Jeonse Lease in Korea 2026: Do Foreigners Need to Report Address Change in 15 Days? Deadline and Fixed-Date Steps

Bottom line: This applies only to long-term residents who already hold an Alien Registration Card and are signing a jeonse (lump-sum deposit) or wolse (monthly rent) lease in Korea — tourists and short-term stayers without a registration card don't need this. Within 15 days of moving in, you must file a "change of sojourn place" report with Hi Korea online or your local immigration office — not the "jeonip-singo" Koreans use — and separately get a "fixed date" (hwakjeong-ilja) stamp on your lease at the local community center (jumin-center) or a registry office. Doing both is what gives you priority to get your deposit back ahead of other creditors if the landlord's property goes to auction.

If you didn't know: miss the 15-day window and online filing through Hi Korea is blocked, forcing an in-person visit to immigration, and you may face a fine under Article 100 of the Immigration Act (widely reported cap of 1 million won, though the exact amount depends on your status and how late you are — we could not verify the exact figure directly from the law's official text this time). The bigger risk: if the landlord registers a new mortgage on the property while you're still waiting for your fixed date, your deposit — often tens of millions of won — can be pushed behind that lender's claim in an auction.

Jeonip-singo, Korea's standard move-in registration, is a system built for Korean nationals. Foreign residents use a separate track under the Immigration Act, and local government guidance says filing a change-of-sojourn-place report at your new address carries the same legal protection (priority claim) as jeonip-singo. Getting the fixed date is a separate step from that report — it's simply a dated stamp on your lease. Doing both as close to move-in day as possible shrinks the window where you're exposed. Before signing, pull the property registry yourself to check for existing mortgages or seizures, and only wire the deposit to an account in the landlord's own name.

This article summarizes official guidance and is not legal, medical, or financial advice.

Journey stage: One missed report can hurt you later at visa extension or status-change time · Verified 2026-11-04