[Refugee News] Emergency financial relief from the Seoul Metropolitan Government for foreign residents
First, check whether you or your household are eligible.
The head of the household must hold a G-1 or F-2 visa. The head of the household must have had an address in Seoul for more than 90 days. Then check your household members. Household members here are different from family members: they are the people of the head of the household who are covered by the same employee health insurance or local health insurance and whose names appear on the same alien registration certificate.
Next, add up the income of all members of your household.
For a household of two people, when the total income is less than 2,991,980 won, the household can apply for the financial relief.
How do you apply? You can apply online or by visiting a government office. Online applications start at 9 a.m. on Monday, August 31, on the website http://fds.seoul.go.kr (the website had not opened yet), or you can apply by visiting a government office from September 14. Online applications and visit applications end on September 25.
Do you also remember the system for distributing face masks? You could buy a mask on a specific day according to your year of birth. The same method applies here, so check your day of birth.
What do you need to prepare to apply?
- Health insurance registration certificate (you can get it from the health insurance office, 033-811-2000, ☏1577-1000).
- Alien registration certificate (you can get it from the immigration office or the local community center).
- Agreement on the collection and use of personal information (for the online application, you can print it from the application website; you must get the signatures of all household members on this sheet).
When will you get the result of your application?
About two weeks after the date of application.
Will you receive it in cash?
No. You will be given a prepaid card valid until December 15, and, most importantly, this card can only be used in Seoul, and only in shops and restaurants.
For more information, read the poster carefully or call 02-120 (multilingual consultation service is provided).
Can asylum seekers with G-1-5 apply for the emergency financial relief for foreign residents in Seoul?
Cases of emergency financial relief for foreign residents in Seoul
Case 1: An asylum seeker with employee health insurance. If you or your household members have employee health insurance, you are eligible for the emergency financial relief for foreign residents in Seoul.
Bring your ID and your alien registration certificate. You can get it from the community center or the immigration office.
You do not need to bring a health insurance card or certificate; the officer at the office can check your insurance enrollment through the computer system.
Case 2: An asylum seeker without employee health insurance. You have neither local health insurance nor employee health insurance, so the officer cannot verify your household members. Therefore, bring your alien registration certificate, which shows the family members living together.
In addition, you must explain why you do not have health insurance (you can say that you cannot get local insurance and have no contract with an employer), and you must tell them if you have worked or had any job (part-time job) since 2018. People who have not worked at all in the past two years are not eligible for this assistance; but if you have worked for a short period between 2018 and now, you are eligible.
Case 3: Residents with humanitarian stay status. You have local health insurance or employee health insurance. Through your health insurance, your enrollment will be confirmed and information about your household members will also appear. So just bring your ID card and your alien registration certificate.
Notice: You can also apply online on the website http://fds.seoul.go.kr/. Guides are available in English and Arabic. You can download the application form.
