The standard lease contract asks the tenant to complete a move-in report (전입신고) by an agreed date after moving in. For a registered foreign resident, that step has a different name. The report of a change of residence (체류지 변경신고) is the move-in report the Housing Lease Protection Act asks for.
It is one of three records that protect a deposit: living in the home, that report, and a fixed date (확정일자) on your contract. This guide covers what each record does and where to get the fixed date. It also covers the lease report that can stand in for the fixed date.
When your protection starts
Rules verified September 2026 · Housing Lease Protection Act, Article 3 · Article 3-2
Article 3 (1) of the Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법) sets two conditions: the home is handed over to you, and your registration is complete. From the next day, your lease holds against third parties, even without a registered lease. Under Article 3 (4), a new owner of the home takes over the landlord’s position.
Article 3-2 (2) adds a third record. With both conditions met and a fixed date on the contract, you are repaid ahead of later-ranking creditors. That applies when the home is sold at auction or in a public sale for unpaid taxes.
| Record | Korean | What it gives you | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living in the home | 주택의 인도 | First half of the condition. You must actually take over the home | Act, Article 3 (1) |
| Change-of-residence report | 체류지 변경신고 | Second half. With handover, the lease holds against third parties from the next day | Act, Article 3 (1) · Immigration Act, Article 88-2 (2) |
| Fixed date on the contract | 확정일자 | With the two above, repayment ahead of later creditors in an auction or public sale | Act, Article 3-2 (2) |
None of the three replaces another. The first two make the lease count against people outside the contract. The fixed date decides your place in line when money from a sale is paid out. Missing any one leaves a gap.
Why the change-of-residence report counts as a move-in report
Rule verified September 2026 · Immigration Act, Article 88-2 · Article 36
Article 3 of the Act is written in the terms of resident registration (주민등록) and the move-in report. Article 88-2 (2) of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법) connects them to foreign residents. It says registration as a foreign national (외국인등록) and the change-of-residence report take the place of resident registration and the move-in report.
The Immigration Act even uses the same word. Article 36 (1) tells a registered foreign resident who moves to file a 전입신고 within 15 days of moving in. It goes to the new city, county or district office, the community center (읍·면·동), or the immigration office for the new address. You bring your ARC, and the office writes the new address on it.
If you register as a foreign national for the first time at the new home, that registration itself fills the same role. Article 88-2 (1) also covers paperwork. Where a procedure asks for a resident registration certificate (주민등록등본), your ARC or a certificate of foreign registration (외국인등록 사실증명) takes its place.
Overseas Koreans who hold a domestic residence report (국내거소신고) follow a separate rule. Article 10 (4) of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans treats that report as foreign registration. A report of moving counts as a change-of-residence report.
Where to get a fixed date and what it costs
Fees verified September 2026 · Ministry of Justice rule on fixed dates, Article 8 · Supreme Court rule, Article 13
Article 3-6 (1) of the Act lists who can put a fixed date on a lease. Two separate rules set the fees. A Ministry of Justice rule covers community centers. A Supreme Court rule covers courts, registry offices and the online route.
| Where | How | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Community center (동 주민센터) or 읍·면 office, or a city, county or district branch office | In person, with the original contract and ID | 600 KRW per contract. 100 KRW more for every 4 pages over 4 |
| District court, its branch, or a registry office (등기소) | In person | 600 KRW per contract, same page rule |
| Internet Registry Office (인터넷등기소) | Online, by the landlord or the tenant, with a digital certificate the court administration designates | 500 KRW |
| Notary (공증인) | In person | Set by the notary fee rule |
For an in-person visit, Article 2 (2) of the Ministry of Justice rule gives examples of accepted ID. The list names a resident registration card, a driver’s license, a passport and an alien registration card. The online route has its own clock under the Supreme Court rule (Article 8). A weekday application in working hours is stamped the same day. After 4 p.m. it may move to the next working day, and after 6 p.m. or on a weekend or holiday it does.
The list comes from Article 3 of the Ministry of Justice rule. A contract that fails one line goes back to you, so check the pages before you leave home. The standard contract’s signature page already asks both sides to seal across each page join.
When you must file a lease report
Rules verified September 2026 · Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions, Article 6-2 · Enforcement Decree, Article 4-3
A second law, the Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions (부동산 거래신고 등에 관한 법률), adds a report for larger leases. It is separate from the Immigration Act report, but it can save you the fixed-date trip.
The link to the fixed date is Article 6-5 (3). Once a report filed with the contract is accepted, the contract counts as having a fixed date. So one trip can cover both. The report is written with foreign tenants in view. Article 6-2 of the Enforcement Rule asks for a foreign registration number in place of a resident number.
Article 6-5 (1) also treats a move-in report under the Resident Registration Act (주민등록법) as a lease report. The lease report above is the direct route, and it is the one this guide uses.
How to secure your deposit, step by step
The law does not force an order among these steps, except that the fixed date needs a signed contract first. The sequence below keeps the one-day gaps short.
Step 1 — Keep the signed original and your ARC together
Both offices ask for them. The fixed-date desk needs the original contract, not a copy. The immigration report needs your ARC.
Step 2 — Take over the home on the handover date
Handover is the first half of the Article 3 condition. Article 2 of the standard contract sets the date, and the lease term runs from it.
Step 3 — File the change-of-residence report within 15 days
Go to the community center, the city, county or district office, or the immigration office for the new address. The next day is the earliest your lease can hold against third parties, so a later report means a later start.
Step 4 — Get the fixed date, or file the lease report with the contract
If your lease meets the reporting amounts, file the report with the contract attached and let it count as the fixed date. If not, ask for the fixed date. A community center can do the fixed date, and may take the report too, depending on local rules.
Step 5 — Keep what you receive
Keep the contract with the fixed-date stamp, or the lease report certificate (임대차 신고필증), with the contract. Your ARC now shows the new address.
What keeps your protection in place
Protection is not a one-time stamp. Annex 1 of the standard contract says to keep both possession and registration for the whole lease term. Two events change what you need.
| Event | What to do | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| The deposit goes up during the term or at renewal | Get a new fixed date for the added amount | Standard contract, Annex 1 |
| A reported lease changes its deposit or rent | Report the change within 30 days | Reporting Act, Article 6-3 |
| The lease is cancelled after a report | Report the cancellation within 30 days | Reporting Act, Article 6-3 |
| The lease ends and the deposit is not returned | A lease registration order (임차권등기명령) keeps your rights after you move | Act, Article 3-3 |
The last row matters if you must move before you are repaid. Once the lease registration is in place, Article 3-3 (5) lets you keep the rights you already had. That holds even after you stop living there or move your registration.
What to say at the counter
Community center counters run in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every rule here comes from the pages below. Laws and fees change, so open the page before you act on it.
