Can an international student pay a Korean dormitory deposit from an overseas bank account?
I have accepted a dormitory offer from a university in Suwon and need to pay the deposit before arriving in Korea. I would like to know what payment reference or proof I should keep if the transfer is sent from a family member's overseas account.
Note: This is an editorial persona question created from common experiences of foreign residents in Korea.
1 Answer
Whether a transfer from a family member’s overseas account is accepted depends on the university dormitory’s payment rules, so ask the dormitory office to confirm this in writing before sending it. Request the exact beneficiary name, Korean bank name and address, account number, SWIFT code, required currency, amount that must arrive after fees, payment deadline, and the reference format. Put the student’s full name, application or student number, and dormitory name in the transfer reference if the university instructs you to do so. Also ask whether intermediary and receiving-bank fees must be paid by the sender and whether a sender name different from the student’s needs advance approval. Keep the dormitory invoice, the university’s payment instructions, the SWIFT or wire receipt showing the transaction reference and amount, and the family member’s account debit confirmation. Email those documents to the dormitory office and ask for written confirmation that the deposit was matched to your account. Korea’s government-run Study in Korea site explains that international bank transfers can use telegraphic transfer, but it does not set an individual university’s dormitory acceptance policy: https://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/en/life/livingAndHousing.do?tab=banking Checked: 2026-08-10.