Korea Apartment Lease Documents Checklist for Foreigners

What you need before you start searching

Get these ready before apartment hunting. Some landlords ask for proof documents before agreeing to show a unit to a foreign applicant.

Must have:

• ARC (외국인등록증). Alien Registration Card
• Passport
• Proof of income or employment (work contract, offer letter, or pay stubs)
• Korean bank account (for deposit transfer, most landlords won't accept foreign transfers)

Helpful to have:

• Certificate of employment (재직증명서) from your employer
• Copy of your visa page

If you don't have an ARC yet, apply immediately after arrival. You need it to sign a lease, open a bank account, and register your tenancy.

Documents to request from the landlord

Before signing anything, collect these from the landlord or agent:

Pull the 등기부등본 yourself. Don't rely on a copy the landlord provides, it may be outdated. A fresh pull from IROS takes 5 minutes and costs ₩1,000.

The 등기부등본 shows:

• Registered owner (must match the landlord signing the lease)
• All mortgages and lien amounts
• Any court orders, seizures, or restrictions

If anything looks unusual, mortgages you weren't told about, an owner name that doesn't match, stop and ask questions before proceeding.

What your lease contract must include

Use the government's standard lease contract (표준임대차계약서). Your agent should provide this. If they don't, request it, it's the standard form and both parties are familiar with it.

Verify these items are correctly written in the contract:

• Full address of the unit (including floor and unit number)
• Landlord's full name and ID number
• Your full name and ARC number
• Deposit amount (보증금) in Korean won, written in both numerals and Korean text
• Monthly rent amount (if wolse)
• Lease start and end dates
• 관리비 amount and what it covers
• Special conditions agreed verbally (e.g. appliances included, painting, repairs)

Do not sign if:

• The landlord name doesn't match the 등기부등본
• Any amounts are left blank
• You don't understand a clause, get it translated first

Paying the deposit

Deposits in Korea are transferred via bank transfer, not cash or cheque. The transfer must be made to the account held by the registered owner, not to an agent's account.

Confirm the receiving account details in writing before transferring. Keep the transaction record.

After signing: what to do in the first 14 days

These two steps are not optional. They give your deposit legal protection.

Step 1: Move-in registration (전입신고)

Register at your local district office (구청) within 14 days of moving in.

Bring:

• Signed lease contract
• Passport
• ARC

This registers your legal residency in the property and establishes your deposit's legal priority date. If the landlord defaults after this date, your deposit ranks ahead of creditors who appear later.

Important: Legal protection (대항력) takes effect from the day after you register and occupy the property, not the same day. Register on move-in day itself, not the day after.

Foreigners only: You must also separately notify your local immigration office of your new address (체류지 변경신고) within 14 days. This is a separate step from the district office registration, both are required.

Step 2: Confirmed date stamp (확정일자)

At the same district office visit, have your lease contract stamped. Free, takes minutes.

You can also get it online at www.iros.go.kr if you have a Korean digital certificate (공인인증서).

Building inspection checklist

Before finalising and paying, inspect the unit and note any existing damage in writing on the contract or in a separate signed addendum. Landlords can deduct repair costs from your deposit at checkout for damage that occurred during your tenancy.

Check:

• Walls and ceiling, stains, cracks, mould
• Floors, scratches, damage, squeaking
• Windows and locks, all functional
• Water pressure and drainage in bathroom and kitchen
• Air conditioning and heating, test both
• All appliances listed in the contract, working
• Internet infrastructure, router port present

Photograph everything before move-in and share the photos with your landlord in writing (KakaoTalk is acceptable and timestamped). This protects you at checkout.

Summary checklist

Before signing:

• Have ARC ready
• Have Korean bank account open
• Pull fresh 등기부등본 from IROS
• Confirm landlord name matches 등기부등본
• Calculate safety margin (deposit + mortgages vs property value)
• Review full contract, amounts, dates, conditions
• Confirm deposit transfer goes directly to owner's account

Day of move-in:

• Transfer deposit and get receipt
• Inspect unit and document all existing damage
• Register move-in (전입신고) at district office
• Get 확정일자 stamped on contract

Optional but recommended:

• Apply for jeonse deposit insurance (전세보증보험) if on a jeonse contract

Sources

• Korea Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: www.molit.go.kr
• Korean Internet Registration System (IROS): www.iros.go.kr
• Seoul Global Center (English support for foreigners): global.seoul.go.kr