If your permanent resident card has expired, or is about to, start with this. The card is valid for 10 years, and you must get it reissued before that period ends. Miss the date and you become subject to a fine, and the standard amount climbs from KRW 100,000 to KRW 1,000,000 the longer it goes (as of October 2026, Enforcement Decree Annex 2). If the date has already passed, waiting only pushes you into a higher bracket, so file for reissue at the immigration office that covers your place of stay as soon as you can.
Key points
- A permanent resident card (영주증) is the alien registration card issued to a foreigner who holds permanent residence status. It is valid for 10 years.
- What you do is reissue, not an extension of stay. Apply before the validity period ends, at the immigration office, branch office, or sub-office that covers where you live.
- Missing the deadline exposes you to a fine of up to KRW 2,000,000. The fine schedule uses KRW 100,000, 300,000, 500,000, and 1,000,000 depending on how long the card went unreissued (as of October 2026, Article 100(1), item 4; Enforcement Decree Annex 2).
- An expired card does not make your permanent residence disappear. Loss and cancellation of status are governed by separate grounds.
1. How long is the card valid?
A permanent resident card is valid for 10 years from the date of issue. A reissued card gets the same 10 years.
This is where people often get confused. A person with permanent residence is not limited in activities or in length of stay. So this is not like an ordinary visa where "your stay period ends and you extend." Your status stays as it is, and only the card that works as your ID is replaced every 10 years.
That means you can keep living in Korea with an expired card. But leaving it that way breaches the legal duty to reissue, and that is what triggers the fine.
2. By when, where, and what to bring
Timing. The Enforcement Decree says to file the application by the card's expiry date. The rules do not say how many days before expiry the office starts accepting applications. Many offices use an advance visit reservation system, so check the available dates on HiKorea first, and book with some margin instead of aiming for the last day.
Where. The immigration office, branch office, or sub-office that has jurisdiction over your place of stay.
Documents. For a permanent resident card reissue you need:
- The application form: the integrated application form, with the box for card reissuance ticked.
- Your passport.
- Proof of your place of stay, such as a lease, a lodging confirmation, or a utility bill.
- Your original permanent resident card. It is handed in at reissue and the office destroys it.
- One photo, passport format (35mm x 45mm), taken within the last 6 months.
A statutory fee also applies. The office will tell you the amount and how to pay it when you file.
Representation. The reissue application and the pickup can be done by you in person or by a person designated by the Minister of Justice. Who may act and with what papers is set separately by the Minister, so confirm with the office before sending someone in your place.
One more point. This article is about renewing a card whose validity has ended. If you lost the card or it is worn out, see our guide on carrying your ID card and reissuing a lost one.
3. How much is the fine if you miss the deadline?
The Immigration Act provides for a fine of up to KRW 2,000,000 for a person who does not get the permanent resident card reissued (as of October 2026, Article 100(1), item 4; Enforcement Decree Annex 2). The actual amount comes from the schedule in the Enforcement Decree, and the yardstick is how long the card has gone without reissue.
| Time elapsed | Standard fine |
|---|---|
| Under 3 months | KRW 100,000 |
| 3 months to under 6 months | KRW 300,000 |
| 6 months to under 12 months | KRW 500,000 |
| 1 year or more | KRW 1,000,000 |
As the table shows, the bracket rises with time. Putting it off one more month on the theory that "it's all the same anyway" works against you.
These are standard amounts, not fixed ones (as of October 2026, Enforcement Decree Annex 2).
- Reductions: if a natural disaster or fire caused serious property loss, or if the nature of the violation, its motive and result, your age and circumstances, and your ability to pay justify it, the amount can be reduced by up to half. It will not be reduced if you already have an unpaid fine.
- Increases: if the violation is serious, or you have a legal violation within the last 3 years, the amount can be raised by up to half. It still cannot go above KRW 2,000,000.
- Waiver: the Minister of Justice may waive the fine after considering age, circumstances, motive and result, and ability to pay.
The fine is imposed and collected by the head of the immigration office. If you are late, it works better to file for reissue and explain honestly why you were late than to invent a story.
4. If you received permanent residence before September 2018, the deadline is different
People who already held permanent residence before September 21, 2018 may still have a card issued under the old rules. The law set a separate reissue deadline for them.
- Those who were already past 10 years from the date they obtained permanent residence: the deadline was September 20, 2020.
- Those who were not yet at 10 years: reissue is due within 2 years after the 10-year mark counted from the date they obtained permanent residence.
The old card is treated as valid until it is reissued. The immigration office is also required to send these holders a notice stating the filing deadline, and to publish a public notice in the official gazette if it cannot locate them. A missed notice does not stop the clock, so if you obtained permanent residence around then, work out your own deadline.
Someone who has not yet reached 10 years can also ask for reissue early. In that case the new card is valid for 10 years from its date of issue.
5. If you use the mobile ID
A mobile alien registration card issued as a permanent resident card is valid until the card's expiry date. So when the card expires, the mobile version ends with it.
Reissue of the physical card is a ground on which the existing mobile ID can be invalidated, and a reissued card also lets you get the mobile ID again. A mobile ID is issued to only one of your own phones, and you show your passport or your permanent resident card when applying.
6. What to do now, in order
- Check the expiry date first. Compare the date on your card with today. If it has passed, work out whether it has been under 3 months.
- Check whether the special deadline applies. If you obtained permanent residence before September 2018, section 4 applies to you.
- Gather your documents. Passport, proof of place of stay, your original card, one photo in the required format, and the integrated application form.
- Book a visit on HiKorea. If expiry is close, pick the earliest slot available.
- If you are late, put your reasons in order. If there was a hospital stay or time abroad, prepare dated records so you can explain. A statement that does not match the facts will only hurt you.
7. What an administrative agent can do for you
Sunshine Administrative Agent Office (선샤인행정사사무소) helps with drafting the permanent resident card reissue application and checking your documents, submitting on your behalf within what the law allows, writing a statement explaining why a deadline was missed, and organizing and translating supporting records. We do not handle defense in investigations or criminal trials.
If you are unsure about your card's deadline or think it has already passed, call 02-309-3107 or email [email protected]. Consultation hours are weekdays 09:30~17:30. If you are also worried about permanent residence after a long time away from Korea, see our guide to the exception to deportation for permanent residents and our guide to the re-entry permit exemption.