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

Procedure

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

   Registered operators must complete safety and hygiene training, and installing hidden cameras in lodging facilities is grounds for cancellation of registration and other sanctions. If registered details such as the number of rooms change, apply for a change of registration within 30 days of the change.

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

Generally in the range of several hundred thousand won to several million won in the industry. We quote after consultation based on the housing type, the scope of the business plan and floor plan work, and any supplementation requested by the district office. Government fees are separate (20,000 won for new registration, 15,000 won for change of registration).

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

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-06

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.
• 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 or work in the business, and the registration is cancelled within 3 months if this applies.

Frequently asked questions