Guide · as of 2026-08-09T00:00:00.000Z
Foreigners do not file the Korean 전입신고. The equivalent is the change-of-stay report (체류지 변경신고), due within 15 days of moving in (Immigration Act, Article 36). Late filing is punishable by a fine of up to ₩1,000,000 (벌금, Immigration Act Article 98 — formally a criminal fine, in practice handled as a penalty notice scaled by the delay). The report is free, is filed at the new district’s 주민센터 (community service center) or the competent immigration office, and legally substitutes for 전입신고 (Immigration Act, Article 88-3) — which makes it the trigger for lease protection (대항력) as well as an immigration obligation.
Day 0–15: the address paperwork
- 체류지 변경신고 — within 15 days. Required items: ARC and the new lease contract or other proof of the new address. Filed at the 주민센터 of the new neighborhood or the immigration office; certain statuses can file online via HiKorea (unverified: online filing eligibility by status).
- 확정일자 — the fixed-date stamp on the lease, ₩600 at the same 주민센터 counter or ₩500 online at iros.go.kr. Combined with move-in plus the address report, it establishes priority repayment rank on the deposit from the following day (see the jeonse safety guide).
- Address updates propagate to immigration records; banks, carriers, and NHIS are updated separately by the resident (unverified: which institutions receive automatic address feeds).
Utilities transfer
- Electricity (한전/KEPCO): account transfer by phone at 123 (KEPCO customer center) or via the KEPCO app; the standard practice at handover is reporting the meter reading on move-out/move-in day so the bill splits between outgoing and incoming occupants. In apartments with combined billing (관리비 포함), no individual KEPCO account exists.
- City gas: regional monopolies (서울도시가스, 코원에너지, 예스코 등 in Seoul, by district). Closing and opening require booked visits for meter reading and, for boiler use, a safety check; same-day slots are uncommon in moving season (unverified: booking lead times).
- Water: billed to the unit via 아리수 (Seoul Waterworks) or bundled into 관리비 in most apartments and officetels.
- Internet: KT, SK Broadband, LG U+; installation is by appointment and requires 본인인증 or in-person contract with ARC.
관리비, itemized
관리비 (management fee) is the monthly building charge on top of rent, near-universal in 아파트 and 오피스텔 and common in newer villas. Standard line items on the statement: general management (인건비), cleaning, security, elevator maintenance, long-term repair reserve (장기수선충당금 — by law borne by the owner, recoverable by the tenant at move-out if paid during the tenancy), common-area electricity, and often unit heating/water when centrally metered. Typical monthly totals range from roughly ₩100,000–150,000 for a small officetel to ₩200,000–400,000+ for a family-size apartment (unverified: representative ranges; totals vary by building age, size, and heating type). One-room 원룸 listings frequently quote a flat 관리비 of ₩50,000–100,000 covering internet and water (unverified: typical flat-fee range). Itemized statements for apartments over 100 households are published on the K-apt public system (공동주택관리정보시스템).
Waste: 종량제
Household waste disposal is pay-as-you-throw (종량제), in force nationally since 1995. General waste goes out only in official district-specific bags (종량제봉투) sold at convenience stores and supermarkets; prices are set by each district’s ordinance — in Seoul, a 20L general-waste bag is in the vicinity of ₩490 (Gangdong-gu figure; the city publishes the 25-district price table). Food waste is separate: dedicated food-waste bags, chip-fee stickers, or RFID weight-based bins in apartment complexes, billed per kilogram. Recyclables (paper, plastics, glass, cans, film) are unbagged and free, sorted at building collection points on designated days. Bulky items (furniture, appliances) require a district disposal sticker purchased online or at the 주민센터, priced per item type (unverified: representative sticker prices); waste appliances can alternatively be collected free through the manufacturers’ take-back scheme (폐가전 무상방문수거, 15990903).