The short version
Most Korean services stop you here. The keys are a Korean phone number and a foreigner registration number, and having even one of them often opens a path.
Last verified:
Right now
- 1If you have a Korean phone number, try mobile phone verification first.
- 2If you have a foreigner registration number, you can also clear checks that ask for it.
- 3If neither works, check whether the service allows passport verification or an in-person visit.
What to have ready
- Korean phone number: The core of mobile verification.
- Foreigner registration number: Clears checks that a passport number cannot.
- Passport
Phrases you can copy and paste
Step by step
- 1
See which kind of verification the service asks for
Mobile verification, i-PIN and joint certificates all work differently. Just pick the method that works for foreigners and go with it.
- 2
Try mobile phone verification first
If you have a Korean number, this is the most common path. Your name, date of birth and number have to match what the carrier has on file.
- 3
If you are blocked, look for the alternative route
- Where:
- Customer service, a branch or counter
Passport verification, a counter visit or a customer service check are exceptions many services keep. If it fails online, ask about offline.
The Korean words
- 본인인증bonin-injeung· identity verification
- The identity check that many Korean services require.
- 외국인등록번호oegugin-deungnok-beonho· foreigner registration number
- The number on your Alien Registration Card. It stands in for a resident number.
- 휴대폰 인증hyudaepon injeung· mobile phone verification
- The most common method, clearing a check with a text to your Korean number.
- 공동인증서gongdong-injeungseo· joint certificate
- A digital certificate used at banks and government offices. Formerly the public certificate.
Easy to miss
- The name on file with your carrier (in English or Korean) can differ from what a service expects, and that blocks you.
- Sign up on a passport number can go through, then you are blocked again at a payment or verification step.
You can skip this if
- For a service you use briefly while travelling, guest checkout or paying in person can sometimes get around it.
When it is time for a person
- If verification keeps blocking you differently on each service and you stay lost, it may be time for a person who can help with settling in more broadly.
Where this comes from
Rules, fees and deadlines change and depend on your exact case. Please confirm the details with the official sources before you act.