South Korea | Digital residence card launched

The South Korean government launched a new digital residence card for foreign nationals.

Key Points:

• The Ministry of Justice launched a new digital residence card on Jan. 10 for permanent residence and overseas Korean residence cards that has the same validity as a physical residence card.
• Registered foreign nationals ages 14 or older can download the “Mobile ID-card app” and visit an immigration office to fill out an integrated application form.
• Eligible individuals will then receive the card within two weeks of applying and proceed with the process of digital residence card issuance.
  • Existing cardholders can visit local immigration offices to scan a QR code to receive a new digital card if their card was issued before 2025.
  • Any physical residence cards issued after Jan. 1, 2025, have an enabled direct digital download capability via smartphone chip scanning that can be used to receive the digital card.

Additional Information: South Korea recently rolled out digital national ID cards on Jan. 3, and the new digital residence card initiative furthers the country’s continued commitment to a secure digital identity management transformation.

Officials describe the digital residence card as a next-generation identity verification service that is safe and convenient that can also be issued via a personal smartphone and used both online and offline. The digital residence card system aims to streamline administrative processes and enable a more efficient service. More information on acquiring a digital residence card can be found here.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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