Alien Registration Card (ARC)

Introduction

Have you obtained your relevant visa: D-2-X (Student Visa)?

The ARC is more important than the visa in your passport.

Your ARC allows you to:

• Stay in Korea for more than 90 days
• Secure your visa status in Korea
• Have multiple entries to Korea

Your Alien Registration Card (ARC) will be valid only during your exchange period. Even though your ARC expiration date may be longer than your final semester, we will cancel your visa when your classes are finished.

You can also submit a petition to the Immigration Office online (http://www.hikorea.go.kr) to extend your stay a specific number of days when your final study period is over if you want to travel in Korea (or around Asia and leave from Korea) with proof of a one-way outbound airplane ticket, and the reason for needing more time. The Immigration Office will approve or deny the request.

You will need your ARC card for just about everything in Korea such as getting mobile phone service, opening bank accounts, etc. so it is extremely important to apply for this card as soon as possible. If you lose it, you must apply for a new one at the Immigration Office as soon as possible as well. Even you move housing, for example, from the dormitory to an apartment (or vice versa), you must also submit your address change to the Immigration within two weeks of moving.