Staying in Korea for a long time and because of various circumstances you can’t go home, but you need to change your passport can get you frustrated when you have to report the new one to immigration. As a foreigner, you need to report to Immigration the new passport after you changed it. Many don't know and end up with exorbitant fees. The fees for failure to report this important change grow by the number of days, weeks, or months. REMEMBER! YOU HAVE ONLY 2 WEEKS (14 DAYS) TO REPORT THE NEW PASSPORT!
There are a few ways of doing this.
1. Go in person to the immigration office
Make sure you have applied for an appointment prior to going there on their website. You can make your online reservation at http://www.hikorea.go.kr then you can change the passport in person. You should bring your old one, the new one, your ID card, and an application form. Also, the paper from your embassy if they give you one. Make sure to have copies made before you go there.
2. Report the Change in Passport Information by Fax
You can go to any shop with a fax service (usually the copy centers have this service, you can go and ask them or check on the window if it is written FAX팩스로보내다/팩스기) or go to a community center near you and ask the staff you need to fax your documents to the Immigration.
Documents needed:
Alien Registration Card
New Passport
Integrated Application Report (https://hikorea.go.kr/board/BoardApplicationListR.pt)
Fax number: 1577-1346 (Weekdays only from 9am-6pm)
Verify the Change in 2-3 days: Call 1345 (Immigration Hotline)
3. Report the Change in Passport Information Online
Go to the HiKorea website and register. You need to have an Immigration account to be able to use the service. File an e-application and choose “Notification of Change in Registration”. Follow the process, and submit the following:
Alien Registration Card
New Passport
Integrated Application Report
You can verify the change on the website a few days later.
A lot of people think that registering their new passport is a tedious job, and it may take hours or even days when it is just a few clicks away. Don’t worry next time you have to change your passport and just do it as fast as you can so you will avoid the penalty fees.
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