Can I activate a mobile phone without an Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증)?

Usually, it is difficult. In Korea, you must verify your identity with an ID card when you activate a mobile phone. For foreigners, the Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) is the basic ID. This includes the Permanent Resident Card (영주증) and the Domestic Residence Report Card (국내거소신고증). If you do not have a registration card, check whether the mobile carrier accepts another type of ID.

💡 Good to know when you have a registration card

• Activation with a Korean name: If your Korean name is also written on your registration card, you can use your Korean name instead of your English name for real-name verification. Only one of the two is used for verification.
• Mobile Alien Registration Card: Registered foreigners aged 14 or older can get it on their own smartphone through the 'Mobile ID of the Republic of Korea' app. It was announced that you can open a bank account with it at only some banks. Whether it can be used to activate a phone depends on the carrier, so it is not certain.
• If you lose it: You can report the loss online 24 hours a day at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr). The reissue fee is 35,000 KRW.

⚠️ Points to be careful about

• If you will stay in Korea for more than 90 days from the day you arrive, you must register as a foreign resident within 90 days. Before you register, you do not have a registration card, so phone activation may be blocked.
• We do not recommend activating a phone under another person's name. It can cause problems with name ownership.

First, ask a nearby mobile carrier store whether there is an ID you can use to activate a phone without a registration card. For the foreigner registration procedure, check HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or the Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터, 1345).