Entry Exit Certificate Korea: How to Get Your Travel Record

It’s always the last line on the checklist.

You’ve gathered your passport, your ARC, your lease, and your employment contract. Then the list from the immigration office asks for one more thing: a certificate showing your entries and exits. You’ve never seen one. You’re not sure who issues it. And your appointment is next week.

Relax. This is one of the simpler documents in Korean bureaucracy. With the right login, you can print it at home today for free. Without it, you still have two other routes. The trick is choosing the right one before you waste a trip. visa extension documents Korea

Why does every office suddenly want your travel history?

The entry exit certificate is an official record from the Ministry of Justice. It lists each date you left and entered Korea during a period you choose. Immigration officers, tax offices, schools, and foreign embassies use it to check how long you actually stayed in Korea. Its legal basis is Article 88 of the Immigration Act, so every immigration office recognizes it.

In Korean, the full name is chulipguk-e gwanhan sasil jeungmyeong (출입국에 관한 사실증명). English checklists may call it an entry and exit record certificate, a certificate of entry and exit, or just a travel record. They all mean the same document.

Immigration Act, Article 88 (paraphrased): The head of an immigration office, or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu or Eup/Myeon/Dong office, may issue a certificate of facts concerning a person’s departure from and entry into Korea, as set by Ordinance of the Ministry of Justice.

The full statute is available in Korean and English on MOLEG.

Who actually asks for it? More offices than you’d expect:

• Korea Immigration Service, for some extensions, status changes, F-5 permanent residency, and naturalization reviews
• National Tax Service, when your tax residency depends on days spent in Korea
• Your home country’s embassy, pension office, or tax authority
• Universities and scholarship programs checking a D-2 student’s stay
• Insurers or employers that need proof of when you were in the country

One warning. There are two different documents with similar names. The Certificate of Alien Registration (oegugin deungnok sasil jeungmyeong) shows your registered address and status history. The entry exit certificate shows trips. If your checklist mentions travel, departures, or “entry and exit,” you need the second one.

So where do you get it? Start with the route that costs nothing. It has one gate, though.

The free online route, and the login wall that stops most people

Entry exit certificate online issuance happens on Government24, Korea’s main civil service portal. It costs nothing. You log in, search the certificate name, pick your dates, and print. Foreign residents need two things for this: a valid ARC number and a digital certificate registered to that number. The second item is where most first-time users get stuck.

Entry and exit record certificate: how to issue it online

1. Open Government24 on a computer. The Korean-language site lists more services than the English menu.
2. Log in with a digital certificate. Foreign residents use their ARC number plus a gongdong injeungseo (joint certificate) or a financial certificate, usually set up through a Korean bank.
3. Type 출입국에 관한 사실증명 into the search bar. Copying and pasting the Korean works fine.
4. Click the apply button (신청 or 발급하기) on the result.
5. Enter the start and end dates you need. Match the period on your checklist exactly.
6. Choose self-printing as the receiving method and submit.
7. When the status shows complete, open the document and print it.

The online fee is 0 won.

Here’s the catch. Government24 usually asks you to install a print security program first. It also tends to block “Save as PDF” and other virtual printers, because the page carries anti-forgery marks. Plan on a real printer. A home printer works. So does a print shop PC, if you can install the program there.

Why does step 2 fail so often? The certificate has to match the identity on file with immigration. If your bank registered your name in a different order or spelling than your ARC, the login can fail. Ask your bank to check the record. For website errors, the Government24 help desk is 1588-2188.

No digital certificate? No printer? Then you’ll be standing at a counter. And that’s where the fee question comes in.

No login? Here’s what happens at the counter

You can request the certificate in person at an immigration office or branch. Some community service centers (haengjeong bokji senteo) also issue it under the Immigration Act, but call ahead first. Bring your passport and ARC. Online issuance is free, while counter issuance may carry a small per-copy fee. Confirm the current amount at the office on the day.

Where to go

• Immigration offices and branches. Every regional office of the Korea Immigration Service can issue it. Many offices require a visit reservation on HiKorea for counter services, so book before you go.
• Community service centers. Not every center handles requests from foreign nationals. A two-minute phone call can save you a wasted afternoon.

What to bring

• Your passport
• Your ARC
• The exact date range you need, written down
• A card or some cash for the fee

What about the entry exit certificate fee?

Online, it’s free. At the counter, the fee is set by the Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act and can change. Ask the clerk before you pay. Bring a little cash or a card, and you’re covered either way.

Need an English version? Ask the immigration counter whether one is available for your record. If not, the usual fallback is the Korean original plus a certified translation. Check what the receiving office will accept before you pay a translator.

But what if you can’t go at all? You’re working shifts, or you’ve already flown home. That’s where a proxy comes in. And proxy requests have a strict paperwork rule.

The entry exit certificate proxy request: one missing paper sends them home

A proxy can request your entry and exit record at an immigration office. They need three items: a power of attorney (wiimjang) signed by you, a copy of your passport or ARC, and their own ID. Your travel history is personal information, so staff check every item. If one is missing or unsigned, the counter cannot issue the certificate.

What your proxy should carry

1. Power of attorney. Include your full name, ARC number, passport number, and signature. Add the proxy’s name and ID number. Name the document (출입국에 관한 사실증명) and the exact date range.
2. A copy of your passport or ARC. Copying both sides of the ARC is safest.
3. The proxy’s own ID. A Korean ID card, an ARC, or a passport.

Some offices also ask family members for proof of relationship. Requirements can differ by office. Call the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 before sending anyone. It offers help in many languages, including English.

Here’s what actually trips people up. The date range. A request like “all records” leaves the clerk guessing. Write the start and end dates in full on the power of attorney.

Already outside Korea? A proxy is usually the most practical route. If you sign the power of attorney abroad, ask 1345 whether the office needs it notarized or confirmed by a Korean consulate.

Getting the paper is only half the job. The other half is reading it before an officer does.

Using your entry exit record for visa extension or naturalization

For a visa extension, status change, F-5 permanent residency, or naturalization, officers use your entry and exit record to see how long you actually lived in Korea. Long or frequent absences can affect how your residence is assessed. Read your own record first. That way, you can prepare documents for any gap before an officer asks about it.

What officers notice, by visa type

• D-2 and D-10. Long trips during a semester or job-search period can prompt questions. Keep school or job-search records ready.
• E-7 and F-2. Frequent business trips are normal. A letter from your employer explaining them helps.
• F-6 marriage migrants. Long periods abroad apart from your spouse can raise questions about whether the marriage continues in Korea.
• F-4 overseas Koreans. Fewer activity limits apply, but your days in Korea still matter for tax and benefits.
• F-5 and naturalization. The Nationality Act sets residence requirements. The Ministry of Justice reviews your record against them.

The tax side

The day count matters for tax too. Under Korea’s Income Tax Act, a person with a domicile in Korea, or a residence here for 183 days or more, is generally treated as a resident. Residents and non-residents are taxed differently. The National Tax Service explains the rules for foreigners in English.

How to explain a gap

You can’t change the record. You can explain it. Common supporting papers include:

• Flight bookings and boarding passes
• An employer’s letter confirming a business trip
• Hospital records, if illness kept you abroad
• A letter of explanation (sayuseo) in your own words

Also scan for missing trips. If you renewed your passport, make sure trips on both passports appear. Spot an error? Raise it at an immigration office before you submit your application, not after. F-5 permanent residency requirements

Ready? Here’s the whole process in four moves.

Your four-step plan before the appointment

Confirm the exact date range on your checklist. Try Government24 first if you have a digital certificate, since it’s free. If you don’t, book an immigration office visit or send a proxy with three documents. Finally, read the record yourself and prepare proof for any long absence. That order saves the most time and avoids second visits.

1. Check the period. Re-read the document list from HiKorea, your school, or your employer, and note the exact range required.
2. Pick your route. Online, counter, or proxy.
3. Get the certificate early. Starting a week before your appointment gives you room for a second try.
4. Review and prepare. Mark any long absence and gather proof.

Questions about your own status? The Korea Immigration Service runs the 1345 contact center. Call it before your visit, not while you’re standing at the counter.