Foreign children can attend Korean daycare centers and kindergartens, but the national free-childcare support is only for children with Korean nationality (plus a few exceptions such as recognized refugees). A foreign child usually pays the full fee unless your city or province has its own program. Seoul now covers 50% for ages 0 to 2 and 70% for ages 3 to 5.
Key facts
| Daycare (어린이집) | Ages 0 to 5. Apply and join waiting lists on the Childcare Portal (아이사랑, childcare.go.kr) |
| Kindergarten (유치원) | Ages 3 to 5. Mostly applied for online in the autumn for a March start |
| National fee support | Korean-national children only, with exceptions such as recognized refugees |
| Seoul support for foreign children | 50% of the fee (ages 0 to 2, from January 2026) and 70% (ages 3 to 5, from March 2026). Residence card needed; undocumented children excluded |
| Seoul contact | Seoul childcare division 02-2133-5109 |
Daycare vs kindergarten
| Daycare center (어린이집) | Kindergarten (유치원) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ages | 0 to 5 | 3 to 5 |
| Hours | Long day, often 7:30 to 19:30 | Shorter core day plus optional afternoon care |
| Types | Public (국공립), workplace, private, home daycare (가정) | Public (국공립) and private |
| Curriculum | Nuri curriculum for ages 3 to 5 | Nuri curriculum |
Both are now overseen by the Ministry of Education. For ages 3 to 5 they follow the same national Nuri curriculum (누리과정), so the choice is often about hours, location and cost.
Who gets free childcare and who does not
Korean-national children (including children of a Korean and a foreign parent, dual nationals, and children of two foreign parents who hold Korean nationality) get government fee support, paid through a National Happiness Card (국민행복카드). They also get child benefits such as parent pay and child allowance.
Foreign-national children are usually not covered by national fee support. The exceptions in the national rules are narrow, such as recognized refugees (난민인정자) and special contributors (특별기여자). Refugee applicants and humanitarian status holders are generally not included.
If your child has Korean nationality through one parent, register the birth with the Korean family register and get a resident registration number first. Without it, the system treats the child as foreign and support will not start.
Local support for foreign children
Some local governments now pay part of the fee for foreign children. Rules differ, and most require a residence card (외국인등록증) and residence in that area.
| Region | Support (as reported) |
|---|---|
| Seoul | 50% of the standard fee for ages 0 to 2 and children with disabilities (from January 2026); 70% for ages 3 to 5 (from March 2026). Daycare only. Undocumented children excluded |
| Jeonbuk (Jeollabuk-do) | Support for foreign children aged 0 to 5 extended to all cities and counties from March 2026 |
| Gyeongbuk | From the second half of 2024, full Nuri-course fee (₩280,000 a month at the time) for foreign children aged 3 to 5 in daycare |
Other cities and districts run their own programs or are planning them. Ask your district office (구청) childcare team or your daycare center.
How Seoul’s program works. The foreign parent gets a National Happiness Card and pays the daycare fee with it. The city’s share is applied at payment, so you are only charged the remaining part. You need a valid residence card.
How to apply for a place
Daycare.
- Sign up on the Childcare Portal (아이사랑, childcare.go.kr). Foreign parents can register with a foreigner registration number.
- Apply to the waiting lists of the centers you want. You can apply to a limited number at once.
- When a place opens, the center contacts you. After admission, the center registers the child with the district office using the child’s residence card or passport and birth record.
Public (국공립) centers are cheap and popular, so waiting lists can be long. National priority categories (for example dual-income or multicultural families) are mainly for Korean-national children; foreign-national children are usually placed in the general order.
Kindergarten. Most kindergartens take applications online through the national admission system (처음학교로) in the autumn, with a lottery for popular public kindergartens. Some private kindergartens also accept direct applications. Contact the kindergarten if you arrive mid-year.
What it costs without support
Fees depend on the child’s age and the type of center, and are set each year by the government and local authorities. Private daycare and private kindergartens can also charge extra for activities, meals and transport. Ask each center for its monthly fee table and any extra charges before you enroll.
Two parents on E-7 visas in Mapo, Seoul, enroll their 4-year-old in a public daycare center. The child is a foreign national, so no national support applies. Under Seoul's 2026 program they get a National Happiness Card, and when they pay, the city covers 70% of the standard fee. They still pay extra activity costs themselves.
English-language and international preschools
Many “English kindergartens” (영어유치원) are private academies (학원), not kindergartens in law. They are not covered by any fee support and fees are high. International schools may also run pre-K classes. See international and foreign schools.
Common questions
Can a foreign child be refused a daycare place?
Centers decide admissions within the national rules. Foreign children can apply, but they usually do not get priority points, so popular centers may take longer.
My child is Korean but I am foreign. Do I get free childcare?
Yes. Support follows the child’s nationality. If the child holds Korean nationality and a resident registration number, you get the same support as Korean families.
We are refugees. Can we get support?
Recognized refugees are included in national support. Refugee applicants and humanitarian status holders generally are not; check with your district office or Danuri (1577-1366).
Is home childcare allowance available to foreigners?
The home childcare allowance (가정양육수당) follows the same nationality rule as fee support, so foreign-national children generally cannot get it.
Official sources
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: daycare fee support for foreign children (updated March 2026)
- Bokjiro: Parent pay (부모급여) eligibility, incl. foreign parents of Korean children
- Kyunghyang Shinmun: Jeonbuk extends daycare fee support to foreign children (Feb. 2026)
- Kyongbuk Maeil: Gyeongbuk pays full Nuri-course fees for foreign children (2024)
This guide explains the general rules as of the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so confirm with the office named here (or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.