New Passport in Korea? Report the Change to Immigration…

Your passport changed. Your ARC didn’t.

Maybe you renewed at your embassy in Seoul. Maybe the old one expired, went missing, or ran out of pages. Either way, you now carry a passport with a new number. Korea’s immigration database still shows the old one.

Nothing feels wrong at first. Then a bank teller asks why the numbers don’t match. Or an airline agent pauses at check-in. That’s usually when people learn there was a deadline.

This guide walks through the passport information change report: who must file, how fast, what to bring, and how to skip the office visit. It also covers the problem that lingers longest. That’s a name spelled one way on your passport and another way on your card. ARC application Korea

Why does a new passport number need a report at all?

Korea’s Immigration Act treats your passport number, issue date, and expiry date as registered details. When any of them change, Article 35 requires you to report it to immigration. This covers D-2 students, D-10 job seekers, E-7 workers, F-6 spouses, F-4 overseas Koreans, and every other registered foreigner. Your visa status itself stays the same.

When you first registered, the immigration office copied your passport details into your foreigner registration file. That file backs your ARC (Alien Registration Card). Banks, hospitals, and phone carriers verify your identity against it.

So when the passport changes, the file goes stale. The law closes that gap with a short list of details you must keep current.

“If any of the following matters of foreigner registration change, a foreigner who has completed foreigner registration shall report such change to the head of the competent immigration office … within 15 days from the date of change.” (Immigration Act, Article 35, English translation via MOLEG)

The list under Article 35 includes:

• Name, sex, date of birth, or nationality
• Passport number, issue date, or expiry date
• Other items set by Ministry of Justice ordinance for certain status holders

A new passport number report after renewal is the most common version of this filing. A replacement after loss or theft triggers it too. So does a legal name change or a new nationality.

Who is exempt? Short-term visitors without an ARC never registered, so this rule doesn’t reach them. Everyone holding a registration card is covered.

Here’s the catch. The deadline doesn’t start when you notice the problem.

The 15-day clock starts earlier than most people think

You have 15 days from the date the change happened. For a renewed passport, that date is generally the issue date printed inside, not the day you collected it. If your embassy issued it on the 1st and you picked it up on the 10th, only about five days remain. Missing the window can lead to an administrative fine.

This gap surprises a lot of people. Embassies often mail passports or hold them for pickup. Renewals abroad add travel time. The deadline to report passport change in Korea keeps running the whole time.

What happens if you’re late? Article 100 of the Immigration Act allows a fine for negligence of up to 1 million won for failing to report a registration change. The actual amount depends on how late you are. Officers follow a schedule in the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act. Short delays draw smaller fines than long ones.

The money isn’t the only cost. Immigration keeps a record of violations. Officers can see it when you later apply for an extension, a status change, or permanent residence (F-5). One small fine rarely sinks an application. A pattern of missed reports looks much worse.

One more trap. Don’t treat the airport entry check as your report. Showing a new passport at the border confirms your entry, nothing more. If you’re unsure whether your file was updated, call the Korea Immigration Service contact center at 1345.

So you know the deadline. Next comes the paperwork, and it’s lighter than most immigration files.

What documents do you need to update ARC passport details?

For a basic passport update, bring four items: the Unified Application Form, your new passport, your current ARC, and your old passport if you still have it. If the old passport was lost, a police loss report or embassy letter helps explain the gap. Photos matter only when your card gets reissued, such as after a name change.

Here are the documents needed to update ARC passport details, sorted by situation.

Standard renewal (same name, new number)

1. Unified Application Form (tonghap sincheongseo), with “Report of change of foreigner registration” checked
2. New passport (original)
3. Old passport, if available
4. ARC (original)

Passport lost or stolen

1. Everything above, minus the old passport
2. Proof of the loss, such as a Korean police report or a confirmation letter from your embassy

Name, nationality, or date of birth change

1. Everything in the standard list
2. Official proof of the change from your home country (marriage certificate, court order, or naturalization record)
3. A Korean translation, and sometimes an apostille or consular confirmation
4. One passport-style photo (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm) for the reissued card

The report itself carries no fee, according to the fee schedule on HiKorea. A reissued card is charged separately at 30,000 won. Check the current fee list before you go, since amounts can change.

A few practical tips:

• Scan the photo page of both passports first. You’ll need those scans for online filing.
• Keep a copy of the old photo page permanently. Older records in Korea may still list that number.
• If your employer handles your visa (common for E-7 workers), tell HR the same week.

But you may not need to carry any of this to an office. There are two ways around the visit.

Can you report by mail or through an agent instead of visiting?

Yes to an agent and online filing, but mail is not a standard channel. HiKorea’s e-Application service lets many registered foreigners file a change report from home. An agent can also file at the office for you. That might be a family member, a company staff member, or a licensed administrative agent (haengjeongsa) carrying your power of attorney.

People search for reporting by mail or agent instead of visiting for a simple reason. Visit reservations at busy offices can fill up well ahead. That can eat your whole 15-day window.

Option 1: HiKorea e-Application

1. Sign up on HiKorea and verify your identity with your ARC number.
2. Log in with a certificate the site accepts.
3. Open the e-Application menu and choose the foreigner registration change report.
4. Upload scans of your new passport photo page, plus the old one if you have it.
5. Submit, then track the status in your application history until it shows as complete.

Online filing works best for a simple passport number update. If your name or nationality changed, the office needs to issue a new card. That usually means at least one visit to collect it. Some offices also ask you to apply in person.

Option 2: An agent at the office

Your agent submits the documents at your assigned immigration office. That office depends on your registered address. Your agent typically brings:

• A power of attorney (wiimjang) signed by you
• Your original passport and ARC
• The agent’s own ID
• For a company or haengjeongsa, proof of their role or license

Licensed administrative agents charge for this service. Prices vary, so ask for a quote first.

What about mail?

Most immigration offices don’t take change reports by post. Are you outside Korea or unable to travel? Call 1345 and ask what your office allows. Never assume a mailed form arrived.

Here’s what actually happens next for many people. If your new passport spells your name differently, the update is only half done.

Why a name spelling mismatch between passport and ARC follows you for years

If your new passport spells your name differently from your ARC, report it as a name change, not just a passport update. Immigration will then reissue your card with the new spelling. After that, update your bank, NHIS, mobile carrier, employer, and tax records yourself. Those systems generally don’t pick up the change on their own.

Name changes happen more often than you’d think. Marriage migrants on F-6 visas sometimes add a spouse’s surname. Some countries change romanization rules between passport editions. Others add or drop a middle name. Even word order can flip.

Small differences cause big problems. A name spelling mismatch between passport and ARC can block:

• Overseas remittances, since banks match the sender against your ID
• Airline check-in, if your booking uses one spelling and your ID shows another
• Year-end tax settlement (yeonmal jeongsan), when payroll names don’t match
• Insurance claims, if your NHIS record still shows the old name

Fix it in this order:

1. Immigration first. File the name change and collect the reissued ARC.
2. Bank. Visit a branch with your new ARC and passport. Name changes rarely go through online.
3. NHIS. Update your record with the National Health Insurance Service. The foreigner helpline is 033-811-2000.
4. Mobile carrier. Bring your new ARC to a store run by your carrier.
5. Employer and taxes. Ask HR to update payroll. Your records at the National Tax Service follow from there.
6. Everything else. Check Government24 and any app that uses identity verification.

Still need a Korean bank account in the first place? Our banking guide covers the documents. bank account for foreigners Korea

That’s a lot of moving parts. So let’s put the whole job on one timeline.

Your 15-day plan, from new passport to updated records

Start the day you learn your passport’s issue date. Scan both passports within two days. Try HiKorea e-Application by day three. If it fails, or your name changed, book an office visit or brief an agent. Submit before day 15. Once immigration confirms the change, update your bank, NHIS, carrier, and employer in that order.

D-2 and D-10 students have one extra resource. University international offices often help with visa paperwork, so ask them early.

Stuck on a step? Call 1345. The Immigration Contact Center answers in English and many other languages.

One last note. A passport update doesn’t cover other changes. Moving to a new address needs its own report to immigration. foreigner address change report Korea

Your next move is simple. Find the issue date in your new passport and count 15 days. Put that date on your calendar today. Already past it? File anyway. A late report beats no report, and the fine schedule rises with delay.