Can foreign children also enroll in Korean elementary, middle, and high schools?

Yes, foreign children can also enroll in Korean elementary, middle, and high schools.

📌 Standards by school level

• Elementary school and middle school are compulsory education. The 6 years of elementary school and 3 years of middle school are the compulsory education period, and free education is provided.
• Once a child reaches enrollment age, the right to education is guaranteed to everyone regardless of nationality or visa status.¹
• Enrollment in elementary and middle school is possible regardless of residence status. [4]
• High school is not compulsory education. In general, students transfer in after a school review, within the number of available seats. It differs by school, so you need to ask the school directly.

📝 How to apply

1. First call the school in your school district (학구) or the Office of Education Support (교육지원청) to make a consultation appointment. [4]
2. Apply to the school for enrollment or transfer.¹
3. Prepare the documents below.

• Certificate of entry and exit records or Certificate of Alien Registration
• Proof of education (graduation certificate, enrollment certificate, transcript, etc.)¹
• If it is hard to get certificates, you can submit a lease contract or a residence confirmation statement by a neighbor (거주사실 인우보증서) instead.¹

⚠️ Things to note

• The school may ask for additional documents. [4]
• Documents in a foreign language other than English must have both the original and the translation notarized.³
• Refugee or unaccompanied students who find it hard to prove their education can ask the Office of Education for an academic level recognition review.³

💡 Helpful information

• Immigration enforcement against illegal stay is not carried out through children attending school. [4]
• If your Korean is limited, you can use the school's Korean language class or 'Korean for Everyone' (모두의 한국어).²

For final confirmation, please check HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr), the Foreigner Comprehensive Information Center (외국인종합안내센터) at 1345, or your local Office of Education.