The alien registration card — the 90-day rule and what missing it costs

The alien registration card (외국인등록증) is not a convenience. Not having one is a criminal offence and a ground for deportation, not a fine you settle at a counter.

Short answer

Staying over 90 days      register within 90 DAYS of entry
Leaving within 90 days    no registration needed
Moving house              report within 15 DAYS of moving in
Not registering           up to 1 year in prison or a 10 million won fine
                          + liable to DEPORTATION
Not reporting a move      fine of up to 1 million won
Not carrying the card     fine of up to 1 million won
Card fee                  35,000 won — NO 20% online discount

Two different 90s

Immigration Act, Article 31(1):

A foreigner who intends to stay in the Republic of Korea for more than 90 days from the date of entry shall register with the head of the local immigration office having jurisdiction over their place of stay, within 90 days from the date of entry, as prescribed by Presidential Decree.

The first 90   how long you plan to stay  → only over 90 days triggers the duty
The second 90  your deadline              → counted from the date you entered

Every employment status — E-7, E-9, E-10, H-2 — runs past 90 days, so everyone on one registers. A two-month visit does not.

One practical consequence: the expiry date on your card, not the sticker in your passport, is the date that governs your stay. Look at the card.

Two cases that do not count from entry

Article 31(3)   granted status of stay under Article 23, staying over 90 days
                from that date  →  the duty arises WHEN THE STATUS IS GRANTED
Article 31(4)   permitted to CHANGE status under Article 24, staying over 90 days
                from entry  →  the duty arises WHEN PERMISSION IS GRANTED

In other words, changing your visa creates the registration duty — you do not wait for a fresh 90 days. Students converting to a work status are the usual case.

Who is exempt

The proviso to Article 31(1) lists three groups: staff of foreign missions and international organisations in Korea and their families; people with diplomatic or consular-type privileges and immunities under an agreement with the Korean government, and their families; and people invited by the Korean government or otherwise prescribed by Ministry of Justice ordinance. Under paragraph 2 they may still register if they want to, during their stay.

Moving house: 15 days, and it is about money too

Article 36(1):

A registered foreigner who changes their place of stay shall file a move-in report with the head of the Si/Gun/Gu or Eup/Myeon/Dong of the new place of stay, or with the head of the local immigration office with jurisdiction over it, within 15 days from the date of moving in.

Bring the card with you (paragraph 2). The office annotates the change on it and returns it.

There is a second reason not to delay, and it is about your deposit. Article 88-2(2) provides that alien registration and the change-of-residence report take the place of resident registration and the move-in report. Under the Housing Lease Protection Act, the protection of your deposit begins the day after that filing. Every day of delay is a day your money is exposed — see protecting your rental deposit.

Paragraph 1 of the same article is useful elsewhere: wherever a procedure calls for a resident registration card or abstract, your alien registration card (including the mobile version) or a certificate of alien registration stands in for it.

The penalties are criminal

Article 95(7)     breach of the Article 31 registration duty
                  → up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won
Article 46(1)12   a person in breach of Article 31 is subject to DEPORTATION
Article 98(2)     breach of the Article 36(1) change-of-residence duty
                  → fine of up to 1 million won
Article 98(1)     breach of the Article 27 duty to carry and present a passport etc.
                  → fine of up to 1 million won

These sit in the penal provisions, not in Article 100 on administrative fines (과태료). The distinction follows you: it is a criminal record, not a receipt.

Your card belongs to you

Article 27 places the duty to carry and present your passport and alien registration card on you. An employer holding your card makes that duty impossible to meet and puts the fine risk on you. Employers should not hold it; if yours does, call 1345.

The fee

Issue or reissue of the alien registration card   35,000 won
   (Enforcement Rule, Article 72(10))

No online discount applies. Article 74(2) reduces only four things: change or addition of workplace, change of status of stay, extension of stay, and re-entry permits. The full table is in Korean visa fees.

Frequently asked questions

I passed 90 days without registering. Go today. Time does not cure it, and every extra week makes it worse. Call 1345 first and explain your situation.

I only moved to another room in the same building. Article 36 speaks of changing your place of stay. If the address you filed changes — including the room number — file again. It costs nothing; not filing has a price.

I lost my card. Reissue is 35,000 won under the same provision. Do it promptly, because Article 27 requires you to carry it and there is a separate penalty for not doing so.

My employer keeps my passport and card. Article 27 makes carrying them your duty, so this arrangement exposes you, not them. 1345.

Sources

Immigration Act (출입국관리법)
   Art. 27 — duty to carry and present documents
   Art. 31 — alien registration (paras 1, 2, 3, 4)
   Art. 36 — report of change of place of stay
   Art. 46(1)12 — liability to deportation
   Art. 88-2(1)(2) — alien registration in place of resident registration
   Art. 95(7) · Art. 98(1)(2) — penalties
   https://www.law.go.kr/법령/출입국관리법

Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act
   Art. 72(10) (35,000 won) · Art. 74(2) (scope of the 20% online reduction)

Foreigner information centre: 1345 (multilingual)