Your child can enrol in a Korean school — visa status does not block it

This is the question parents ask last and should ask first. The short version: public school enrolment is a right here, it does not depend on your residence status, and the local education office handles it rather than immigration. Links to the official desks.

Enrolling, and who decides

Compulsory education in Korea covers children living here regardless of the parents' status. The paperwork goes through the district education office and the school, not through immigration.

Ministry of EducationSets the national rules on school enrolment, including for children of foreign residents.moe.go.kr

The rule itself lives here. Print the relevant page if a school office is unsure — some are.

Has a multilingual helpline and local centres that will walk you through the enrolment in your language.

If your child has little Korean

There are preparatory classes and Korean-language support programmes for children arriving mid-schooling. They are not automatic — someone has to ask for them.

Free materials to use at home while the school support is being arranged.

Useful if a school tells you something that does not sound right. It usually cites the rule directly.

Districts differ in how they handle Korean-language support and mid-year entry, so the local education office is the one that decides your case. Bring an interpreter or call the multilingual line first.

Did you enrol a child here? What did the school actually ask for?