What are the legal requirements for registering a pet in Korea, and how does the process work for foreigners?

Pet registration is mandatory in Korea for all dogs over 2 months old, with fines up to 1 million won for non-compliance. Cats are not legally required to be registered but it's strongly recommended. The process is the same for foreigners as Koreans and takes about 30 minutes at any authorized animal hospital or registration agency.

You'll need your ARC, your pet, and the animal. Choose between three methods: an internal microchip (around 80,000 won, lasts a lifetime, most reliable), an external chip on the collar (40,000 won, can be lost), or an external tag (15,000 won). The microchip is strongly recommended since it's required for international travel anyway. After registration, you'll get a registration number and your pet's info enters the national Animal Registration System. To bring a pet into Korea, you need a rabies vaccination certificate at least 30 days old, an ISO microchip, and a health certificate from your home country issued within 10 days of travel. Quarantine is now usually waived for dogs and cats from rabies-free or low-risk countries with proper documentation. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (apqa.go.kr) has English forms and the latest country-specific requirements.