Opening a bank account as a language student — how hard?

You can open one, but expect limits at first.

You need your ARC, passport, and usually a certificate of enrolment from your school. Some branches also ask for a Korean phone number in your own name, so sort the phone out first.

What surprises people: new foreign accounts often start restricted. International transfers and sometimes online banking are limited for the first months until the bank sees regular activity. It is a fraud-prevention rule, not personal.

Practical tips from our students:
- Go to a branch near a university. Staff there handle foreign students daily and the process takes 30 minutes instead of two visits.
- Bring everything even if the website says otherwise. An extra document costs nothing; a second trip costs a morning.
- If you need money from home regularly, ask specifically about the incoming transfer limit before you open the account. That single question saves the most trouble.

Before your ARC arrives you can still receive money through international transfer services, so you are not stuck in the first weeks.