Travel Agency (Travel Business) Registration in Korea

What is travel agency registration, and what types exist?

Anyone running a travel business must register with the head of the si/gun/gu (district head). A general travel agency serves both Korean nationals and foreigners travelling in Korea and abroad and includes arranging visa procedures. An overseas/domestic travel agency serves Korean nationals travelling in Korea and abroad (also including visa procedures), and a domestic travel agency serves Korean nationals travelling in Korea.

What are the requirements?

(1) Capital and office: the applicant must have the required capital (paid-in capital for a corporation; asset valuation for an individual) and facilities. A general travel agency needs KRW 50 million or more, an overseas/domestic agency KRW 30 million or more, and a domestic agency KRW 15 million or more (a temporary KRW 7.5 million rule applied to applications from 2024-07-01 to 2026-06-30, which has passed as of the reference date). All need ownership or use rights over the office.

(2) Disqualification: persons under adult guardianship or limited guardianship, undischarged bankrupts, and persons less than 2 years past a cancellation of registration or closure of business premises cannot register; for a corporation the same applies if an officer falls under these grounds. For travel agencies, a person less than 2 years past completing (or being exempted from) a prison sentence or on a suspended sentence also cannot register.

(3) Guarantee insurance: before starting, a travel agency must take out guarantee insurance (or mutual aid) covering damages related to travel contracts, or deposit a business guarantee, and keep it in force. A package-tour organizer must additionally cover the package tours.

Which documents are needed?

The tourism business registration application with: (1) a business plan, (2) proof of paid-in capital (for an individual, a list of business assets and supporting documents), (3) proof of ownership or use rights over real estate if the registry cannot confirm them, and (4) proof of foreign investment for foreign-invested companies. The authority checks the corporate registry and real estate registry through shared administrative information.

A foreign applicant (for a corporation, its representative and officers) must submit documents showing no disqualification grounds apply: a document issued by the home-country government or competent authority, or a notarized statement confirmed by a Korean consulate, or, for Apostille countries, a document bearing an Apostille. The application is submitted to the head of the si/gun/gu.

What is the procedure?

(1) Prepare capital and an office → (2) submit the application and documents → (3) the registration certificate is issued if the registration standards are met → (4) take out guarantee insurance or deposit the guarantee before starting, and submit proof without delay.

How long does it take?

The law only requires the certificate to be issued if the application meets the registration standards; a statutory number of processing days was not confirmed in this review, so none is given. Ask the receiving office for its processing period.

Which authority receives the registration?

The head of the si/gun/gu (district head) with jurisdiction over the business premises.

What is the statutory fee?

New registration costs KRW 30,000 (KRW 20,000 for a foreigner-tourist urban guesthouse). Change registration is KRW 15,000 and a succession report is KRW 20,000. The basis is Article 79 of the Tourism Promotion Act. The guarantee insurance amount is not a fee but the coverage amount, set by the prior business year's revenue; in the first business year the bracket for prior revenue under KRW 100 million applies, i.e. KRW 20 million (domestic), KRW 30 million (overseas/domestic) and KRW 50 million (general) — the table is in thousands of won. (Enforcement Rule effective 2025-12-29. Private service fees are not statutory fees and are excluded.)

Why is a registration rejected or supplementation requested?

Reasons confirmed in the law: capital below the standard, insufficient proof of ownership or use of the office, a disqualification ground (including for officers), or missing documents showing a foreign applicant has no disqualification ground. Running a travel business without registration can lead to up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 30 million.

What can an administrative attorney help with?

YouSun Administrative Attorney prepares and submits application or report documents on your authorization. Work restricted by other laws cannot be handled, and litigation or court representation is lawyer work and is not offered. Approval, registration or acceptance, and the outcome, are decided by the competent authority.