Foreign Children's Admission Guide

• To enroll in a Korean school, foreign students are assessed for grade placement based on their previous educational experience, and they must have proficiency in the Korean language.
• If a child or minor under the protection of an overseas Korean or foreign national wishes to enter or transfer to an elementary school in Korea, the admission or transfer process can be completed by verifying a Certificate of Entry and Exit or a Certificate of Alien Registration issued by the Immigration Office for the relevant school in the jurisdiction of their residence.
• For elementary school:
  • If the child was not born in Korea or does not have Korean nationality, a school admission notice is not issued to foreign children. Therefore, if a foreign child of school age wishes to enroll in elementary school, an application can be made to the principal of an elementary school within the school district of their residence in accordance with Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  • School assignment is handled by the local community service center, and the principal of the elementary school that receives the application will determine admission after verifying the Certificate of Entry and Exit and the Certificate of Alien Registration.
• For middle school:
  • Even for middle schools where compulsory education is implemented, an application for admission can be made to the principal of a middle school within the school district of residence.
  • School assignment is conducted by lottery through the local education support office.
• For high school:
  • Admission, transfer, or re-admission to high school is carried out according to the school regulations of the respective high school, as stipulated in Article 89-2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Therefore, when applying for admission, the principal of the assigned school, as designated by the education office, will determine admission according to the school's regulations.

Guidelines for Transfer Admission of Children of Foreign Nationals

• Priority allocation of elementary and middle schools (mandatory education) to schools where they live
  • When transferring, elementary and middle schools are assigned first to the school district where the residence belongs.
  • If you visit a school within your school group and apply for a transfer, the school will allow you to transfer within the scope of vacancy by conducting a document review or an evaluation on the completion of each subject.

    However, when transferring to a multicultural global leading school and research school or a bilingual teacher placement school, the decision will be made in consultation with the principal.

• Determination of Academic Year upon Transfer Admission
  • The period of attendance on the certificate of attendance at a foreign school and the curriculum completed on the transcript will be calculated based on the Korean school system (12-semester system).
    ex) If you studied in a country where the first semester begins in September and one semester overlapped due to differences in school systems, you will be given one semester up when transferring to a domestic school, and if you skipped one semester, you will be assigned a grade by lowering one semester.
• Preparatory documents for transfer
  • Certificate of enrollment in the transfer application (graduation certificate), transcript (translation notarization), certificate of entry and exit, alien registration certificate or confirmation of domestic residence, family relations certificate, resident registration copy

Admission of Children of Illegal Residents

• In line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and respect for human rights, to expand educational opportunities for children of illegal immigrants, compulsory education is legally available to children of foreign nationals and undocumented foreign residents up to elementary and middle school.
• However, middle school admission is at the discretion of the school principal. Undocumented foreigners may submit documentation proving their residency within the school district (e.g., lease agreement, proof of residence, personal guarantee, etc.).