Can foreign children also attend daycare centers (어린이집)? What about childcare fee support?

Yes, foreign children can also attend daycare centers. Childcare fee support varies by region and the child's age.

Daycare center admission

• Admission priority applies only to children with Korean nationality. Foreign children are admitted under the general order.¹
• The daycare center cannot register the child directly. Once admission is decided, you must submit the child's proof of birth (Alien Registration Card, passport, birth certificate, etc.) and the childcare child registration application form to the local city/county/district office (시·군·구) within 3 days.²
• For waitlist registration and admission of foreign children, call ☎1566-3232 (shortcut number 1).³

Childcare fee support

• The government's childcare fee support standards focus on children with Korean nationality, and each local government provides separate support for foreign children.
• Seoul: If the child has an Alien Registration Card, 50% is supported for ages 0~2 and 70% for ages 3~5. Payment is made with the National Happiness Card (국민행복카드).⁴
• Incheon: For children aged 3~5 who have lived with a registered stay for more than 90 days, 280,000 won per month is supported. You apply in person at the daycare center the child attends.⁵
• In both regions, undocumented residents and unregistered persons are not supported.⁴⁵

⚠️ Things to note

• Whether support is available in other regions, and how much, could not be confirmed from these materials. Please check with your local community center (주민센터) or the childcare department of your city/county/district office.
• For final confirmation, use HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or the Foreigner Comprehensive Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) (1345).