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Accommodation registration & reporting

Foreign Tourist Urban Homestay Business Registration — Residence, 230㎡ and Rate Posting Checks Before Running an Airbnb

A resident of an urban area who wants to provide lodging and meals to foreign tourists in the home where they live must register a foreign tourist urban homestay business, a tourist-use facility business under the Tourism Promotion Act, with the mayor, county head or district head. Only detached houses, multi-household houses, apartments, row houses and multiplex houses qualify, and the registration standards are a total floor area under 230㎡, a foreign language guidance system, a fire extinguisher and per-room detectors, and rate tables posted at the premises and on online booking pages. The registration fee is 20,000 won.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-10-06 · Updated 2026-10-29

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Registration Difficulty Medium

    The authority checks whether the statutory registration requirements, such as facilities, staff and capital, are met before issuing a registration certificate. Registration can be refused if the requirements are not met.

  1. 1. Check whether the house qualifies

    The house must be in an urban area under the National Land Planning and Utilization Act (excluding rural and semi-rural areas), and it must be a detached house, multi-household house, apartment, row house or multiplex house where the applicant actually lives. The total floor area must be under 230㎡, and building types not on this list cannot be registered.

  2. 2. Prepare safety devices and foreign language guidance

    Keep at least one fire extinguisher and install a stand-alone smoke detector in every guest room. If the house uses individual heating, a carbon monoxide alarm is also required in every guest room. A system allowing the applicant or family to guide guests in a foreign language is also a registration standard.

  3. 3. Prepare the rate table

    You must post a rate table at the premises and, if you use an online booking platform for business, on that platform as well, and you must charge the posted rates. Violations carry a 5-day business suspension for the first offense, 15 days for the second, 1 month for the third and cancellation of registration for the fourth.

  4. 4. Apply to the district office

    Submit the tourism business registration application with a business plan, floor plan and layout plan to the tourism department of the city, county or district office. The official checks the real estate register, and if the register does not show your right of use, you submit proof such as a lease agreement. If the standards are met, a tourism business registration certificate is issued.

  5. 5. Manage after registration

    The items subject to change of registration for a foreign tourist urban homestay business are a change of trade name or representative, and the change of registration must be applied for within 30 days from the date the reason for the change arises. Even if facilities change, for example by adding guest rooms, the registration standards such as a total housing floor area under 230㎡ and a standalone smoke detector in each guest room must continue to be met. The safety and hygiene training obligation and the ban on installing hidden cameras take effect on February 1, 2027.

Required documents

  • Tourism business registration application
  • Business plan
  • Document stating the applicant's name and resident registration number (foreign applicants submit home-country documents proving no disqualification)
  • Floor plan and layout plan of the facility
  • Proof of right to use the house (lease agreement, etc., if not confirmed by the real estate register)
  • Installation status of fire extinguisher, stand-alone smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms
  • Rate table for posting at the premises and online
  • Letter of authorization (when submitted by an agent)

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • from KRW 500,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

The fee for new registration is 20,000 won and the fee for change of registration is 15,000 won. Government fees are separate. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the housing type, the scope of the business plan and floor plan work, and any supplementation requested by the district office; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 3
  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 4
  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 14-2
  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 20-3
  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 20-4
  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 35
  • Enforcement Decree of the Tourism Promotion Act Article 2
  • Enforcement Decree of the Tourism Promotion Act Article 3
  • Enforcement Decree of the Tourism Promotion Act Article 5 and Annex 1
  • Enforcement Decree of the Tourism Promotion Act Annex 2
  • Enforcement Rule of the Tourism Promotion Act Article 2
  • Enforcement Rule of the Tourism Promotion Act Article 3
  • Enforcement Rule of the Tourism Promotion Act Annex 23
  • Enforcement Decree of the Tourism Promotion Act Article 6
  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 78
  • Tourism Promotion Act Article 86
  • Tourism Promotion Act Addenda (Act No. 20739) Article 1
  • Tourism Promotion Act Addenda (Act No. 21087) Articles 1 and 2
  • Enforcement Rule of the Tourism Promotion Act Attached Form 1

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • Accepting domestic guests outside the registered scope for foreign tourists can lead to sanctions from a 1-month business suspension up to cancellation of registration.
  • From February 1, 2027, a person sentenced to imprisonment without labor or heavier for a sex crime, within 2 years after the sentence was served or while on probation, cannot operate a foreign tourist urban homestay business or work in it, and if a registered operator falls under this, the registration is cancelled or the business premises closed within 3 months. This ground for disqualification applies to persons who seek to operate or work in the business after the effective date.

Frequently asked questions

Can I accept Korean guests after registering as an urban homestay?
In principle, no. A foreign tourist urban homestay business provides lodging and meals to foreign tourists, and the only exception is a village enterprise under an urban regeneration plan that gives priority to foreign tourists and accepts domestic tourists without disrupting their use. Operating outside the registered business scope carries sanctions starting from a 1-month business suspension.
Can I register if I rent out the whole house without living there?
No. The law requires a resident of an urban area to use the house in which they live, so it must be the applicant's actual home.
Can an officetel or commercial building be registered?
No. Eligible housing is limited to detached houses, multi-household houses, apartments, row houses and multiplex houses, and buildings not on this list do not qualify. The total floor area must also be under 230㎡.
Do rates listed on Airbnb fall under the rate posting duty?
Yes. The rate table must be posted not only at the premises but also on any online interface used for business, and the posted rates must be followed. Violations carry sanctions starting from a 5-day business suspension.
Does an administrative agent handle foreign tourist urban homestay registration?
Yes. Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office prepares an eligibility checklist for the house, drafts the registration application and business plan, organizes attachments such as floor plans and rate tables, submits them to the district office on your behalf, and prepares change of registration documents.

Other guides in this area

Contact us

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

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This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.