Foreign Registration Cards

SO IF YOU PUT ANY ATTENTION WHEN YOU WERE GIVEN YOUR VISA AT THE LOS ANGELES KOREAN CONSULATE, YOU MUST REGISTER WITH IMMIGRATION WITHIN 90DAYS OF BEING IN KOREA IF YOU WILL BE STAYING FOR A PERIOD LONGER THAN 90 DAYS. TO DO THIS YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS.

1. GO TO CITY HALL YOURSELF AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO APPLY FOR YOUR FOREIGN REGISTRATION CARD

OR

2. WAIT UNTIL THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS GIVES YOU THE APPLICATION AND DOES IT FOR YOU.

THERE ARE PROS AND CONS TO BOTH.

DOING IT YOURSELF WILL BE A HAZZLE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE AND DEALS WITH THEM. WHAT'S GOOD IS THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR CARD WAY WAY FASTER THAN YOU WOULD IF YOU WAIT FOR THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. MY FRIEND DID IT HERSELF AND SHE GOT THE CARD WITHIN 4 DAYS. THIS MY BE EASIER IF OUR BUDDY DECIDES OR IS KIND ENOUGH TO GO WITH YOU AND HELP YOU GET YOUR CARD, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT BUDDIES HAVE A LIFE TOO AND THEY CAM'T BE WITH YOU EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET THE CARD FASTER AND YOUR BUDDY CAN'T GO WITH YOU, YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK. GOOD LUCK VENTURING INTO THE IMMIGRATIONS OFFICE WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF KOREAN OR IDEA OF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. IF YOU ARE UP TO THE CHALLENGE GO FOR IT!!!! ^_^

AS FOR WAITING FOR THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 3-5 WEEKS. MINE TOOK ABOUT A MONTH BECAUSE 1. IMMIGRATION WAS VERY BUSY AND 2. THE O.I.A. FIRST GATHERED EVERYONE'S APPLICATIONS AND THEN TURNED THEM IN, WHICH TOOK ABOUT 1-2 WEEKS. MANY PEOPLE STILL HADN'T OPENED THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS AND COULDN'T TURN IN THEIR PASSPORTS YET.

HEADS UP ON THE APPLICATION GUYS!!!
TO APPLY THROUGH THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:
1. APPLICATION, WHICH WILL BE PROVIDED BY O.I.A.
2. 10,000 WON
3. A PASSPORT PHOTO (YOU MAY WANT TO BRING EXTRA PASSPORT PHOTOS OF YOURSELF WHEN YOU COME TO SEOUL, BUT IF YOU FORGET, THE O.I.A. WILL SUPPLY YOU ONE. IF YOU REMEMBER, YOU HAD TO SEND IN 3 PHOTOS OF YOURSELF WITH YOUR APPLICATION AND THEY ONLY USE 2 OF THEM. THE EXTRA ONE, THEY WILL PUT IN A LITTLE BOX AND YOU CAN TAKE IT.)
4. PASSPORT (YOU WILL HAVE TO GIVE UP YOUR PASSPORT WHEN YOU APPLY, SO REMEMBER TO MAKE A PHOTO COPY AND OPEN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT BEFORE YOU TURN IN YOUR APPLICATION. YOU WILL NEED YOUR PHYSICAL PASSPORT TO OPEN YOU BANK ACCOUNT. ALSO, YOU MAY WANT TO PAY YOU DORMITORY FEES AS WELL. I WENT TO PAY THE DORM FEES AND THEY ASKED FOR MY PASSPORT. I DIDN'T HAVE IT BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY TURNED IN MY PASSPORT, SO I HAD TO DO IT THROUGH THE ATM MACHINE. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT THE SECURITY GUARD HELPED ME. ^_^)