Korea Lease Documents Checklist for Foreign Residents

Before You View

Prepare your identity and payment records before you view homes. The official filing deadlines are clear: if your stay is longer than 90 days, apply for foreigner registration within 90 days of entry, and once registered, report a new place of stay within 15 days after moving.

Bring or prepare:

• Passport.
• Foreigner registration card (외국인등록증), or proof that registration is in process if you are still waiting.
• Visa or residence-status information.
• Korean contact details.
• Bank-transfer path for deposits and rent.
• Employment, enrollment, or income proof if the landlord or agent asks for it.

Do not transfer a large deposit just because a listing looks good. Treat viewings as research until the documents match.

Documents To Request

Before signing, request or independently pull these records:

Pull the property registry fresh. The Supreme Court fee rule lists ₩700 for online viewing and ₩1,000 for an issued certificate. For personal pre-signing checks, viewing is often enough; use an issued certificate when a bank, court, or other institution asks for one.

What The Broker Must Explain

If a licensed broker is involved, do not treat the viewing as the whole service. Easy Law explains that a broker must explain transaction details faithfully and accurately and present supporting documents such as the land register, real estate comprehensive certificate, registry certificate, trust ledger, and building register.

Easy Law also explains that housing-lease brokerage commission is capped within legal rate limits by city or provincial ordinance, and that both requesting parties pay within the rate and cap. Ask for the fee calculation before signing.

What The Lease Should Say

Use the Ministry of Justice standard housing lease contract (주택임대차표준계약서) or make sure your contract covers the same core items.

Check that these are filled in before you sign:

• Full address, including building, floor, and unit details where applicable.
• Landlord or authorized representative name.
• Tenant name matching your identity record.
• Deposit, monthly rent if any, and payment dates.
• Lease start date and end date.
• Management-fee amount and what it includes.
• Included appliances or furniture.
• Repair obligations and any special clauses.
• Deposit receiving account.

Do not leave blanks for amounts, dates, parties, or special clauses. If a verbal promise matters, put it in writing.

Payment Trail

Keep the money trail boring and traceable:

• Transfer the deposit by bank transfer.
• Use the account written in the contract package.
• Keep screenshots or receipts for deposit, rent, and management-fee payments.
• Keep the signed lease, registry copies, building-register copy, broker messages, and inspection photos in one folder.

If the account, owner, and contract story do not match, pause before paying.

After Moving

For foreign residents, the key address filing is the place-of-stay change report (체류지 변경신고). Registered foreign residents must report a new place of stay within 15 days after moving. Immigration Act Article 88-2 says this foreigner-registration/place-of-stay framework substitutes for resident registration and move-in reporting.

For deposit priority, Easy Law explains that priority repayment rights require the opposition requirements plus a confirmed date. In practical terms, keep three records aligned:

1. Occupancy of the home.
2. The required address record.
3. Confirmed date or lease-report filing.

Confirmed Date And Lease Reporting

The confirmed date (확정일자) is not a magic stamp by itself, but it is one of the priority records. The Supreme Court fee rule lists confirmed-date fees of ₩600 in person and ₩500 through the electronic application route.

Covered residential leases must also be reported under the Housing Lease Reporting System (전월세신고제). Easy Law explains that the parties must report within 30 days of signing when the lease is in a covered area and the deposit exceeds ₩60 million or monthly rent exceeds ₩300,000.

Easy Law also explains that when the lease report is filed with the lease contract, it can be treated as a confirmed-date application. Ask for proof that the report was filed.

If The Deposit Is Not Returned

Do not casually give up your address record in a deposit dispute. Easy Law explains that after the lease ends and all or part of the deposit has not been returned, a tenant may apply for a tenancy registration order (임차권등기명령). It also explains that when tenancy registration is completed, already acquired opposition and priority repayment rights can be preserved even if the tenant later moves.

For the dispute path, read the landlord deposit dispute guide.

Final Checklist

Before signing:

• Identity documents are consistent.
• Property registry is freshly checked.
• Building register is checked.
• Landlord or representative authority is checked.
• Broker and brokerage fee are checked if an agent is involved.
• Deposit account matches the contract package.
• Contract has no blank amounts, dates, parties, or key clauses.

After moving:

• Place-of-stay change report is filed within the deadline.
• Confirmed date or lease report is completed.
• Payment records and photos are saved.
• Lease-report receipt or confirmed-date proof is stored with the contract.

Sources

Accessed June 6, 2026.

• Immigration Act Article 31, foreigner registration: law.go.kr
• Immigration Act Article 36, place-of-stay change report: law.go.kr
• Immigration Act Article 88-2: law.go.kr
• Supreme Court fee rule for registry certificates and confirmed dates: law.go.kr
• Ministry of Justice, standard housing lease contract: moj.go.kr
• Easy Law, broker duties and brokerage commission: easylaw.go.kr
• Easy Law, opposition rights and confirmed date: easylaw.go.kr
• Easy Law, Housing Lease Reporting System: easylaw.go.kr
• Easy Law, tenancy registration order: easylaw.go.kr

@misc{seoulstart-korea-lease-documents-checklist,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{Korea Lease Documents Checklist for Foreign Residents}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/korea-lease-documents-checklist},
  note = {Last updated June 6, 2026}
}