Procedure for Setting Up a Nursing Home (Senior Care Facility) — Report of Establishment and Designation as a Long-Term Care Institution

Procedure

1. 1. Review the building use and floor area

   Check that the use stated in the building register is a facility for senior citizens and children (noyuja siseol). If it is a different use, first see whether a change of use is possible. A senior care facility with a capacity of 10 or more must meet the standards of 23.6 m² of total floor area per resident, 6.6 m² of bedroom area per person, and no more than 4 persons in 1 shared bedroom.

2. 2. Choose the size of the facility

   Consider a senior care facility if the capacity is 10 or more, and a senior care group home (20.5 m² per person) if it is small. A group home can in some cases be set up in leased commercial premises, which gives a wider choice of locations.

3. 3. Secure fire-fighting equipment and staff

   Install fire-fighting equipment such as sprinklers, and assign a facility director, a nurse (or nursing assistant) and care workers (1 for every 2.1 residents; 1 for every 2 residents in a dementia care unit). If there are 50 or more residents, a dietitian and a secretary general are also required, and employees undergo a criminal record check.

4. 4. Report of establishment

   Prepare the documents on facility standards and staff, and file a report of establishment of a medical welfare facility for senior citizens with the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office. Also arrange a system under which a contract physician visits at least 2 times a month.

5. 5. Apply for designation as a long-term care institution

   Once the report of establishment is accepted, apply for designation as a long-term care institution. The designation review looks at the operating plan and the adequacy of staff and facilities, so the content must match the documents for the report of establishment.

Required documents

• Report of establishment of a medical welfare facility for senior citizens
• Building register (use: facility for senior citizens and children) and floor plan
• Documents proving ownership of the land and building (proof of a right of use, such as a lease, may be substituted only in cases set by statute, such as a senior care group home)
• Certificate of completion of fire-fighting facilities
• List of employees, copies of their qualification certificates, and consent forms for criminal record checks
• Operating regulations and business plan
• Application for designation as a long-term care institution

Fees

There are no government fees for the report of establishment or the application for designation themselves. In the market, fees for preparing establishment documents generally range from several hundred thousand to several million won, and vary with the scope of the change-of-use review and the drafting of operating regulations. We will review the building and your operating plan and advise you on the fee after a consultation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, Article 35
• Enforcement Rule of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, Article 20
• Enforcement Rule of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, attached Table 4
• Enforcement Rule of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, attached Table 5
• Long-Term Care Insurance Act, Article 31
• Enforcement Rule of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, Article 23
• Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, Article 34
• Enforcement Rule of the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, Article 22

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-05

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

• Before signing a lease, first check the building use (facility for senior citizens and children) and whether a change of use is possible.
• Without fire-fighting equipment such as sprinklers, it is difficult to file the report of establishment.

Frequently asked questions