Do you have a kid(s) who are in need of daycare or kindergarten services? Did you know that Korea offers daycare and kindergarten discounts (Also known as subsidies) for Korean and foreign residents? We may have some information you may need in order to apply for subsidies for your kids.
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The Limits of the Information in This Post
This post provides general information about daycare and kindergarten subsidies as well as more specific information for Pyeongtaek-si, Asan-si, and the US Military living in the area surrounding either Camp Humphreys or Osan Air Force Base. Keep in mind, every foreigner in South Korea lives here under a different social lens. Depending on what country you come from or what visa you have, you may experience additional hurdles or have additional support.
Manage your expectations and understand that the process will likely have surprises. Daycare and kindergarten subsidies change based on the administrative district. Different districts may offer different amounts and management of the subsidies may occur in different ways. Language barriers and cultural differences may make it hard to figure out how to apply for the subsidies until you have started the process.
Let Us Know Your Experiences
Please let South of Seoul know about additional information needed in this blog Post. We always strive to update our information in order to become increasingly accurate over time.
About Korean Daycare and Kindergarten Subsidies
The Korean government(s) (federal or local) may provide a subsidy for daycare and kindergarten education to support families with young children. The subsidy exists as part of the national education system, and the Korean government designed it to make kindergarten education more affordable and accessible to all families. Such subsidies may include daycare and kindergarten discounts for foreign residents. Additionally, such subsidies and rules may change over time.
The subsidy covers a significant portion of the tuition fees for kindergarten education, varying depending on the family’s income level. Families with lower incomes receive a higher subsidy, while those with higher incomes receive a lower subsidy.
To qualify for the subsidy, guardians must meet specific eligibility criteria. This may include enrolling their child in a kindergarten program approved by the Korean government. Families must also provide proof of income and other relevant documentation.
To receive the subsidy, guardians must have a Korean bank account. This is not an issue for residents of South Korea. However, US military-affiliated people living in Korea under the SOFA Agreement often do not have Korean bank accounts. Therefore, they will need to open one to receive their subsidy.
Overall, the Korean government’s kindergarten subsidy program aims to provide young children with a strong education foundation and support families in raising healthy and happy children.
About Daycare and Kindergarten Discounts
As of March 1, 2023, foreign toddlers (3-5 years old) with a Foreign Registration Card living in Seoul (see an article about Seoul subsidies here), Gyeonggi-do, Cheonan-si, and Asan-si, will be subsidized for daycare (up to W100,000) and Kindergarten (up to W350,000).
The subsidy can be applied 90 days after your child receives their FRC. While foreigners typically apply for an FRC upon entering Korea, U.S. Military tend to rely on their SOFA status and put off getting an FRC until they realize they don’t have access to many comforts in Korea. One comfort is this subsidy and one of the many reasons U.S. Military dependents may want to consider applying for an FRC as soon as possible.
Only Residents of Korea Receive Daycare and Kindergarten Discounts
Korea provides support for residents and citizens of Korea. This means that families who want to apply for daycare services must be legally registered as Residents of Korea. Most families living and working in South Korea register when they arrive in South Korea, so applying for government programs is pretty straightforward.
US Military and the FRC
On the other hand, the US military need to become residents of Korea and then apply for subsidies. That is because the SOFA visa allows US military-affiliated soldiers, families, employees, and contractors to live in South Korea without registering as Residents of Korea. This means they must apply for Korean residency before applying for childcare benefits. We will give a quick review of this procedure here. It can take between 1-3 months to complete the FRC process, so getting started as soon as possible makes a big difference. Learn how to get started here.
90-Day Waiting Period
A guardian can apply for daycare and kindergarten discounts for foreign residents 90 days after receiving an FRC. However, US military-affiliated people who arrived on a SOFA visa can only count their days in South Korea after receiving their FRC. This is because living in Korea on the SOFA agreement does NOT count as living as a Korean resident.
***Important for US Military affiliated Persons: If you choose to live in South Korea on only the SOFA agreement, this specifically excludes you from many aspects of society, such as banking, legal protections, social subsidies, and more.
Applying for Korean Daycare and Kindergarten Subsidies
A guardian (parent or other legal guardians) can apply for daycare and kindergarten discounts for foreign residents through various means. These may include:
- Applying in person at the eup, myeon, or dong community service centers in their area of residence (IMPORTANT: The local office employees likely only speak Korean. You will need to have translation support if you do not speak Korean.)
- Submitting an application online through the welfare website Bokjiro (www.bokjiro.go.kr) (Not easy for international residents to use)
- Using the I-sarang mobile application (Not easy for international residents to use)
Although most articles online will make this seem like a cut-and-dried process, expect to experience many frustrations with the process if you are a foreigner who has not used Korean government services in the past. Expect to experience hidden culture (things they assume you know), struggle with language barriers, and surprise paperwork or procedures.
This article works as a guide to let you know where to get started in the process, but we can only predict some of the surprises along the way. So always plan twice as long as you need to do any task and expect that you will need to go on many side quests before you achieve your goal. It’s not that the process is bad or does not work; it’s that the process is new and unfamiliar in a language that’s also new and unfamiliar.
Happiness Account
You will need a “Happiness Card” to receive and transfer the subsidy to the school. If you do not currently have a Korean bank account, the South of Seoul has you covered. Just read the Opening a Bank Account in South Korea blog post. I used this, and it made getting my bank account set up relatively easy. You just need W1,000 to set up a Happiness Account. You can see an example of the Happiness Account below.
US Military Process for Applying for Residence Card
To apply for daycare and kindergarten discounts for foreign residents, US Military may be able to get their FRC one of two ways. 1) Apply at your local immigration center, and 2) if you live in Pyeongtaek-si, you can hand in your paperwork at Osan Air Force Base
1. Military Apply at You Regions Immigration Center
I followed this blog for my FRC: US Military: Getting Your Foreign Registration Card (FRC) in South Korea. You will need to apply for the FRC in your region. For example, if you live near Camp Humphreys, the following immigration centers may apply to you:
Asan Immigration Center
- Name: Multiculture Immigrant Plus Center
- Aaddress: 충남 아산시 시장길 29
- Link: https://naver.me/F0Ka4HBz
Pyeongtaek Immigration Center
- Name:수원 출입국외국인청 평택출장소
- Address: 경기 평택시 경기대로 1375 CK타워
- Link: https://naver.me/x0ah7hvq
2. Applying for an FRC on Osan Air Force Base
If you have a home address in Pyeongtaek, you can avoid the immigration office and submit your paperwork to the Korean immigration office on Osan Air Force Base. However, each applicant needs to be physically present with their own copy of the following documents:
1. Passport Photo, which should be glued to #2
2. ARC application, which may be found at https://www.hikorea.go.kr/board/BoardApplicationListR.pt?page=1#this
3. Copy of Lease, if the person requesting the FRC is NOT the person listed on the lease, then you also need to include a copy of the passport for the person who IS listed on the lease.
4. Copy of Passport
5. Copy of Birth Certificate for kids entering a Korean school
6. Copy of ID or military ID, if applicable
7. Copy of orders, if applicable
Your FRC should be available within three weeks. The school should also provide you with the necessary documentation for the subsidy, but you will not need that information when applying for the FRC. Ensure you get all this done so you can apply for daycare and kindergarten discounts for foreigner residents.
LeaDan Yee holds a Master’s in Education with a focus in Secondary Education and Teaching – Language Arts and Bachelor’s in Psychology, with a minor in Speech.
As a Cultural Liaison and Content Creator at South of Seoul, Ms. Yee focuses on creating content for families interested in traveling and those with toddlers. She is especially interested in opportunities to share her Native Hawaiian background and empower others to be cultural ambassadors.
Prior to joining South of Seoul, LeaDan worked as a High School Speech Teacher and Adjunct Communications Professor. She specializes in Public Speaking, Argumentation and Debate, Team Management, and Event Planning.
