Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

General

Insurance

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before departure. You should ensure that your insurance covers the costs of medical repatriation if you need complex hospital treatment. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. For more general information see our Travel Insurance page.

Mobile phones

Mobile telephones purchased outside South Korea will not normally work in the country. For those visiting South Korea phones can be rented at the airport on arrival.

Registering with the British Embassy

If you are staying for more than two weeks, we strongly encourage you to register with the Consular Section of the British Embassy. You can also find contingency guidance information on the Consular Services Section of the British Embassy website British Embassy website.

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

Money

The local currency is the South Korean Won. It is almost impossible to change Scottish or Northern Irish bank notes. Credit cards are not always accepted outside major cities. ATMs, whilst widely available do not always accept foreign cards. ATM’s with a sign saying 'Global' will normally accept foreign cards.

Employment

If you are considering a teaching job in South Korea, you should note that it is not possible to obtain a visa to teach English in South Korea without a three-year university degree – a TEFL qualification alone is insufficient. If you are found to have obtained a teaching visa by submitting fraudulent documents, even if unknowingly produced by a third party, you will be detained and deported. You should also be aware that complaints are frequently received from British nationals teaching English in South Korea about problems arising from living or working conditions that do not meet expectations and complications, and over obtaining the correct visas and residence permits. There have also been complaints of breach of contract, confiscation of passports, and of payment being withheld also of inadequate or no medical insurance. Check that all terms and conditions of employment are clearly stated before accepting an offer and signing a contract. Where possible ask to speak to other teachers from the educational establishment when you plan to work before accepting any offer. You should note that written contracts are not necessarily considered binding documents and verbal agreements often take precedence. It is illegal to work in South Korea on a tourist visa. For those in possession of a work visa all employment changes must be authorised by Korean Immigration.