Housing Allowance

A teacher might opt to get a housing allowance instead of staying in employer-provided housing. For the housing allowance, a GET will receive 450 000 won which will be deposited into their chosen bank account on the same day when salary is paid. Please note this is taxable income.

Allowance with your first GMOE contract

If you would like to receive the housing allowance starting from your first contract with the GMOE, you will need to select this option on your EPIK application during the hiring process. You must provide EPIK with a valid mailing address in Korea prior to hire in order to qualify. This option is generally only possible if you are already living in Korea or have otherwise clearly demonstrated that you are capable of securing a bona fide residence for yourself (i.e., not a short-term stay at a hotel), including proof of a signed contract. Your apartment hunt must not affect your ability to fulfill your normal job duties or interfere with onboarding training programs or the normal operations of your workplace(s). Once you opt to receive housing allowance, it is not possible to switch to provided housing.

Allowance with a renewal GMOE contract

If you would like to receive the housing allowance with a renewal contract, please contact the GET Program Manager as soon as you have made this decision. You will need to submit a Housing Allowance Form at least two months before the end of your contract. Your co-teacher will need to submit it to us as an official document. Please make sure he/ she does so!

Housing Allowance Form PDF (2022)

Housing Allowance Form HWP (2022)

Change of Address

Please note that you need to inform immigration of your change of address within 14 days of the start of your new lease. If you do not do this, you could be subject to a fine. You can do this by visiting immigration or your local district office with your ARC, passport and signed lease. Alternatively, you can report this online by visiting hikorea.go.kr.

Key Money Deposit

Many foreigners are not aware of the concept of Jonse (전세) and Wolse (월세) when looking for an apartment in Korea. The deposits required for these systems are referred to in English as "key money".

Jonse is when a tenant puts down a significantly large amount of key money and lives in the apartment rent-free.

Wolse is a key money plus monthly rental system which is the advisable option for GETs. With the wolse system, the key money required for a small apartment suitable for a GET ranges between 2 million to 5 million won. This money needs to be paid upfront so please budget accordingly should you wish to choose the housing allowance option. The money will be returned to you upon successful completion of your lease. The key money amount can be negotiated with the landlord and the higher key money you put down, the lower your monthly rent will be. The general rule is that 1 million won extra added to the key money results in a 10 000 won reduction in monthly rent.

Changing Apartments

Please note that finding a new apartment is your responsibility and your co-teacher is not obliged to help you with this process. There are a number of apps that can assist you in the search for an apartment, such as Dabang (다방), Zigbang (직방) or Sarangbang (사랑방).

It is also important to note that it is nearly impossible to sign a lease in advance. Most landlords will only sign a lease a week before move-in date, so be prepared.

When you change apartments, please ensure that all the employer-provided housing items (see Apartments) are left at your old apartment. There is no budget to assist you with furnishing your new apartment and this is your responsibility. All costs associated with moving are to be borne by you.