Bank Account in Korea 2026: 6 Banks Taking the Mobile Alien Registration Card
This applies to long-term residents who already hold an Alien Registration Card (ARC). If you've been here under 90 days with no ARC, see our separate article on what you can and can't do without one.
Bottom line: Once you have your ARC, get the "mobile alien registration card" and take it to a bank counter. Six banks — Shinhan, Hana, iM Bank (formerly Daegu Bank), BNK Busan, Jeonbuk, and Jeju — will open an account directly from it. Jeonbuk Bank also lets you do it through its app, no branch visit needed. If you want a non-face-to-face account right away, Toss Bank and Kakao Bank let you open one by uploading a photo of your ARC in their apps.
If you didn't know: Show up without the mobile ARC and you'll be sent to redo paperwork at the counter, burning half a day. Kakao Bank, which launched a foreigner service in October 2026, says an account opens in about 5 minutes when no extra screening is needed — not knowing that and waiting in a branch line costs you exactly that difference.
Mobile ARC in-person accounts at 6 banks — Shinhan, Hana, iM Bank, BNK Busan, Jeonbuk, Jeju (since March 21, 2025) · Non-face-to-face option — Jeonbuk Bank · Toss Bank non-face-to-face accounts for ARC holders (since May 2022) · Kakao Bank foreigner service (launched October 2026, up to 2 foreigner accounts per person) · Contact — each bank's customer center, or the Immigration Contact Center 1345.
Korea's Financial Services Commission announced that from March 21, 2025, registered foreigners could use the mobile alien registration card to open accounts and handle other banking at six banks — Shinhan, Hana, iM Bank, BNK Busan, Jeonbuk, and Jeju — with Jeonbuk Bank the only one of the six offering non-face-to-face processing. News reports say Toss Bank became the first internet-only bank to offer non-face-to-face account opening to ARC-holding foreign residents in May 2022. We could not find a single confirmed figure for international wire transfer fees or exchange spreads, since these vary by bank and transfer app — check the live rate on your bank's or transfer app's own notice board before you send money. Checked 2026-11-01 against the Financial Services Commission's press release (fsc.go.kr) and the banks' own official announcements reported in the press.
This article summarizes official information and is not legal, medical, or financial advice.
Journey stage: During the trip · Verified 2026-11-01
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