Why can't I sign up for Korean apps, and how do I pass identity verification?

Most Korean sites check who you are with a phone line in your own name, a certificate from a Korean bank, or a similar check tied to a resident or foreign registration number. Without an ARC and a phone in your name, these checks usually fail. What to do 1. Get your ARC. Your foreign registration number is what these checks look up. 2. Get a phone line in your own name using your ARC, with your name exactly as on the ARC. 3. Open a Korean bank account and set up a certificate in the bank app (a joint certificate or a simple-authentication certificate). Many services accept these instead of a phone check. 4. Add a mobile ARC in the government Mobile ID app (age 14+, smartphone in your own name). 5. Still blocked? Look for a foreigner option or ask the service's customer center for another way to verify. Good to know • Some services accept an i-PIN instead; for foreigners it needs a foreign registration number. • Without a phone in your own name, mobile versions of some services (like mobile transit cards) can't be issued; use the physical card. Official sources • Seoul – Climate Pass FAQ, foreigner question (Korean): https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/public/climatecard-faq/faq-climatepass • Seoul – Climate Card short-term pass FAQ, Q12 and Q15 (Korean): https://news.seoul.go.kr/traffic/public/climatecard-faq/faq-short • Financial Services Commission – mobile ARC (Korean): https://www.fsc.go.kr/edu/news/84342 Checked by the Verihood team on October 3, 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you act.