How to Apply for an Activity Permit in a Development Restriction Zone — Greenbelt Building and Land Alteration Permit Eligibility and Application Documents

Procedure

1. 1. Check the land status against permitted facilities

   Confirm with the land use plan confirmation whether the land is in a development restriction zone, and review the land category and the land category and existing buildings at the time of designation together with the building register. Compare whether the planned facility is a permitted facility under Annex 1 of the Enforcement Decree and whether it meets the restrictions on the installer (the State or local governments, farmers, residents at the time of designation, etc.) and on size. For example, new houses may be built only on land whose category has been building site since the zone was designated or on land with an existing house, and livestock barns are limited to 1,000 ㎡ per household including existing area, with the Seoul metropolitan area and the Busan area subject to separate limits set within that range by Ordinance of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

2. 2. Distinguish permits, reports, and minor activities

   An extension, reconstruction, or major repair of a house or neighborhood living facility is subject to a report if the total floor area including the existing area is 100 ㎡ or less or the extended area is 85 ㎡ or less. Felling bamboo and trees over an area of less than 500 ㎡ or a volume of less than 5 ㎥, and altering land to change a rice paddy into a field, are also subject to a report under Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree. Activities beyond this scope require a permit, and activities that require a management plan can be permitted only if the management plan has already been established.

3. 3. Review the detailed standards and prepare the project plan documents

   Under Annex 2 of the Enforcement Decree, the plan must be the minimum size necessary, forests and consolidated farmland are in principle excluded from building sites, and building is not permitted on a site of less than 60 ㎡. Houses and neighborhood living facilities built at a building coverage ratio of 60% or less are limited to 3 stories, a floor area ratio of 300%, and a total floor area of 232 ㎡ including the existing area (300 ㎡ for residents at the time of designation). Prepare a location map and project plan documents, and also a landscaping plan if the land alteration exceeds 200 ㎡.

4. 4. Prepare the activity permit application and submit it to the city, county, or district

   Land alteration, earth and stone extraction, felling bamboo and trees, land division, and piling up goods are applied for with the Activity Permit Application (Report) under Form No. 1 of the Enforcement Rule, and construction or change of use of buildings and installation of structures with the relevant application under the Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, submitted to the development restriction zone department of the city, county, or district. The processing period of Form No. 1 is 15 days, and there is no fee. Construction of 1,500 ㎡ or more in total floor area or land alteration of 5,000 ㎡ or more (10,000 ㎡ or more for cultivation) takes longer because it goes through public inspection for at least 14 days, consultation with related agencies, and urban planning committee deliberation.

5. 5. Fulfill permit conditions and pass the completion inspection

   Because the provisions of the National Land Planning and Utilization Act on performance guarantee deposits, restoration, and completion inspection apply to the permit, carry out the work according to the permit conditions and pass the completion inspection. A person who receives a land alteration permit or building permit may be subject to the development restriction zone conservation charge under Article 21 of the Act, so check the details of the charge notice.

Required documents

• Activity Permit Application (Report) (Enforcement Rule of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Form No. 1) or Building, Major Repair, and Change of Use Permit Application (Enforcement Rule of the Building Act, Form No. 1-4)
• Location map
• Project plan documents
• Landscaping plan (where applying for a land alteration permit for land exceeding 200 ㎡ to construct a building or install a structure other than a livestock barn, a temporary building for construction, or a temporary facility)
• Documents proving the application, such as the land use plan confirmation and land and building registers (including materials confirming the land category and existing house at the time of designation)
• Documents proving eligibility to install (a farmer confirmation, materials confirming the period of residence, etc., where applicable to the facility)
• For buildings and structures, design documents required for a building permit (prepared by an architect)
• Letter of authorization (where an administrative agent submits on your behalf)

Fees

Generally in the range of several hundred thousand won in the industry · We provide a quote after consultation based on whether a permit or report applies, the scope of review of permitted facility eligibility, and the volume of project plan documents and supporting documents. Surveying and design document costs and the conservation charge are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 12
• Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 14
• Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 21
• Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 30
• Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 30-2
• Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 31
• Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 32
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 13
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 19
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 20
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Annex 1
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Annex 2
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 4
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Article 12
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on Special Measures for the Designation and Management of Development Restriction Zones, Form No. 1

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-15

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

• Even for permitted facilities, the installer, size, and location conditions differ by facility, and city, county, or district ordinances may separately set livestock barn structures or facility sizes, so check the standards of the relevant city, county, or district before buying land or signing a design contract.
• Building differently from the permit or changing the use makes the permit subject to cancellation and a corrective order, and charges for compelling compliance are imposed repeatedly until the order is carried out, so if a change arises, obtain a change permit before construction.

Frequently asked questions