Your new passport may arrive with a different number while your Korean residence card still looks exactly the same. That does not mean the immigration record has updated itself. Treat collecting the passport and reporting its new details as two separate jobs.
This guide is for foreign residents already registered in Korea. It is not an application guide for a Korean passport, a visa extension, or a change of nationality.
Start with the immigration report, not the airline account
Article 35 of the Immigration Act requires registered foreigners to report changes to the passport number, issue date, and validity period within 15 days of the change. The version checked here is effective October 2, 2026. A new passport does not, by itself, extend your permitted stay.
If the passport was issued overseas, delivered much later than its printed issue date, or accompanied by a name change, ask the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 which date and reporting route apply to your circumstances. Keep the delivery or collection evidence. Do not choose a deadline from an older university handout when it conflicts with the current law.
Put the old and new details side by side
Prepare your current passport, your residence card, the old passport if available, and a clear record of what changed. Check the spelling, number, issue date, and expiry date against the passport itself rather than retyping from a message. Use the current integrated application form and supporting-document instructions for the service you select.
The HiKorea passport-change guide says registered foreigners can report changes to their passport number, issue date or validity period online. If your name, date of birth or sex has also changed, you must visit the immigration office with jurisdiction over your residence instead.
- Sign in to HiKorea, open Petition Application → e-Application, and select 등록사항변경신고(여권변경) (passport-information change report).
- Check the new passport details and attach a clear image of its personal-information page. Submit through the official service and keep the filing confirmation.
- Check My Page → e-Application Status (전자민원 현황) for the result; an initial acknowledgement is not the final outcome.
The official guide lists no fee and online filing from 07:00 to 22:00 on weekdays, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It lists online processing within three working days. These service hours do not postpone the reporting deadline; use 1345 promptly if the online route is unavailable or your case is unclear.
If HiKorea will not accept the update
Write down the exact service name, the error message, and whether the failure happened before or after submission. An account login problem is different from a rejected application. Check your application history before submitting again; repeated uploads can make it harder to tell which case is being processed.
Contact 1345 with the passport-change dates and your reporting deadline. Ask for the correct alternative channel and any office-specific instructions. An appointment in a later month is not evidence that a reporting obligation has been postponed. Save the filing receipt or confirmation and check the outcome, not just the first acknowledgement screen.
Then update records that actually use your passport
Make a short list: upcoming flight bookings, an employer or university holding passport details, a bank that registered your passport, and any travel service tied to the old number. Ask each provider what it needs. Some accounts use the foreigner registration number instead; do not replace that number with a passport number simply because a field is labelled “ID.”
For a forthcoming flight, confirm which document must match the booking and entry permission for every destination. Keep sensitive copies in the provider's official upload channel rather than sending them to an unverified personal messenger account.
A useful enquiry is “여권을 갱신했는데, 여권정보 변경신고에 필요한 서류를 확인하고 싶습니다.” — “I renewed my passport and would like to confirm the documents for reporting the changed passport information.”
Related guides
- HiKorea Appointment Guide: Deadlines and No Slots
- How to Update Your Korean Phone Number Across Banks, Apps, and Government Services
Sources and review date
Official sources checked November 1, 2026. Updated November 1, 2026: clarified online eligibility, documents, filing hours and result checks. A source's publication or effective date is identified separately where relevant. For a time-sensitive application, booking, or safety issue, confirm the current conditions with the responsible provider.
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