HiKorea Appointment Alternatives: Legal Ways to Solve Immigration Issues Without a Booking

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Legal Alternatives to Try When You Can’t Get a HiKorea Visit Appointment

When HiKorea (하이코리아) visit appointments are “fully booked” and you simply can’t secure one, I absolutely do not recommend paying money to buy an appointment (=potentially illegal), or grabbing a slot using someone else’s personal information. HiKorea explicitly warns that reserving an appointment using another person’s passport number/Alien Registration Number and other personal data may result in criminal punishment. (HiKorea)

Instead, if you apply the “legal routes” below in order, you’ll find that in quite a few cases you can avoid visiting altogether or get it done _even without an appointment_.

0) A 10-Second Check First: “Do I Really Need a Visit Appointment for My Task?”

According to Ministry of Justice notices, as of April 2021, in principle, stay-related immigration services are handled on the basis of visiting after making an appointment. (Ministry of Justice)
However, there are quite a few exceptions/alternative routes.

Common Cases You Can Resolve “Without” a Visit Appointment

Change of stay address (residence) report, passport change report → There is guidance saying these can be handled in person without a separate appointment. (Immigration Service)
Issuance of various certificates, picking up an Alien Registration Card, refugee application, extension of departure deadline, etc. are included as exceptions because on-site filing is unavoidable, according to the Ministry of Justice. (Ministry of Justice)

If you first check “Does what I’m trying to do fall under these?”, you can greatly reduce the stress of appointments.

1) Alternative 1: Finish via “e-Application (Online Filing)” Instead of Visiting

Just because you can’t get an appointment doesn’t mean you must go to immigration. HiKorea e-application offers quite a lot of tasks you can do online. For example:

Permission to extend period of stay for registered foreigners
Permission to change status of stay for registered foreigners
Permission/report for part-time employment for international students (D-2/D-4-1)
Change of stay address report, passport change report
are included in the e-application list. (HiKorea)

✅ Point: If “book an appointment and visit” is blocked, check first whether it’s possible via e-application.
(Especially for extension of stay/change of status, depending on circumstances there are cases that can be done online.)

2) Alternative 2: “Change of Stay Address (Residence)” Can Be Handled at the Community Service Center/District Office

This is something a lot of people truly miss.

Even local government guidance says that if a registered foreigner changes their place of stay, they can report it to the district office/eup-myeon-dong (community service center) or immigration. (gangnam.go.kr)
In principle, the reporting deadline is within 14 days from the date of moving in, under Article 36 of the Immigration Control Act. (Law.go.kr)

In other words, for many people who thought “I need a HiKorea appointment because of an address change,” it can be resolved by visiting the community service center.

Additionally, some local governments also 안내 online (HiKorea) reporting for change of stay address, while noting that

online reporting is usually processed within 3 days (excluding weekends/holidays),
if the deadline has passed, online reporting is not possible → a visit to the competent immigration office is required
and they sometimes write this in detail. (Guro City Hall)

3) Alternative 3: “Certificates/Fact Certificates” Are Often Available Without an Appointment and Online

There are also many inquiries like “I need an immigration appointment because of documents to submit to my company/school.”

The Ministry of Justice explicitly listed issuance of various certificates such as the Certificate of Entry & Departure Records as an exception to the visit appointment requirement. (Ministry of Justice)
Also, the Ministry of Justice e-civil service (fact certificate issuance) guidance states that

Certificate of Entry & Departure Records, Certificate of Alien Registration, etc.
when applying online, an identity-verification certificate (public certificate, etc.) may be required
and so on. (Minwon)

✅ Point: “Appointment war because of a certificate” is often unnecessary in most cases.

4) Alternative 4: If “a Deadline Is Near and You Have No Appointment,” There Is an Official Route Explained by HiKorea

This is the most anxiety-inducing situation:
your period of stay expiration date / statutory reporting deadline is coming up, but you have absolutely no appointment.

The following wording appears in the HiKorea visit appointment notes:

If you visit after the deadline, a penalty/administrative fine may be imposed
Guidance that if there is no date available to book within the deadline, visit the competent office before the deadline passes (HiKorea)

In other words, it’s not “I have no appointment so I can’t do anything,” but rather
there is an official guide telling you to visit the ‘competent office’ within the deadline to receive guidance.

Preparation tips that work on-site (within legal/normal bounds)

A screenshot of the reservation screen showing no slots (with dates visible)
Documents that can show the expiration date/reporting deadline (stay expiry inquiry, notice, passport/ARC, etc.)
If possible, call 1345 first to have your case logged/get guidance

5) Alternative 5: If You Are an “Exception Category,” There Are Cases You Can Handle by Visiting Without an Appointment

In Ministry of Justice-related guidance posted on the Seoul Foreign Portal, it says that in principle a visit appointment is required, but exceptionally:

Pregnant women (including women who gave birth and spouses, within 1 year of childbirth)
Infants (applied by parents, within 1 year of birth)
Persons with severe disabilities
Seniors aged 70 or older
Cases where an appointment is impossible due to urgent hospital treatment (medical certificate/opinion letter, etc.)
are 안내 that processing is possible even if you visit without an appointment. (Global Seoul)

✅ Point: If you qualify, bringing supporting documents and going straight to your competent immigration office may be the legal shortcut.

6) Alternative 6: If You’re Blocked Due to Alien Registration (ARC) — Check for Notices on “Temporary No-Appointment Operation”

Major services like alien registration (report of domestic residence) tend to have especially severe appointment backlogs.
In HiKorea notices, it is stated that they will operate a “temporary no-appointment system for alien registration (report of domestic residence) applications”, and

Effective period: 2023. 1. 2. ~ until further notice
It says to check details via the attached file or by calling 1345. (HiKorea)

⚠️ Because this can vary by jurisdiction/eligibility/operating 방식, it’s safest to confirm with 1345 whether it actually applies to your competent office.

7) Alternative 7: Use an “Immigration Service Agency” Legally

If you truly don’t have time, or if language/documents are complicated, many people consider using an agent.

There is also a “Use Immigration Service Agencies” menu on HiKorea, and a related lookup menu exists. (HiKorea)
However, even with an agent, for services that require an appointment, guidance states that you must book it using the applicant’s (foreigner’s) personal details. (Immigration Service)

And to emphasize again,

Reserving a slot using someone else’s personal information → criminal punishment warning (HiKorea)
Any place claiming it can “create an appointment for you” in this way carries major risk.

✅ To do it safely: verify it’s a registered agency that can be checked via HiKorea/official guidance → get the cost/scope/whether the applicant must appear in writing.

8) Alternative 8: A Legal Strategy to Target “Cancellation Slots”

In HiKorea/immigration 안내 card news, it says

Appointment cancellations are possible up to 1 day before the visit
Same-day cancellation is not allowed
as stated. (Immigration Service)

This means:

If someone cancels due to a schedule change, a slot (cancellation slot) may be released again.

Practical 운영 tips

There are cases where cancellations occur 1–2 days before your desired date, so checking frequently can be effective.
Since guidance also says appointments are not possible on the day of the visit, and that booking is available starting from the next day (i.e., don’t expect a spontaneous same-day appointment), it’s better to plan earlier. (Immigration Service)

9) Alternative 9: Use 1345 Not Just for “Information,” but “Strategy”

According to official Ministry of Justice guidance, 1345 (Immigration Contact Center) is

operated on weekdays 09:00–22:00
From overseas: +82-1345
At night (after 18:00), operations are mainly in Korean/English/Chinese
and so on. (Ministry of Justice)

Useful question templates when calling 1345

“Please confirm whether my task is appointment-required or an exception.”
“There is no date available to book within the statutory deadline. If I visit under the HiKorea notes, what procedure will I be guided through?” (HiKorea)
“For alien registration (ARC), please tell me the jurisdiction 기준 for whether I’m eligible for the temporary no-appointment system.” (HiKorea)

At-a-Glance Summary: “Shortest Route by Situation”

Address change (change of stay address) → Community service center/district office or HiKorea online report (within the deadline) (gangnam.go.kr)
Passport change report → e-application or (depending on the guidance) may be handled by visiting without an appointment (HiKorea)
Certificates (entry/exit records / alien registration records) → online/on-site issuance (appointment exception) (Ministry of Justice)
Stay expiration imminent + no appointment → per HiKorea notes, visit the competent office before the deadline + consult 1345 (HiKorea)
Pregnant women/infants/severe disability/age 70+/emergency treatment, etc. → as an exception category, you may visit without an appointment with supporting documents (Global Seoul)
Alien registration (ARC) itself → check whether the temporary no-appointment notice applies (1345) (HiKorea)

How to Tell Illegal/High-Risk Methods Apart

✅ Legal/Recommended

e-application (online)
Use tasks available at the community service center/district office
Procedures for exception categories
When a deadline is near, visit your competent office following official guidance
Use registered agencies (based on official lookup)

❌ Risky/Not Recommended

“I’ll book an appointment using someone else’s passport number/ARC.”
“Selling/transferring appointment slots”
Suspicious appointment brokers who ask you to provide personal information

HiKorea states the possibility of criminal punishment for grabbing appointment slots using another person’s personal information. (HiKorea)

FAQ

Q1. If I go to immigration without a HiKorea appointment, will I always be refused?

In principle, stay-related services use a visit appointment system, but there are exception tasks (certificate issuance, picking up a registration card, etc.). Also, the HiKorea notes include wording that guides you to visit the competent office before the deadline if booking within the deadline is not possible. (Ministry of Justice)

Q2. There are “no available dates at all” before my period of stay expires. What should I do?

According to the HiKorea notes, if there is no date you can book within the expiration/statutory deadline, you should visit the competent office before the deadline passes. (HiKorea)
It can also help to call 1345 before you visit to receive case guidance. (Ministry of Justice)

Q3. Do I really need an immigration visit appointment to change my address (change of stay address)?

No. According to local government guidance, you can also report it at the district office/community service center. (gangnam.go.kr)
Also, by law, the reporting deadline is in principle within 14 days from the move-in date. (Law.go.kr)

Q4. If I’m pregnant/over 70, can I go without an appointment?

Ministry of Justice-related guidance says that pregnant women, infants (applied by parents), persons with severe disabilities, seniors aged 70 or older, emergency treatment, etc. may be processed exceptionally even if you visit without an appointment (supporting documents required). (Global Seoul)

Q5. Is it okay to “buy/transfer” an appointment slot?

It’s risky. HiKorea directly warns of the possibility of criminal punishment for grabbing appointment slots using another person’s personal information. (HiKorea)
We recommend legitimate routes (e-application/community service center/exception category/1345/registered agencies).

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