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VISAPosted by Nils 🇩🇰 Denmark · 1 month ago
Can I travel out of Korea while on a D-4?
want to do a weekend in japan during the term break.
do you need a re-entry permit or is that not a thing anymore? don't want to get stuck outside
do you need a re-entry permit or is that not a thing anymore? don't want to get stuck outside
8 comments
OFFICIAL ANSWER
TaehyunALLO TEAM
Operations & Local Support · Seoul
You do not need a re-entry permit. That requirement was abolished for ARC holders, and a weekend in Japan is straightforward.
What you need:
1. A valid ARC. Carry it with your passport — you show both when re-entering Korea.
2. Your ARC must not expire while you are outside. Check the date before booking.
3. Whatever visa Japan requires for your nationality. Many nationalities are visa-free for short stays; some are not, and your Korean residence does not change that. Check for your own passport, not for Korea.
When you should not travel:
- While a visa extension is being processed, if immigration is holding documents or the application is incomplete. Wait until it is stamped.
- If your ARC application is still pending and you have not received the card yet. Leaving Korea before the ARC is issued can complicate the application — ask immigration first.
- During term, if it would push your attendance below the line. The break is the safe window.
Practical notes: the Seoul to Fukuoka and Seoul to Osaka routes are short and frequently on sale. Automated immigration gates at Incheon are available to registered ARC holders — you can register your fingerprints once at the airport and skip the queue afterwards, which is worth ten minutes of setup.
Also keep your enrolment certificate handy on the way back. It is rarely asked for, but it answers any question about why you live in Korea in one document.
What you need:
1. A valid ARC. Carry it with your passport — you show both when re-entering Korea.
2. Your ARC must not expire while you are outside. Check the date before booking.
3. Whatever visa Japan requires for your nationality. Many nationalities are visa-free for short stays; some are not, and your Korean residence does not change that. Check for your own passport, not for Korea.
When you should not travel:
- While a visa extension is being processed, if immigration is holding documents or the application is incomplete. Wait until it is stamped.
- If your ARC application is still pending and you have not received the card yet. Leaving Korea before the ARC is issued can complicate the application — ask immigration first.
- During term, if it would push your attendance below the line. The break is the safe window.
Practical notes: the Seoul to Fukuoka and Seoul to Osaka routes are short and frequently on sale. Automated immigration gates at Incheon are available to registered ARC holders — you can register your fingerprints once at the airport and skip the queue afterwards, which is worth ten minutes of setup.
Also keep your enrolment certificate handy on the way back. It is rarely asked for, but it answers any question about why you live in Korea in one document.
Was this helpful?Updated 1 month ago
8 comments
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You can still post anonymously after signing in.register for the automated gates at incheon. takes 10 minutes once and then you walk straight through every time. nobody tells foreign residents this exists
13
the queue difference at 9pm on a sunday is like 40 minutes vs 2
6
doing this, thanks
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check YOUR passport for japan, not korea's rules. my classmate assumed and got a nasty surprise at the airport
11
living in korea gives you nothing for japanese entry. completely separate
5
don't leave while your extension is in process. that's the one real trap in this whole thing
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check your ARC expiry against your return date. mine expired 3 days after i'd have come back and i had to move the trip
7
been in and out loads of times on a D-4, never once been questioned. it's genuinely routine
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