceplacements Agency’s website(England) for
• contact moreyour information.

  Pleasehigher noteeducation thatprovider youin mustthe takeUK aor writtenSouth examKorea

• contact beforethe youSouth canKorean obtainMinistry aof KoreanEducation

Children

Read driver’sour licenceguidance excepton formoving, thoseliving whoor holdretiring UKabroad. orThis othercovers approvedmoving internationalabroad drivingwith licenceschildren, orincluding:

• getting UKpermission apostilledto drivingtake licences.your Thischild writtenabroad
• claiming examUK canChild beBenefit providedabroad
• child inmaintenance English.payments Detailsif ona howparent tolives haveabroad

Schools yourand UKeducation

The licenceSouth apostilledKorean canMinistry beof found hereEducation.

For provides information about UKthe drivingeducation licences,system pleasein click hereSouth Korea.

Disabled drivers

IfAll youchildren haveaged a6 UKto Blue15 Badgemust andattend liveschool in South Korea,Korea.

For youmore mustinformation, returnincluding ithow to theenrol originalyour UKchild issuingin authority. school, contact your local authority in South Korea.

Childcare

YouThe canSouth findKorean moreMinistry informationof aboutHealth applyingand Welfare and South Korean Ministry of Education are responsible for aearly disabledchildhood parkingeducation permitand care in South Korea here.Korea.

Voting

YouDepending on where you live in Korea, you may be ableentitled to votefree or subsidised childcare. Contact your local authority in someSouth UKKorea elections.for Youmore can:information.

Read guidance on:

• checkearly ifchildhood youeducation arein ableSouth to voteKorea
• registerthe aschildcare anservice overseasin voterSouth Korea

Some

• registering foreignyour residentschild mayfor havechildcare thecentres right to vote in South Korean electionsKorea.

Births, deaths, marriagemarriages and civil partnershippartnerships

Births

If your child is born in South KoreaKorea, you should register the birth with the localSouth authorities. Korean authorities. You can thendo registerthis within theperson, UKby authoritiesregistered andmail applyor foronline. aYou UKcan birthfind certificatemore information on the South Korean government portal for foreign nationals.

IfRead yourour childguidance hason Britishmoving, nationality, youliving door notretiring needabroad. toThis covers how to:

• register the birth with the UK authoritiesUK authorities to get a UK birth certificate
• apply for ayour child’s first British passport.

Deaths

IfRead someoneour diesguidance inon Southmoving, Korealiving reador ourretiring guidanceabroad. on:This covers:

• Whatwhat to do ifafter someone dies abroad
• how to register the death with the UK authorities
Bereavement

If someone dies in South Korea, read guidance foron:

• what to when someone dies in South Korea 
• English-speaking funeral directors in South Korea 

MarriageMarriages and civil partnershippartnerships

FindRead out howour youguidance canon getmoving, marriedliving or getretiring a civil partnership abroad.

Pets

If you’reThis movingcovers how to Southget Koreamarried withor yourform pet,a readcivil thepartnership guidanceabroad.

Same-sex marriages and ensurecivil youpartnerships complyare withnot thelegally regulations:

• Animalrecognised and Plant Quarantine Agency in Korea
• TakingSouth yourKorea.

  Divorce petand abroad

separation

ToRead visitour otherguidance countrieson withmoving, yourliving pet,or checkretiring theabroad. rulesThis forcovers thehow country you’re travelling to. Contact your vet to get thea traveldivorce documentsor yourend peta needs.civil partnership.

ReadThe guidanceKorea on: *Legal bringingAid yourCentre petfor toFamily GreatRelations Britain.offers Checkguidance thaton yourdivorce pet’sin rabiesSouth vaccinationsKorea.

Consider aretaking uplegal toadvice date.from Vetsan inEnglish-speaking Greatlawyer Britainin cannotSouth enterKorea.

Documents rabiesfor vaccinationBritish detailspeople in non-UK issuedSouth petKorea

Read passports *our travellingguidance toon Irelanddocuments withfor yourBritish petpeople abroad *. travellingThis with your pet in the EUcovers: 

Emergencies

Dial:

• 112legalising forand thecertifying policeUK documents
• 119marriage forand thecivil ambulancepartnership ordocuments
• affirmations fireand brigadeaffidavits
• 182witnessing to report a missing childsignatures

If

Lawyers, youtranslators haveand beennotaries

To thefind victiman ofEnglish-speaking alawyer, rapetranslator or sexualnotary assault in South Korea, read the guidance on whatprofessional toservices doif andyou’re whereabroad.

Pets

If toyou getwant support into casesbring ofyour rapepet andwith sexual assault. you Seeto alsoSouth theKorea, read guidance for victims of rape and sexual assault abroad. on:

Find

• bringing a listdog ofor English-speakingcat lawyersto in South Korea

  If

• taking you’reyour thepet victimdog, ofcat a crime, have been arrested, or areferret affectedto by a crisis, contactnon-EU the British Embassy Seoulcountry.

Read the guidance on international parental child abduction if your child may be at risk of this.

Returning to the UK

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanentlythe UK permanently which. This includes information on bringing family members,members back to the UK, tax and access to services.

If you wishwant to leave South Korea and need to obtain a criminal record clearance from the South Korean authorities, you willcan need to apply for a Certificate of No Criminal Record (‘Sin Won Zung Myung Seo’):Seo’).

You can do this:

• toat applyyour forlocal apolice certificatestation, whileif youyou’re arecurrently resident in South Korea,Korea
• at youyour shouldnearest applySouth toKorean yourEmbassy, localif Policeyou Stationhave inalready person
• toleft obtainSouth aKorea 

Disclaimer

We certificateprovide afterthis youinformation haveas lefta Southguide Koreaonly. For youdefinitive shouldinformation, contact yourthe nearest South Korean Embassyauthorities.

Read our consular information disclaimer .