What happens if you overstay

Overstaying carries serious consequences. But getting advice, even now, often reveals a way forward. Hiding is the worst choice.

The consequences

1. Fines — imposed according to the length of the overstay.
2. Deportation or departure order — if detained, you may be held before removal.
3. Entry ban — you cannot re-enter Korea for a period.
4. Status cancellation — obtaining a proper status later becomes hard.
5. A shrinking life — hospitals, banks, wage claims and reporting accidents all become difficult.
6. Exposure to exploitation — people use the fact that you cannot report as leverage.

What you can do now

1. Don't decide alone — get advice. 1345, 1577-1366, or a local support centre for foreign workers.
2. Check the voluntary departure scheme. Leaving voluntarily can reduce or waive the entry ban.
3. Check whether relief applies to your situation. Unpaid wages, industrial accidents, litigation, medical treatment and violence can all be grounds to continue your stay, for example on G-1.
4. If you have children, get advice without fail. Birth registration and education are handled separately from the parent's status in important respects.

Where to go

• 1345 Immigration Contact Center (multilingual)
• 1577-1366 Danuri Helpline (13 languages, 24 hours)
• 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labor (unpaid wages, industrial accidents)
• 132 Korea Legal Aid Corporation (free legal advice)
• Your local support centre for foreign workers and Family Center

Questions people ask

Will I be arrested if I call? Advice lines are not enforcement lines. If anxious, start with general questions without giving your name. Going through a support centre is another option.

I wasn't paid — will reporting get me caught? The right to be paid is separate from immigration status. Talk to 1350 and a support centre first.

I'm ill but afraid to go to hospital. In an emergency, 119 comes first. Public health centres and free clinics exist too. See the medical-cost-without-insurance guide.

Can my child go to school? A child's right to education is protected separately from the parent's status in important respects. Ask the district education office or a Family Center.

Take care

Brokers who say they can "fix it for money" are fraud. There is no lawful way to buy a solution to a status problem. Using forged documents makes everything far worse.

Even if today is hard, one conversation can change several years. Call 1345 or 1577-1366 today.

Related

stay-extension-overview · g1-miscellaneous · unpaid-wages-report · change-of-status

Source

Ministry of Justice HiKorea www.hikorea.go.kr / As of 2026-08