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Residence & nationality

From 2 January 2026, foreign residents report employment details online via HiKorea — paper filing ends in the second half of the year

In effectTakes effect: 2026-01-02
Foreign residentsWorkers

Foreign nationals who earn money in Korea must report their occupation and income to immigration. Since 2 January 2026 this report can be filed on the HiKorea website. Paper and online filing run side by side through June 2026, but from the second half of 2026 only online filing is accepted.

What changes

Until now, most people had to visit an immigration office in person and hand in paper forms to report their employment details. An online option existed from 2023, but it was buried and hard to find, so few people used it. On 16 December 2025 the Ministry of Justice announced that from Friday 2 January 2026 the service would be expanded so that anyone can file easily through HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr).

There are now two routes. The first is when you book an immigration office appointment on HiKorea: the booking screen now also asks for your employment details, so you finish the report while making the appointment. The second is when you only need to file the report and have no reason to visit: choose 'Report of employment information (or change)' in the HiKorea e-Application menu. The same route is used both for your first report after alien registration or residence reporting, and for later reports when your occupation, industry or income bracket changes.

The timeline matters. January to June 2026 is a trial period during which both online and paper filing are accepted. From the second half of 2026 only online filing is possible. Even if you use an administrative agent (haengjeongsa) or walk into an office without an appointment, you must log in to HiKorea and complete the online report before you go.

Who this applies to

  • Anyone with foreign nationality who earns money in Korea. This covers employees and also self-employed people running their own shop or business.
  • The statuses listed by the Ministry of Justice are E-1 (professor), E-2 (foreign language instructor), E-3 (research), E-4 (technology transfer), E-5 (professional employment), E-6 (arts and performance), E-8 (seasonal work), E-9 (non-professional employment), E-10 (vessel crew), F-2 (residence), F-4 (overseas Korean), F-6 (marriage migrant), H-2 (working visit), D-7 (intra-company transfer), D-8 (corporate investment) and D-9 (trade management), as well as E-7 (specific activity).
  • This is not something your company files for you. Employment information is part of your alien registration record, so it is a personal obligation filed under your own name.
  • If you hold one of those statuses but are not actually earning money, you have nothing to report yet. The duty starts the day you begin working or running a business.

What to do now

  1. 1If you are already working and have never filed, log in to HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) and file through e-Application, 'Report of employment information (or change)'.
  2. 2Prepare three things in advance: your occupation, the industry your workplace belongs to, and which annual income bracket you fall into, measured before tax.
  3. 3File within 15 days whenever your occupation, industry or income bracket changes. The same 15-day rule applies from the day you start a job or a business if you were not earning at the time of alien registration.
  4. 4If you need to visit an immigration office anyway, book on HiKorea and complete the employment report on the same screen.
  5. 5If an agent handles your paperwork, or if you plan to visit without an appointment, log in yourself and finish the online report before going to the office.
  6. 6If anything is unclear, call the Immigration Contact Center on 1345, which offers multilingual support.

Commonly misunderstood

  • Do not assume your employer takes care of it. Employment information belongs to your alien registration record. Your company enrolling you in social insurance or filing a labour contract does not satisfy this duty.
  • It is not a one-time filing either. Every time your occupation, industry or income bracket changes you must file again within 15 days. Conversely, if you changed employers but your occupation, industry and income bracket are unchanged, there may be nothing new to report.
  • This report only updates your alien registration record. Depending on your status you may separately need permission to change your status of stay or to change workplace. Check the HiKorea residence guide manual or call 1345 to confirm what else your particular status requires.
  • Do not assume paper filing will still work later in the year just because it worked in the spring. From the second half of 2026 only online filing is accepted.

Official sources

The links below are official government publications. This page summarises them; always check the original before filing or applying.

Verified on: 2026-08-24

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This page explains a policy change and is not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your situation with the responsible agency.

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From 2 January 2026, foreign residents report employment details online via HiKorea — paper filing ends in the second half of the year