If You Change Smartphones, You Must Reissue Your Mobile Resident Card -- QR Means a Return Visit to the Community Center, IC Means Just Tapping the Card

A mobile resident card is issued in one of two ways

One is the QR type and the other is the IC type. With the QR type, you verify your identity at the community center and scan a one-time QR code with the phone app. With the IC type, the resident registration card itself is replaced with a card that has an IC chip, and you tap that card to the phone to issue the mobile card. If you do not know which one is on your phone now, start with the next sections.

The QR type is free and instant, but changing phones means another visit

The QR type costs nothing and is issued on the spot. In return, if you lose the phone or change to a new device, you have to visit the community center again to be reissued. If you rely only on the mobile card as ID on the day you change phones, you will not be able to use it right after activation. Think of reissue on the new phone as a separate step, apart from wiping the app on the old one.

The IC type can be reissued on a new phone with just the card

With the IC type, even if you change phones you can be reissued using the card without going back to the community center. The catch is that the first time you must replace your resident registration card with the IC chip card. That is the biggest difference from the QR type. It is less hassle for people who change phones often or manage family phones. But you need the physical card in hand when reissuing on a new phone, so if the card is lost, replace the card first.

The IC card requires a fee and a photo

According to published guidance, reissuing an existing resident registration card costs 5,000 won and the IC chip adds 5,000 won, so the IC resident card is 10,000 won in total. When applying you need a 3.5 x 4.5 cm photo taken within the last 6 months. Fees and required documents can change, so check the current rules on Gov24 or with the community center before you go. The IC type has also not spread widely. According to an October 1 report, about 1.97 million of roughly 45 million eligible people had received an IC resident card, around 4.4%.

What to do before you change phones

Setting an order cuts down on wasted trips. First, check in the app whether your mobile resident card is the QR type or the IC type. If it is QR, check whether you need ID on the day you get the new phone (a bank visit, a parcel pickup), and if so, carry your physical resident card or driver's license. Community centers are open on weekday daytime hours, so reissue after work is hard. If it is IC, confirm you have the card. Either way, after issuing on the new phone, test that the ID displays and that the verification screen opens. The most common failure is opening it for the first time at the moment you need it.

Other authentication to check when you change devices

The ID card is not the only thing affected. Certificates also differ in how they move between devices, so it is worth reviewing how the joint certificate and the financial certificate differ in validity and transfer before the switch. If a switch is also a good moment to check for lines opened in your name, see how to check with M-Safer. Photos and contacts often fail to carry over too, so check why automatic backup stops working as well. It is safest to assume that even if the mobile ID app is included in a backup, you must authenticate again on the new device.

If you sell or hand off the old phone, remove apps and accounts first

When you pass on a phone that held your mobile resident card, the order of the reset matters. If you reset without removing the account link, the next person may be unable to use it and your information may remain. The order is covered in why you must remove Google and Apple accounts before a used-phone reset. If the device change involves moving your number, also know the 3-month number porting limit.

Summary: QR means a return visit, IC means tapping the card

In one line: the QR type is free and instant but needs another community center visit when you change phones, while the IC type costs 10,000 won and a photo but can be reissued on a new phone without a visit. This post is general information based on reports and public guidance and does not decide your eligibility or fees. Check the actual procedure and cost in the mobile ID app, at your nearest community center, or on Gov24.