How To Get COVID-19 Disaster Relief for Foreign Residents in Seoul, South Korea

Disaster relief for foreigners in Seoul
Korea International School

Starting today (August 31st), the Seoul Metropolitan Government will be providing the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency Living Expenses for foreigners living in Seoul on the same basis as Korean residents. 

The decision to support non-Korean residents in Seoul was made after the Seoul Metropolitan Government accepted a recommendation made by the National Human Rights Commission on June 10th that implies excluding foreigners in the implementation of the policy of Disaster Emergency Living Expenses is a “violation of equal rights”.

Eligibility & Application

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the emergency disaster living expenses will be provided to non-Koreans who have been living in Seoul for over 90 days as of August 27th with visas that permit employment and profit-making activities.

The income criterion will be the same as the Disaster Emergency Living Expenses offered to Korean residents in March and accepted applicants will receive between KRW 300,000 to KRW 500,000 depending on the number of household members.

Applications can be made both online and on-site by the head of the household and a five-part system for each day of the week is applied according to the applicant’s birth year. 

To apply online, eligible applicants should visit the website of “Disaster Emergency Living Expenses for Non-Korean Residents in Seoul”, fill a form and submit it with the Agreement to the Collection and Use of Personal Information, and the Certificate of Foreign Registration between August 31st to September 25th, 2020.

Digital Marketing Agency

On-site application will be available between September 14th to September 25th, 2020 at the designated centers. Final decision will be made two weeks after registration and a confirmation message will be sent to applicants via text message.

For more information on how to apply for the COVID-19 Disaster Relief Funds for foreigners living in Seoul, visit the Seoul Metropolitan Government website.