First Encounter Voucher (첫만남이용권) in Korea for Foreign Residents

The First Encounter Voucher (첫만남이용권) is Korea's one-time birth voucher. For foreign-resident families, the important point is that the official rule is written around the child's birth registration and resident registration number, not around a simple list of parent visas.

All figures in this guide are as of June 2026. Before applying, check your case with your local administrative welfare center (행정복지센터), Bokjiro, or the National Happiness Card voucher portal.

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Can Foreign Residents Claim the First Encounter Voucher?

The official target is a child who has been birth-registered and issued a normal resident registration number (주민등록번호). The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) business guide also lists Korean nationality holders, dual nationals, recognized refugees, and special contributors.

That means mixed-nationality families should focus first on whether the child has Korean birth registration and a resident registration number. It also means two foreign-national parents should not rely on the parents' visa type alone. The official documents reviewed for this guide do not support treating F-2 (Residence), F-5 (Permanent Residence), or F-6 (Marriage Migrant) status as automatic eligibility for a two-foreign-parent household.

If your child has only foreign nationality or only foreign registration, ask the administrative welfare center to check eligibility in the welfare system before you plan around the voucher.

How Much Is the First Encounter Voucher?

For children born on or after January 1, 2024, the current amount rule is:

The voucher is normally paid as points on the National Happiness Card (국민행복카드). In limited protection or custody situations, MOHW guidance allows cash handling through specific official channels, but most families receive card points.

Deadline

The use period runs from the child's registered birth date for 2 years. Unused points expire after the use period.

MOHW says there is no separate application period, but the guide tells offices to advise families to apply before the use period ends, ideally at least 2 months before the end. That matters because MOHW guidance also notes that the benefit decision is made within 30 days of application, and a new National Happiness Card can take additional time.

Apply as soon as your child's registration documents are ready.

How to apply

You can apply in person or online.

In person

The standard in-person route is the child's registered-address eup, myeon, or dong administrative welfare center (행정복지센터). Since October 2024, MOHW guidance says actual-residence applications are also possible for convenience, but out-of-jurisdiction checks may take longer.

When you register the birth, ask whether the Happy Birth One-Stop Service (행복출산 원스톱서비스) can include the First Encounter Voucher application. MOHW describes that one-stop service as a way to apply for multiple birth-related services with one form at the resident center.

Online

Online application is through Bokjiro or Government24. MOHW guidance says online application is only for cases where the child's parent is the guardian. If another guardian is applying, use the in-person route.

National Happiness Card

The voucher is normally loaded onto one National Happiness Card chosen for the application. If you already have a supported National Happiness Card, MOHW guidance says the voucher can be paid to the existing card. If you do not have one, you apply for or issue the card through the supported card-company process.

MOHW's 2025 business guide lists BC, Samsung, Lotte, KB Kookmin, and Shinhan card channels. Card-company participation can change, so confirm the current card-company list when you apply.

Where Can I Spend the First Encounter Voucher?

MOHW says the voucher can be used broadly, including online purchases, except categories outside the program purpose. Excluded categories include:

• Entertainment businesses such as bars
• Gambling businesses such as casinos, lottery shops, and arcades
• Massage, sauna, and similar hygiene businesses, except hair salons
• Leisure categories such as video rooms and karaoke
• Adult goods
• Gift certificates and e-commerce gift certificates
• Duty-free stores
• Taxes and public charges

For everyday baby supplies, groceries, clothing, household items, and many service purchases, ask the merchant or card company if the National Happiness Card points can be used before you pay.

Balance checks

The voucher portal says balance information shown in the social-service electronic voucher system may not be real-time. For the most accurate balance and transaction details, check through the issuing card company.

The National Happiness Card voucher portal lists 1566-3232, option 4, for First Encounter Voucher guidance. MOHW's website lists the welfare counseling center at 129.

If your household is not straightforward

Use the administrative welfare center as the decision point. Bring documents that show:

• The child's birth registration status
• The child's resident registration number, if issued
• The parent or guardian relationship
• Any refugee, special-contributor, custody, or protection status that may apply

If staff say the child is not eligible, ask them which official condition is missing. For foreign-resident families, that is more reliable than trying to infer eligibility from a visa category list.

@misc{seoulstart-korea-first-encounter-voucher-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{First Encounter Voucher (첫만남이용권) in Korea for Foreign Residents (2026)}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/korea-first-encounter-voucher-guide},
  note = {Last updated June 6, 2026}
}