Moving to South Korea? Here's Everything You Need to Know (2024)

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All You Need to Know about Relocating Your Household Goods and Pets

The process of relocating to South Korea is easier than some might think. Whereas neighboring countries like Japan and China have strict import requirements, Korea generally lets in most household items and goods as long as they have previously been used and are for personal use. If you purchase something brand new before traveling to Korea, be sure to remove all tags.

When shipping household goods to South Korea, it is important that they arrive within six months of your entry into the country. If they arrive outside of the six months, then you will be subject to duty tax. This is even true of importing vehicles: as long as the car arrives within the six-month period you will not have to pay duty tax. However, expats should note that Japanese cars are not allowed to be imported into South Korea.

Expats moving to South Korea with pets will be happy to know that there is no mandatory quarantine. If your pet is from a country that is considered “rabies free,” a quarantine will only be required if the pet has not had a recent rabies shot or if its implanted microchip is unable to be read. However, animals from countries where rabies is more prevalent will need to undergo a blood test as well as a twelve-hour quarantine. This will be required whether or not the animal has had a recent rabies vaccination.

What about the vaccinations needed for you and your family to go to South Korea? Luckily, South Korea is a fairly safe, clean country, where even the tap water is safe to drink. Read this section to learn more so that you and your family are fully prepared for your international journey to this exciting, peninsular country.

Read our complete guide on relocating to South Korea

The Guide to Visa Types and Work Permit Requirements

Whether you are relocating to South Korea for work, school, or family, you will need to know how to get a visa in order to be a legal resident. Luckily, South Korea has started to open their borders, and welcome more and more foreigners every year. This, in turn, has made the visa application process easier than what it used to be in the past. Nowadays, the type of visa you apply for will largely depend on your reason for going to South Korea. This will even be as specific as the type of job you will have as visa requirements will differ depending on whether you are a teacher, designer, researcher, etc.

No matter the type of visa you are applying for, visa costs in South Korea are relatively the same. On average, a South Korean visa cost will range between 70—90 USD. The price will fluctuate dependent on whether you want a single or multiple entry visa. Be sure to take note that the visa fee will need to be paid in USD rather than the country’s standard KRW currency.

Everything You Need to Know about Finding a New Home

While the South Korean housing market is competitive, expats will not have too hard of a time finding a place to live. On the contrary, foreigners can easily find housing in Korea within their first month (or even their first week) of arrival. You will, however, just need to act fast when you find a place you like, because it could be taken within just a day or two. The types of housing you have to choose from will not vary much unless you want to live away from a major city. If your location of choice is flexible, expats can find anything from a studio to a multi-bedroom home. Likewise, paying utilities in South Korea is easy and can be done at a convenience store.

Just like with getting a job, knowing some basic Korean will help when it comes to how to rent an apartment in South Korea. Some expats have felt misled by ads or given the run-around by landlords, which will be easier to avoid with some basic knowledge of the language. This skill will also be helpful to figure out the average rent prices in the country, which are written in a slightly different format than western expats may be familiar with.

Foreigners wanting to know how to buy a house in Korea will not have to meet any special requirements just because of their nationality. However, average housing prices will start at around 1.5–2.5 million KRW (130,000–215,000 USD) for a small apartment or a studio, or about 4 million KRW (340,000 USD) for a house.

Read our complete guide on housing in South Korea

Health Insurance and the Healthcare System of South Korea Explained

The healthcare system and health insurance in South Korea is consistently ranked as one of the top systems in the world according to the OECD. Expats are not only able to take part in South Korea’s health insurance scheme, but they are required to register after six months in the country. This is a recently enacted policy in Korea that aims to prevent foreigners from using the public healthcare and then just leaving the country (and the bill).

One drawback to South Korea’s healthcare system is the disparity between the number of medical professionals in the city versus the countryside. Expats wanting to know how to find a doctor will find the greatest amount in urban areas rather than rural.

Luckily, although the availability of doctors may differ between the city and countryside, what does not differ is the quality of care received. Whether you are giving birth in South Korea or just need to be seen for the common cold, Korea is sure to have everything you need to live happily and healthily.