When your passport has been taken

Your passport and residence card must stay with you. There is no such custom as "the company keeps it".

Why it matters

• Your passport is your identity document. No one else has the right to take it.
• Taking a passport is used as a way to restrict freedom of movement.
• It is a classic sign of forced labour and trafficking. See forced-labor-emergency and human-trafficking-emergency.
• "To stop you losing it" is not a legitimate reason either.

What you can do now

1. Demand it back. Asking by text or messenger leaves a record.
2. If refused, report to 1350 (Ministry of Employment and Labour) and 1577-0071.
3. Tell 1345 what has happened and take their guidance.
4. If you feel threatened, report to 112.
5. Prepare a copy and photograph of your passport — take one now.
6. Ask a local migrant workers' support centre to accompany you.

While you don't have it

• Carry a copy of the passport — it helps with identity checks.
• Your residence card must stay with you at all times.
• If you must leave the country urgently, ask your embassy about a travel document. See embassy-contacts.
• Ask 1345 whether a loss report is needed. See lost-passport.

Where to go

• 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labour (reporting, interpretation)
• 1577-0071 Foreign Workforce Support Centre
• 1345 Immigration Contact Centre
• 112 police (where threats or confinement are involved)
• Your embassy (passport reissue)

Questions people ask

My contract says the company keeps it. Such a clause is not legitimate. Even written into a contract, confiscating a passport is a problem. Consult 1350.

They want it as a deposit. A passport cannot serve as security. This is plainly unlawful.

I'm afraid of being dismissed if I report. Disadvantage because you reported is prohibited. See whistleblower-protection. Gather evidence and take advice.

They've had it for a long time already. Demand it back now, and report if refused. It is not too late.

Take care

Refuse the request to hand over your passport from the outset. Once given, it is hard to get back, and your movement and job changes become controlled. Photograph your passport and residence card today and store them in the cloud — invaluable if they are lost or taken.

Related

passport-confiscation · forced-labor-emergency · lost-passport · human-trafficking-emergency · embassy-contacts

Source

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