Your first two weeks in Korea: ARC, bank account, phone, and the order to do them in
The first two weeks in Korea run in a fixed order because each step unlocks the next: you arrive and start work, you apply for your Alien Registration Card, the ARC lets you open a proper bank account, the bank account lets you get a phone contract, and the phone number lets you register for almost everything else. Doing them out of order is where new teachers get stuck.
Park English · Published 2026-08-12 · 3 min read
Nothing here is difficult. It is just sequential, and nobody tells you the sequence — so people try to buy a phone on day two, fail, and conclude that Korea is impossible.
It is not. It is a queue.
The order
1. Arrive and start work. Your school will usually take you to the immigration office themselves, or send a Korean-speaking staff member with you. Ask on day one who is doing that and when.
2. Apply for the ARC (Alien Registration Card). This is the card that makes you a resident rather than a visitor. Your school handles the paperwork side with you. It takes a few weeks to be issued — plan for that gap rather than being surprised by it.
3. Open a bank account. Straightforward once you have the ARC. Bring your passport and the card. Your school will usually recommend a branch near the academy that has dealt with foreign teachers before — take that recommendation, it saves an afternoon.
4. Get a phone contract. Contract plans generally need the ARC and a Korean bank account. Until then, use a prepaid SIM from the airport. Buy one on arrival — do not wait.
5. Health insurance. Enrolment is part of a standard full-time contract and is handled with your employer. Ask your school to confirm when it starts.
What to bring for the gap
The gap between landing and having a working bank card is the part that catches people.
- Cash or a card that works abroad. Enough for two to four weeks of food, transport and a deposit on anything you need for the apartment.
- A prepaid SIM, bought at the airport, not later.
- Passport photos. More than you think. They get used for everything.
- Copies of your degree and contract, paper and digital.
Small things that make the first month easier
- Get a T-money card on day one at any convenience store. It works on subways, buses and most taxis, and you can top it up with cash.
- Register on Naver Map or KakaoMap. Google Maps does not do walking and transit directions in Korea the way you are used to.
- Learn the alphabet before you fly. Hangul takes a weekend and it changes your first month completely — suddenly the signs are words, not pictures. Nothing else you can study gives that much return that fast.
- Ask your co-teachers where they eat. It is the fastest way into the part of the neighbourhood you will actually use.
If something goes wrong
The most common first-month problems are an apartment issue, a schedule that does not match what you agreed, or a delay in the paperwork. All three are easier to resolve in week one than in month three, and all three are much easier if someone raises them for you.
That is what a placement agency is for after arrival, not just before it. Park English stays in the conversation after you land — teachers who came through us can ask us to take something to the school rather than raising it alone in their first fortnight.
〔This article deliberately does not list fees, processing times or document counts, because those change and a wrong number here would cost someone a day at an immigration office. Confirm the current requirements with Korea Immigration or your school before you travel.〕