Foreigner Real Estate Purchase Safety Checklist
A guide for foreigners to verify, through official channels, the property registry, actual transaction prices, transaction reporting, foreigner acquisition reporting/permits, taxes, and the source of funds before buying real estate in Korea.
Direct answer
A guide for foreigners to verify, through official channels, the property registry, actual transaction prices, transaction reporting, foreigner acquisition reporting/permits, taxes, and the source of funds before buying real estate in Korea.
- How far this is checked
- Partly verified — confirm the details with the official sources below before you act.
Sources
Task
Housing contract
Visa
All visas
Program
General
Region
Nationwide
AI direct answers: disabled. Buying real estate is a high-risk transaction involving ownership, registration, foreigner reporting/permits, taxes, loans, source of funds, currency exchange/remittance, and residence status all intertwined.
Key Summary
Whether and how a foreigner can buy real estate in Korea may vary depending on the type and location of the property, the transaction method, nationality and residence status, the flow of funds, and whether the transaction is subject to reporting or permits. The app does not draw conclusions such as "you can buy," "you cannot buy," "the tax is a certain percentage," "a loan is possible," or "this is a good investment."
Before buying, you must individually verify through official channels the certified copy of the registry (등기사항증명서), actual transaction prices, the transaction reporting obligation, whether the purchase is subject to foreigner real estate acquisition reporting/permits, local taxes, brokerage fees, and the source of funds and overseas remittance documentation.
Essential Checks Before Buying
| Item to check | Official verification channel |
|---|---|
| Owner and rights relationships | Supreme Court of Korea Internet Registry Office (대한민국 법원 인터넷등기소), certified copy of the registry |
| Reference for actual transaction price | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Actual Transaction Price Disclosure System (국토교통부 실거래가 공개시스템) |
| Transaction reporting obligation | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Real Estate Transaction Management System (국토교통부 부동산거래관리시스템), Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions, Etc. (부동산 거래신고 등에 관한 법률) |
| Foreigner acquisition reporting/permit | Act on Report on Real Estate Transactions, Etc., competent city/county/district (시·군·구) |
| Taxes | Local Tax Act (지방세법), Wetax, the competent local government's tax department, a tax professional |
| Brokerage fees and broker | Licensed Real Estate Agents Act (공인중개사법), verification of a registered licensed real estate agent |
| Source of funds / currency exchange / remittance | Bank, Financial Supervisory Service (금융감독원), a tax professional |
Safe Order of Proceeding
Document download
Sign in before downloading document packages. We keep downloads behind an account gate.
Sign in to download