Foreigner Housing Deposit Protection Korea: 15-Day Domicile Report and Fixed-Date Stamp

Bottom line: If you're a registered long-term foreign resident renting a place in Korea, you must file a change-of-domicile report with your regional immigration office within 15 days of moving in, and get a "fixed date" (확정일자) stamp on your lease at the local community center the same day. This applies only to registered foreigners who lease housing, not short-term guests.

If you didn't know: missing the 15-day report can mean a fine of up to 1,000,000 won. The bigger risk is money — if your landlord defaults and the home goes to auction, a tenant without both the fixed-date stamp and the change-of-domicile report struggles to claim priority repayment of the deposit ahead of other creditors. Jeonse deposits typically run from tens of millions to several hundred million won, and monthly-rent deposits from a few million to tens of millions — without that priority right, you could lose it all.

Foreigners can get a fixed-date stamp regardless of nationality. Instead of the Korean "move-in report," foreigners use the Immigration Act's change-of-domicile report for the same purpose. In a 2016 ruling (2014Da218030), the Supreme Court recognized that a foreigner who completed both alien registration and the change-of-domicile report has a legally enforceable tenancy — meaning the lease holds even if the landlord sells. To get priority repayment too, you need all three: possession of the home, the change-of-domicile report, and the fixed date.

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

Journey stage: Miss this step and you risk losing your entire deposit if things go wrong with the landlord — this is not something to fix later if a dispute or auction has already started.