How to Apply for KIIP: From Signing Up to Course Registration
When you want to start the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP, 사회통합프로그램), it can be hard to know where to click and what to do first. Applying for the Social Integration Program is done entirely online, and it flows in this order: signing up and applying to participate → level placement (단계배정) → course registration (과정신청). This article walks through the points that first-time applicants tend to find confusing, in order.
The whole flow at a glance
Applying breaks down into three main stages. Learning where each stage happens first will keep you from getting confused.
| Order | What you do | Where you do it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sign up and apply to participate | Create an account and apply to join the program | Social Integration Information Network |
| 2. Level placement | Decide your starting level | Social Integration Information Network (the pre-evaluation links out to the evaluation website) |
| 3. Course registration | Register for classes at your assigned level | Social Integration Information Network |
You can only register for actual classes once level placement is finished. In other words, think of "applying" not as a single act but as three parts: applying to participate in the program, level placement to decide your starting level, and course registration to get into a class.
What to prepare before applying
- A valid Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) or Domestic Residence Report Card
- A Social Integration Information Network account
- The test fee, if you plan to get your level assigned through the pre-evaluation (사전평가)
Once you are ready, go to the Social Integration Information Network (socinet.go.kr), sign up and log in, and apply to participate in the Social Integration Program.
Step 1 — Applying for level placement
After logging in, select your level placement (단계배정) method from the Social Integration Program menu. There are two paths.
- Start from Level 0: Begin in order from the most basic level, Level 0 (Basics of Korean Language and Culture), with no test. This suits people who are learning Korean almost from scratch.
- Level placement through the pre-evaluation: If you apply for the pre-evaluation, you will be connected to the dedicated evaluation website (kiiptest.org), where you may pass through a waiting or simplified screen depending on traffic. Based on your test score, you can start from a higher level.
Which path is more advantageous, how to register for the pre-evaluation, and which level each score range places you into are covered in detail in the Complete Pre-evaluation Guide and the Level Placement Criteria and Program Structure articles.
Step 2 — Course registration
Once your level is assigned, you choose and register for the classes (courses) at that level yourself. It generally goes in this order.
- In the Social Integration Program menu, go to Course Information and Registration.
- Set conditions such as the course start date and application period to look up courses you can register for.
- Click the operating institution name of the course you want to check details such as the days, times, location, and capacity.
- Press the Apply button at the bottom of the screen, and confirm once more in the confirmation window.
- When the registration-complete notice appears, your registration is done.
One thing to watch is the registration start time. The exact time course registration opens differs from session to session and from one operating institution to another, so be sure to check the opening time in the notice for each session. Because capacity at popular institutions or time slots fills quickly, if there is a course you want, it is best to register right when applications open.
Depending on the course, a tuition payment notice may follow. The cost of completion and the benefits you receive upon completing are laid out in the KIIP Completion Benefits and Costs article.
If a course is full — waitlisting
If the course you want is already full, you can join the waitlist (대기신청) instead of registering.
- Waitlisting is accepted in the order applicants apply.
- If a spot opens up before classes start, applicants are automatically moved to registered status in waitlist order.
- The waitlist may stay open even after classes begin, but the criteria for converting from the waitlist and for handling attendance can differ by session and operating institution, so check the course details and My Page.
Be sure to remember that being on the waitlist does not mean your enrollment is confirmed. Your enrollment is only confirmed once your turn comes and you are assigned a spot. You can check your waitlist position on My Page.
Checking and cancelling your application
You check the status of your application, waitlist, and placement all on My Page, at the top right of the screen. You can see at a glance which level you are currently at and whether the course you applied for has been assigned.
To cancel an application, open the relevant course in your application/placement history on My Page and press the Cancel Application button. Cancellation may be restricted once the application period has passed, so if you expect your schedule to change, it is safer to sort it out within the period.
How do I check the schedule
Courses are recruited by semester and session, and each session has its own separate application period. Missing the application period means waiting for the next session, so checking the schedule matters.
Specific dates change every session, so this article does not pin them down. Check the most accurate recruitment schedule in the session-by-session notices on the Social Integration Information Network notice board. The pre-evaluation schedule is announced separately on the evaluation website (kiiptest.org).
Common sticking points
- Your sign-up information must match your residence information. If it differs from your Alien Registration Card details, your application can get blocked.
- You cannot register for a course without level placement. You first have to be assigned a level, either by starting at Level 0 or through the pre-evaluation.
- Capacity fills very fast. Certain regions and time slots can fill up right after registration opens, so look into the waitlist and other operating institutions as well.
Key summary
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Application method | Entirely online (Social Integration Information Network) |
| Order | Sign up and apply to participate → level placement → course registration |
| Level placement | Start from Level 0 or take the pre-evaluation |
| Course registration | First-come, first-served within the application period (check the opening time in the session notice) |
| When capacity is full | Waitlist (in order of application); the waitlist does not confirm enrollment |
| Checking / cancelling | Check status and cancel applications on My Page |
Once you finish applying and classes begin, it helps to get comfortable with the vocabulary for each level from the start. If you would like to practice KIIP level-by-level vocabulary in your spare moments, give the KIIP Study app a try.
This article is a guide meant to aid understanding and is not official information. Screen layouts and regulations may change, so check the latest details on the Social Integration Information Network (socinet.go.kr) and the evaluation website (kiiptest.org). (Written as of July 2026)