Korea Period of Stay: Why Your Visa Date Isn't Your Deadline

Two dates. Only one of them is your deadline.

You got the visa, flew in, and maybe already picked up your ARC (Alien Registration Card, oegugin deungnokjeung). Now there’s a date on the visa sticker and another on the card. They don’t match. So which one tells you when to leave?

Get this wrong and you can overstay without noticing. That can mean a fine, a mark on your immigration record, and a harder time with your next application. This guide explains how Korea’s period of stay works, using rules published by the Korea Immigration Service and the Immigration Act.

Start with the mix-up behind most of the confusion.

Why your visa date isn’t your real deadline

A Korean visa and your period of stay are two different permissions. Visa validity is the window for entering Korea. The permitted period of stay is how long you may remain after you arrive. Once you’re inside the country, the visa’s expiry date stops mattering. Your stay expiry date, set at entry or on your ARC, is the deadline that counts.

Think of the visa as a ticket through the door. The period of stay is how long you can stay in the room.

Visa validity vs permitted period of stay

A Korean visa sticker has several fields. Two matter here. ‘Valid until’ is the visa’s validity. It’s the last day you can use that visa to enter Korea. A single-entry visa is usually valid for 3 months from the date of issue.

‘Period of stay’ (chegyu gigan) is different. It tells you how long you may remain once you’ve arrived.

Here’s the catch. Your visa can expire while you’re legally inside Korea, and nothing happens. You’re fine. What you can’t do is let the period of stay run out.

Visa-free and K-ETA travelers

Many nationalities enter without a visa under B-1 (visa waiver) or B-2 (tourist and transit) status. They still receive a period of stay at the border, often 90 days, depending on nationality. The K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) is a pre-travel approval, not a stay permission. A valid K-ETA adds zero days to your stay. Entry rules by nationality are listed on the Korea Visa Portal.

When the ARC takes over

Planning to stay longer than 90 days? Article 31 of the Immigration Act requires you to register within 90 days of entry. After that, your ARC becomes the main record of your stay. This covers D-2 students, D-10 job seekers, E-7 professionals, and F-2, F-6, and F-5 residents. Overseas Koreans on F-4 may file a domestic residence report (geoso singo) instead, but the same expiry logic applies.

So you know which date counts. But how does immigration count the days toward it?

How is your stay period counted from the entry date?

Your period of stay starts on the day you enter Korea, and that entry day counts as day one. So a 90-day stay that begins March 1 ends on May 29, not May 30. Don’t rely on your own math. The expiry date printed on your entry record, your ARC, or your HiKorea account is the official answer, and it always wins.

The off-by-one trap

Most people miscount by exactly one day. They assume a 90-day stay means 90 days after landing. It doesn’t. Your arrival day is already day one.

Here’s how it plays out:

• Enter March 1 with a 90-day stay: your last legal day is May 29.
• Enter June 10 with a 30-day stay: your last legal day is July 9.

One day matters. Officers don’t round in your favor. If your calculation disagrees with the date immigration gave you, trust the official record. Still unsure? Call the 1345 Immigration Contact Center.

Does the clock pause when you leave Korea?

No. For registered foreigners, the expiry date is fixed. Time abroad still counts. A one-month trip home doesn’t push your deadline back a month.

Registered foreigners can generally leave and return within 1 year without a separate re-entry permit (2 years for F-5 holders). But that exemption only works inside your remaining period of stay. If your stay ends in 4 months, you must come back within 4 months, not 1 year.

What about visa-free entrants?

Each new entry generally brings a new period of stay. That isn’t a loophole, though. Border officers can question or refuse travelers who use repeated short exits, often called visa runs, to live in Korea long-term.

So where does that fixed date live once you have an ARC? On the side of the card many people never look at.

Where is the stay expiry date on your ARC?

Your status code, such as D-2 or E-7, appears on the front of the ARC. The stay expiry date is on the back, in the period-of-stay section. Each time immigration approves an extension or status change, it records a new expiry there. The most recent entry is the one that counts. You can also confirm your date through HiKorea or by calling 1345.

Reading the back of the card

The back holds a small table. Each row shows a permission date and an expiry date (manryo ilja). When you extend, immigration adds a new entry. Older rows stay visible. That’s exactly why people misread it.

Use this quick check:

1. Flip the card over.
2. Find the last entry in the period-of-stay section.
3. Read the expiry date, not the permission date.
4. Compare it with your records on HiKorea if you applied online.

The F-5 exception

F-5 permanent residents have no stay limit. Their card does carry a validity date, though, and it must be renewed every 10 years. That’s a card renewal, not a stay deadline. Missing it can still bring a fine, so put it on your calendar.

Why other offices care about this date

Banks, mobile carriers, and employers often check the date on your ARC. If it’s close to expiring, a bank may limit some services until you show the renewed card. A current card keeps daily life running smoothly.

Now the scary part. What actually happens the day after that last date?

What happens when your period of stay ends?

The day after your period of stay expires, you’re in Korea without legal status, unless you’ve already filed for an extension or status change. That’s an overstay under the Immigration Act. Consequences grow with how long you stay over. They range from a fine to a departure order, deportation, and a future entry ban. Leaving or filing on time avoids all of it.

Your three options before the deadline

Before your period of stay ends, you need to do one of three things:

1. Extend the period under Article 25 of the Immigration Act.
2. Change status under Article 24, if your situation changed (you graduated, got a job, or married).
3. Leave Korea on or before the expiry date.

The law is direct about timing:

Where a foreigner intends to continue to sojourn beyond the permitted sojourn period, he/she shall obtain permission for extension of the sojourn period from the Minister of Justice before such period expires, as prescribed by Presidential Decree. (Immigration Act, Article 25, English translation via MOLEG)

Note the key words: before such period expires.

If you applied but haven’t heard back

Filed on time, but no decision yet? If your application went in before expiry, you can generally remain in Korea while immigration reviews it. Keep the application receipt. It’s your proof of lawful stay during the wait. ARC expired pending renewal

If you miss the date

Here’s what actually happens. Staying past your period without an approved or pending application is an overstay. Depending on its length and your history, immigration can respond with:

• A fine (beomchikgeum), which grows with the length of the overstay
• A departure order (Article 68), giving you a deadline to leave
• Deportation (Article 46) in serious cases
• An entry ban that blocks future visas for a set period

But it gets worse. Working after your stay ends counts as illegal employment. That exposes both you and your employer to penalties. An overstay record can also resurface years later, when you apply for F-2 or F-5.

Unpaid health insurance can shorten your next stay

Foreign residents with unpaid premiums at the National Health Insurance Service may receive a shorter extension than they’d normally get. Clear any arrears before you apply.

One situation confuses people more than any other: switching visas partway through.

Does a visa type change reset your stay period?

In most cases, yes. When immigration approves a change of status, say from D-10 to E-7, you get a new period of stay tied to the new status. The officer sets its length within that status’s limit. Your old expiry date no longer applies. The new date goes on your ARC, so check it before you plan any trip abroad.

How the new date is set

Picture a common path. You finish your degree on a D-2 and switch to D-10 to job hunt. Then you land a job and switch again to E-7. Each approval brings a fresh period of stay. The officer decides the length, up to the maximum for that status.

Maximum period granted per approval, per HiKorea:

These are ceilings, not promises. Officers often grant less, especially on a first approval.

File before the old date runs out

A change of status must be filed before your current period of stay ends. Until it’s approved, your old status still governs what you can do. A D-10 holder can’t start full-time E-7 work just because the application is in. D-10 to E-7 status change

Points-based routes add another layer

Aiming for F-2 points-based residence or F-5 later? Korean language results matter. Completing stages of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program at KIIP can add points and ease some requirements. Start early, because each course level takes months.

Which leaves one question. When exactly should you file?

The extension window most people use too late

You can apply to extend your period of stay starting 4 months before it expires, up to the expiry date itself. Many statuses can apply through HiKorea’s e-application. Others need an in-person visit to your local immigration office. Filing early gives you time to fix missing documents. Filing on the last day leaves you no margin at all.

Step by step

1. Check the expiry date on the back of your ARC.
2. Look up the document list for your status on HiKorea. Requirements differ for D-2, E-7, F-6, and others.
3. Apply online through HiKorea e-application if your status allows it. Otherwise, book a visit at your immigration office.
4. Pay the fee. The standard extension fee is KRW 60,000, and a change of status is KRW 100,000.
5. Save the receipt.
6. Collect your updated ARC, or check the result online.

Why do people miss the window? Usually they wait for a reminder that never comes. Immigration doesn’t send one.

Already past expiry?

Apply right away anyway. Don’t wait for a better moment. Expect a fine, and expect closer review of your application. ARC renewal grace period late extension fine

Your next move

Do three things this week. First, flip your ARC and write down the latest expiry date. Second, set two calendar reminders: one at 4 months before expiry, one at 6 weeks before. Third, check that your NHIS premiums are fully paid. If anything about your case is unclear, call 1345. The Immigration Contact Center answers in English and many other languages.