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43-6 · Welfare, veterans & labour

Nursing Home (Elderly Care Facility) Establishment and Long-Term Care Institution Designation

A nursing home (elderly care facility) can admit long-term care benefit recipients only after filing a report on the installation of an elderly medical welfare facility with the city/county/district office having jurisdiction over the site under Article 35 of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, and then obtaining designation as a long-term care institution from the same office under Article 31 of the Act on Long-Term Care Insurance for Senior Citizens. An elderly care facility must have a capacity of 10 or more residents and at least 23.6㎡ of total floor area per resident, while a group home for elderly care (5 to 9 residents) must have at least 20.5㎡ per resident. Ownership of the land and building must in principle be proven; only in cases set by the Enforcement Rule, such as group homes, may proof of a right of use such as a lease substitute for it. For designation, the local designation review committee examines the applicant's history of providing benefits, past administrative sanctions, the operating plan, and local demand including the elderly population, and an applicant falling under a disqualification ground, such as a person for whom 5 years have not passed since completing a prison sentence of imprisonment without labor or heavier, cannot be designated. The designation is valid for 6 years. Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office prepares and submits the installation report and the designation application on the client's behalf as an administrative agent.

HWANG YUNSANG ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICESONGDO · 37.3892° N / 126.6439° E
#Nursing Home (Elderly Care Facility) Establishment and Long-Term Care Institution Designation#Official check#43-6
🌐 Procedure for Setting Up a Nursing Home (Senior Care Facility)
01

Procedure

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Notification Difficulty Low

    You submit the statutory report form and required documents. Once the documents are in order the report is accepted; for some reports the authority checks the contents before accepting it.

  • Certification Difficulty High

    Designation or certification after document review and on-site evaluation against the criteria set by the agency. The result depends on the evaluation score or review outcome.

  1. 01

    Decide facility type and capacity: Choose between an elderly care facility (10 or more residents) and a group home for elderly care (5 to 9 residents), and calculate the required floor area (23.6㎡ or 20.5㎡ per resident).

  2. 02

    Check building rights and use: Confirm in the building register whether the building is classified for facilities for the elderly and children or can be converted, and review before signing whether ownership proof is required or a lease can substitute.

  3. 03

    Prepare space and equipment: Provide bedrooms of at least 6.6㎡ per resident with no more than 4 residents per shared room, and install wheelchair-accessible space, threshold removal, fire extinguishing equipment, and emergency exits under Annex 4 of the Enforcement Rule.

  4. 04

    Secure staff: Sign employment contracts with the facility head, nurses or nursing assistants, and care workers (1 per 2.1 residents at elderly care facilities, 1 per 3 residents at group homes) according to the staffing standards, and organize copies of their licenses.

  5. 05

    File the installation report: Submit the installation report with a location map, floor plan, equipment and structure statement, documents on deposits and fees borne by residents, a business plan covering links with medical institutions, and proof of rights to the land and building, then receive the installation report certificate once accepted.

  6. 06

    Apply for designation: Submit the designation application with general, staffing, and facility status reports, a business plan, and operating rules; after review by the designation review committee a long-term care institution designation certificate is issued, or the reasons for refusal are notified in writing.

02

Filing route

Filing route

City/county/district office having jurisdiction over the facility site

Confirm the current filing office, jurisdiction, and online availability on the official website.

Official check
Actual processing agencyCompetent city, county, or district office · National Health Insurance Service
Statutory and policy authorityMinistry of Health and Welfare
Online routeCompetent Korean authority or official service
03

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Check deadlines and next steps against the notice, filing date, and any request for additional documents.Official check
04

Basic documents

Basic documents

Basic documents0 / 8

노인의료복지시설 설치신고서(별지 제16호서식)

HWP originalPDF

Source: Korea National Law Information Center, 「노인복지법 시행규칙」 별지 제16호서식(effective 2025.12.29.) · checked 2026.10.26. · the form is in Korean; confirm it is the current version before submitting.

장기요양기관 지정(지정갱신)신청서(별지 제19호서식)

HWP originalPDF

Source: Korea National Law Information Center, 「노인장기요양보험법 시행규칙」 별지 제19호서식(effective 2025.12.12.) · checked 2026.10.26. · the form is in Korean; confirm it is the current version before submitting.

If you sign a lease or start interior work before confirming whether the building's use can be changed and whether the facility may be set up on leased premises, the installation report may not be accepted and the rent and construction costs can be lost.

Scope of services

Scope of services

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office prepares and translates documents for administrative agencies, submits them on your behalf, and guides you through permit, application, and notification procedures. Services that require the principal’s personal appearance, principal’s application, or electronic signature may be limited in delegation.