Hagwon Establishment, Expansion and Relocation Registration — Check Building Use and Classroom Area First

Procedure

1. 1. Check the building use

   In the building register, check that the use of the unit is Class 2 neighborhood living facility (private teaching institute) or educational and research facility. If the use does not match, a change of use must come first, and in some buildings the change is difficult because of the condition of the building. It is safest to check before signing the lease.

2. 2. Check classroom area, stairs and fire safety standards

   Classroom area standards are set by ordinance of each metropolitan or provincial office of education and differ by course of instruction. The area is calculated as net classroom area, excluding corridors and the staff room. Depending on the floor area or the total area of the building, a certificate of completion of fire-fighting facilities may be required, and the obligation to install 2 direct stairs must also be checked before construction.

3. 3. Prepare and submit the application for registration (registration of change)

   Attach the institute regulations, facility floor plan, building register, lease contract and other documents to the application for registration of establishment and operation of a private teaching institute (for expansion or relocation, the application for registration of change) and submit it to the district office of education. Tuition fees are registered at the same time.

4. 4. On-site inspection and issuance of the registration certificate

   The official in charge visits the site, measures the classroom area and checks the facilities. If the drawing differs from the actual premises, a request for supplementation is issued, so the floor plan should be drawn from actual measurements. When the check is complete, the registration certificate is issued.

Required documents

• Application for registration of establishment and operation of a private teaching institute (for expansion or relocation, application for registration of change)
• Full text of the institute regulations
• Facility floor plan (showing net classroom area)
• Building register
• Lease contract
• Certificate of completion of fire-fighting facilities (if applicable)
• Instructor hiring documents (for native-speaker instructors, E-2 (Foreign Language Instructor) visa documents separately)

Fees

The office's basic fee for handling permits, authorizations and reports starts from 300,000 won and varies depending on whether it is a new registration or a registration of change and on the extent of facility corrections needed. The registration fee set by the district office of education is separate, and costs for drawings and fire safety corrections may arise depending on site conditions. We will advise you of the fee after a consultation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 6
• Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 8
• Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 22
• Enforcement Decree of the Building Act, Article 34
• Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, Article 4
• Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, attached Table 3

Checked against the statutes on 2026-09-30

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

• Check the direct stairs and fire safety standards before interior construction. If a problem is found after construction, the work has to be done again.
• Recruiting or teaching students before the registration certificate is issued constitutes unregistered operation.

Frequently asked questions