Milspouse in Korea: Obtaining Your Foreign Resident Card (FRC)
Would you believe in 2017 that no one was talking about military spouses getting an ARC card but when we returned in 2021 it was all the rage? Crazy how just 4 short years can change things. What was once called the Alien Resident Card is now the Foreign Resident Card and is not something you absolutely must have as a military spouse in Korea. However it makes some aspects of life in Korea much more convenient. For example, the government offers a discount on daycare fees, but you’ll need a Korean Bank account for this. For a Korean Bank account, you’ll need an FRC card for the adult and the child in daycare.
So - necessary? No. Handy? Yes.
Once you’ve decided to get your FRC, you need to make sure you have all the paperwork you need. It’s a bit of a checklist!
For each person applying, you will need 2 PHOTO COPIES OF EACH:
housing contract WITH ADDRESS (if on base, housing can give you a memo with your address)
a copy of your passport information page (the page with your picture)
if you have 2 passports, you’ll need to apply with the one that has the SOFA stamp in it / the one you arrived in country with
your military ID - front and back, copied on one page
sponsor’s ID - front and back, copied on one page
military orders with your DEROS date
Let me repeat that in case you read it but didn’t comprehend it - TWO COPIES OF EACH PER PERSON APPLYING. That’s a lot of pages for some families!
Also, if you’re one of the lucky ones that has a SOFA stamp in each passport and don’t know which one to use, take them both. Between me and the girls, one of ours is in our military passport and the other two are in the regular passports. The woman helped me make changes to the paperwork when we discovered this issue in person. She was super helpful and very nice about the whole process.
You also need the ORIGINALS of each:
Passport with SOFA stamp
Military ID of applicant (children that do not have military ID’s are okay)
Completed ROK ministry of Justice Form 34 (this form was available at the PAX terminal)
Housing contract with physical address
One color passport photo 3cm X 4 cm (you can have this done on base or at the KODAK store near the walk-in gate)
If you’re applying for the FRC for your children, they do not need to be present at the PAX terminal.
One other major point that I’ve never seen anyone mention: you CAN NOT LEAVE THE COUNTRY FOR 30 DAYS! The first time I went to submit our applications, the woman mentioned this at the very end as I was about to walk away. I’m so glad she did because we were leaving 2 days later for the weekend. Make sure to plan around any trips you may have coming up!
Once you’ve gathered all your documents, head on over to the PAX terminal. Make sure to check their schedule as they occasionally change their hours. Military families stationed at Camp Humphrey’s and at Osan Air Base can all apply here, however, if you’re from further out, you need to apply at your local office.
When you're done submitting your application, they will give you a date to pick up your FRC cards and that’s that! It’s really that simple! You will need to pick up your FRC cards at the Pyeongtaek Branch (<— click for Naver link) located near Songtan City Hall. The date will be roughly 30 days from the time you submit your application. Immigration is on 3F and you’ll need to bring your passport(s) with you. Kids do not need to be present when picking up the card either.
If you’re reading this on your phone, the image below is linked to the Naver location. I, thinking I knew everything, showed up at Songtan City Hall assuming that is where the immigration office is and I was wrong. If you’re driving, the Songtan City Hall parking lot is pretty inexpensive and it’s across the street from where you need to be. If you’re standing at the bus stop at Songtan City Hall, look across the street -> look for Holly’s Coffee, look to the right, to the right a little mooooore and there’s a teeny tiny door. You can enter here and go up to the 3rd floor. If your’e looking at the Daegu Bank, you’ve gone too far right.
Teeny tiny hidden door for the immigration office to pick up your FRC
Naver screenshot for the immigration office
While you can do the FRC process at the Osan Passenger terminal, but you can also do it at the Pyeongatek Branch office near Songtan City Hall. Click this link to make an appointment. I highly recommend doing it on Osan because there’s usually no waiting time, an appointment isn’t needed, and it is overall more convenient. Also, if you’re making an appointment at the Pyeongtaek Branch, you’ll need to make an appointment for EACH family member, not one per family. The website has the option to be translated into English so I don’t need to walk you through that process. Make sure that when choosing your location, you choose Pyeongtaek Branch and then Suwon Immigration Service Pyeongtaek Local Office. South of Seoul has a great blog on how to do this in person and more info on why an FRC might benefit you in Korea.
Let me know in the comments what else would be helpful for military spouses in Korea!
