Upon getting FRC

FRC Card Example

When studying abroad in South Korea, you need a foreign registration card to do many things, such as get a phone number or open a bank account. Another essential thing to realize is that you must always carry a form of identification. So until you get the FRC, you need to have your passport around, which can feel annoying and nerve-wracking, as that's your passport and your only ticket out. So, upon getting your FRC, you can leave your passport safe and sound at home.

Also when you get your FRC you can finally leave the country. So if you want to travel, you should make an appointment to get an FRC as fast as possible. I did mine with my school in a group application. It was easier as all I did was give a few documents, go to my campus center to give my fingerprint, then pick it up later, but this took much longer. I had a friend who went to the FRC office the day she landed and had it within a week. I thought I got it about two months into the semester.

With the FRC, you can get a Korean phone number that is linked to your FRC. So if you leave the country, your phone number will not be canceled. It's important that if you get a phone number, it is linked to your FRC; otherwise, when leaving, it could be canceled and not work even upon landing back in South Korea.

For anyone going to a South Korean Photographer for the ID photo, be prepared for the photo to look nothing like you. The photographer will edit your image a lot, and I mean a lot. In my personal experience, that man edited my photos so quickly and so much that by the end, I turned into a Korean woman. If I had any questionsaboutf what I would look like if Iweres born Korea,n that photo of me answered it. It was rather embrassing to show people so be prepared to say please stop or bring your own photo if you wish to have the FRC card look like your actual appearance.