How to Voluntarily Leave Korea If You Overstayed Your Visa

Realizing you’ve overstayed your visa in Korea can feel overwhelming, but leaving voluntarily is usually simpler, cheaper, and far less consequential than waiting to be caught.
Korea’s Preliminary Declaration of Voluntary Departure (자진출국 사전신고) lets many overstaying foreigners file an online pre-notification and depart through the airport without visiting an immigration office beforehand.
Here’s exactly who qualifies, when to file, and what to expect at the airport on departure day.

What Is the Preliminary Declaration of Voluntary Departure?

The Preliminary Declaration of Voluntary Departure is an online notification system, operated through HiKorea, that lets foreigners who have overstayed their visa tell Korean immigration authorities that they intend to leave the country voluntarily, without needing to visit an immigration office in person first. It’s built specifically for people in exactly this situation: your authorized stay has already ended, and you simply want to leave without further complications.

The system is based on Articles 17, 46, and 68 of Korea’s Immigration Control Act, which give overstaying foreigners a formal, lower-friction path to leave the country compared to waiting for an immigration crackdown or being formally deported. Filing this declaration doesn’t erase the fact that you overstayed, but it generally leads to a smoother departure than being caught in an enforcement sweep. If you’re unsure how your original permitted stay period was even calculated, our Korea entry guide to visas and K-ETA explains how those dates are set at entry.

Am I Eligible to Apply?

You’re generally eligible for the Preliminary Declaration of Voluntary Departure if you’re currently overstaying your visa and haven’t already been caught up in a formal immigration enforcement action. The program is designed for people who want to self-report and leave on their own terms, not for those already facing deportation proceedings.

You can use this system if:

• Your authorized stay period has already expired (you are currently an overstayer)
• You have not received a deportation order or another penalty following a prior immigration examination
• You can provide passport details that exactly match your immigration record
• You intend to leave within the filing window described below

How Do I Submit the Online Pre-Notification?

You file the Preliminary Declaration of Voluntary Departure directly on HiKorea, Korea’s official immigration portal for foreign residents. No in-person visit is required for this first step.

1. Go to the HiKorea Preliminary Declaration of Voluntary Departure page and log in
2. Enter your passport information exactly as it appears on your passport. Any mismatch can cause problems later at the airport
3. Enter your confirmed flight details and select your intended departure date
4. Submit the declaration between 3 and 15 days before your departure date (holidays count toward this window)
5. Save or screenshot your confirmation. You’ll need it at the airport

What Happens at the Airport on Departure Day?

Filing online is only the first half of the process. You still need to complete a final in-person check at the airport immigration office on the day you actually leave.

• Arrive at the airport immigration office at least 4 hours before your flight’s scheduled departure
• The airport immigration office handling voluntary departures operates daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Bring the same passport you used for your online submission. Every detail must match exactly

Special Cases: Early-Morning or Late-Night Flights

If your flight departs very early in the morning or late at night, outside the airport immigration office’s normal processing rhythm, you can’t complete this process purely online.

In that case, you’ll need to complete your notification in person at a nearby immigration office instead of submitting it through HiKorea. Contact your local immigration office ahead of time to confirm the exact process for your specific flight time.

What If My Flight Is Cancelled or I Miss My Deadline?

If your flight is cancelled or changed and you can no longer meet your originally declared departure date, you need to request a departure deadline extension, not simply rebook and hope for the best.

Go to the immigration office and request the extension within your original declared timeframe, before that deadline passes. Waiting until after your original window has closed can complicate your case, so it’s worth acting as soon as you know your flight has changed.

Can I Re-Enter Korea After Voluntary Departure?

Leaving through the Preliminary Declaration of Voluntary Departure process is generally treated more favorably than being formally deported, but it doesn’t automatically guarantee you can return to Korea whenever you like.

How long you may be restricted from re-entering depends on your specific case, including how long you overstayed and your individual immigration history, and that determination is made by Korean immigration authorities, not by this online system. Before you finalize your departure plans, it’s worth confirming your situation directly with the Foreigners’ General Information Center (1345) or your local immigration office, especially if returning to Korea in the future matters to you.

Need Help?

For a full walkthrough of standard immigration and customs procedures at Korean airports (separate from the voluntary departure process described here), see our Immigration and Customs guide.

Foreigners’ General Information Center 1345

• Phone Number: 1345 (Domestic) / +82-1345 (International)
• Hours: Weekdays 09:00-22:00
• 09:00-18:00: Supported in 20 languages including Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Mongolian
• 18:00-22:00: Korean, English, Chinese

Useful Official Websites

Voluntary Departure Checklist at a Glance

Refer to this summary to quickly check which situation applies to you.

Your situation	What to do
Currently overstaying, no deportation order yet	File online 3-15 days before departure via HiKorea
Deportation order already issued	Handle in person at an immigration office: online system not available
Early-morning or late-night flight	File in person at a nearby immigration office instead of online
Flight cancelled or deadline at risk	Request a departure deadline extension before your original deadline passes
Passport details unclear or mismatched	Correct your records before filing: mismatches can block departure

FAQ: Voluntary Departure Questions Answered