Changing Hagwons on an E-2 Visa: Release Letters, Workplace Change Rules, and Timing

Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Korean immigration rules are applied by officers working from internal manuals that change more often than the statutes, and individual outcomes depend on the contract, the reason it ended, and the office handling the file. The statutory texts cited here were checked on October 14, 2026. Confirm the current requirements with the Korea Immigration Contact Center on 1345 or through HiKorea before acting, and contact the Ministry of Employment and Labor counseling line on 1350 for contract, wage, and severance questions.

This guide covers: whether a letter of release is legally required today and where the requirement actually comes from, the difference between a workplace change report and a workplace change permission for E-2 teachers, why finishing the contract changes almost everything, the documents immigration asks for, when moving on a new visa from abroad makes more sense than an in-country change, what happens to the visa when a teacher quits or is dismissed, the 15-day deadlines on both sides, the D-10 job-seeker option, contract penalties and flight reimbursement under the Labor Standards Act, when final pay and severance are due, a step-by-step sequence for a clean move, and what academies hiring teachers already in Korea need to check.

The short answer: what a release letter really is

Short answer: Korean law has no free-standing "letter of release" requirement. What exists is a document rule: when an E-2 teacher changes workplace inside Korea, the immigration rules list the previous employer's consent (원 근무처 장의 동의서) as a required document, except where the teacher worked until the contract end date, worked until a date both sides agreed, or the previous academy closed or suspended business. A teacher who finishes the contract does not need the previous employer's consent at all.

That is the counterintuitive part. The release letter that dominated E-2 job changes for years still exists in the rules, but it is aimed at one situation only: leaving before the contract ends without the employer's agreement. For everyone else, the old advice that "the academy has to release you" is out of date.

Where the rule is written

The document list for an E-2 workplace change sits in Annex 5-2 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act (출입국관리법 시행규칙 별표 5의2). In the current version, effective September 15, 2026, the E-2 row for a workplace change permission or report lists three items: the new employment contract, the new academy's business registration and academy registration certificate (or the equivalent registration for a lifelong education facility or other organization), and the original employer's consent, with the three exceptions above written into the same line.

A separate Ministry of Justice notice, discussed in the next section, decides whether the teacher can use the simpler report route or has to apply for permission. The previous employer's consent matters there too.

Practical tip: The phrase that matters in the rule is "a date both sides agreed to work until." An early exit that the academy accepts should be put in writing with that end date stated plainly. A one-line signed note confirming the agreed last working day does the same job a release letter used to do, and it is far easier to get on a good day than in the middle of a dispute.

Report or permission: which route an E-2 teacher is on

Short answer: Under Article 21 of the Immigration Act, a change of workplace normally needs permission in advance. Holders of E-1 to E-7 status who meet conditions set by the Ministry of Justice can instead start at the new workplace and report the change within 15 days. E-2 teachers are on the report route unless they were dismissed or quit mid-contract through their own fault and do not have the previous employer's consent, in which case advance permission is required.

The route decides whether a teacher can start work first and file afterward, or must wait for a decision before teaching a single class.

The Ministry of Justice notice

Enforcement Decree Article 26-2 hands the details to a ministry notice, Notice No. 2020-212, in force since June 22, 2020. Its conditions for the report route are:

• Registered status. The teacher must be staying in Korea on E-1 to E-7 status with a completed foreigner registration. A one-time exception allows a report before registration where the contract was terminated unavoidably and without the teacher's fault.
• Qualified for the new job. The teacher must meet the qualifications for the new workplace. The notice's own example is an E-2 public school assistant teacher moving to a private academy, who must hold a bachelor's degree.
• Not excluded. The report route is closed to anyone dismissed or who left mid-contract through their own fault and did not obtain the original employer's consent to the transfer (이적 동의).

The 15-day clocks

Two separate 15-day deadlines run when a teacher changes jobs, one for each side, and a third applies if the teacher moves apartment.

Missing the employer report or the teacher's workplace change report can each lead to a fine of up to ₩2,000,000 under Article 100 of the Act.

Practical tip: Some English-language guides say an employment information report has to be filed through HiKorea as well. Ask at the appointment whether anything beyond the workplace change report is required, and keep the receipt for every filing.

Contract end versus mid-contract

Short answer: A teacher who completes the contract has the strongest position Korean immigration rules offer: no consent needed, the report route available, and a clean record for the next employer. A mid-contract move is possible, but it depends on the previous employer's written agreement, and without it the teacher may face the permission route or need to leave and come back on a new visa.

Most problems in E-2 job changes come from confusing these two situations.

At the end of the contract

When the contract runs to its end date, the move is mostly administrative. The new academy provides its contract and registration documents, the teacher starts work, and the change is reported within 15 days. The previous academy has no veto.

Two practical constraints remain. First, the E-2 stay period printed on the residence card may end around the contract end date, so the teacher may need an extension or a change of status rather than only a workplace change. Second, any gap between the last day at the old academy and the first day at the new one has to fit inside the remaining period of stay. Both points are worth raising with 1345 before the old contract ends.

In the middle of the contract

Mid-contract moves fall into three groups:

1. Agreed early exit. The academy agrees to an earlier last day. If that agreed date is documented, the consent exception applies and the move works much like a completed contract.
2. The academy closed or stopped operating. Closure or suspension of business is a listed exception. The detail of proving it, and of recovering unpaid wages, is covered in the Hagwon Hub guide to academy closures.
3. A unilateral departure. Without consent, the document list is incomplete. If the teacher left or was dismissed through their own fault, the report route is closed and a permission application without consent is unlikely to succeed. A teacher who left through no fault of their own, for example because of unpaid wages, is in a different position, but how immigration treats the evidence is a matter for the officer, so it is worth calling 1345 before acting.

Practical tip: Fault is the hinge of the ministry notice. A teacher leaving because wages were not paid should keep the payslips, bank statements, and any labor office complaint receipt together, because they are the evidence that the departure was not the teacher's fault.

Documents for an in-country workplace change

Short answer: The rules list the new employment contract, the new academy's business registration and academy registration certificate, and, where it applies, the previous employer's consent. In practice the office will also want the standard application form, the passport, the residence card, and a photograph.

Arriving with the full set matters because, as the guide to the immigration office explains, an incomplete application usually means another appointment.

Offices sometimes ask for more than the list, such as a copy of the previous contract, and requests vary by office. Calling 1345 or the local office the week before the appointment is the simplest way to avoid surprises.

Practical tip: Request a certificate of employment from the old academy before the last day, while everyone is still cooperative. It costs the academy nothing, the law requires it on request, and it proves the dates of service for immigration, the next employer, and any later severance question.

In-country change or a new visa from abroad

Short answer: A teacher already in Korea usually changes workplace in-country, by report or permission. The alternative is for the new academy to apply for a fresh Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance (사증발급인정서) and for the teacher to collect a new E-2 visa outside Korea. The statutory document list for a new E-2 visa does not include the previous employer's consent, which is why some teachers who cannot get consent use this route.

It costs more time and money, but it can be the only workable option after an unagreed mid-contract exit.

Two cautions apply. A criminal record check older than the accepted window will have to be redone, which can take weeks from abroad. And the document list in the regulation is not the whole story, because officers reviewing a new application can see the teacher's immigration history. Whether a prior unagreed departure affects a new application is not set out in any public rule found for this guide, so it should be raised with 1345 or a licensed immigration practitioner (행정사) before the teacher leaves Korea.

Practical tip: Teachers changing to a public school program such as EPIK, or moving from one into an academy, should check the qualification condition in the ministry notice. The report route requires meeting the qualifications of the new workplace, and the program-specific requirements differ.

What happens to the visa when a teacher quits or is dismissed

Short answer: The E-2 is tied to the academy, so the end of the job is also an immigration event. The academy must report the departure within 15 days, and the Ministry of Justice has the power to cancel or change a stay permission when circumstances change so that it can no longer be maintained. What happens next in a given case, including whether the remaining stay period is left alone or shortened, depends on the office, so the teacher should confirm their own position with 1345 straight away.

The teacher's options narrow fastest in the days after a job ends, and that is when most teachers are dealing with the employment side instead.

The realistic options after a job ends

The D-10 bridge

For a teacher whose contract ended without a next job in place, the D-10 job seeker status provides lawful time to search. Applicants who previously held E-1 to E-7 status are limited to six-month grants and a maximum of one year in total, and teaching is not allowed while on D-10. The application must be made while the E-2 is still valid, and the change of status fee is ₩100,000.

Sources disagree on whether former E-2 holders are exempt from the D-10 points test. The guide comparing the E-2, F-2, and D-10 visas sets out that conflict in detail. Confirm with 1345 before relying on either answer.

If the dismissal itself is disputed

Dismissal protections depend on the size of the academy. At five or more employees, a dismissal needs justifiable cause and written notice, and an unfair dismissal claim goes to the Labor Commission within three months. Those rules are covered in the guide to probation clauses. The important point here is timing: a dismissal dispute can take months, while immigration deadlines run in days, so the status question should be settled first.

Practical tip: On the day a job ends, write down three dates: the last working day, the date the academy will report the departure, and the expiry date on the residence card. Every decision in the following weeks depends on those three dates.

Breaking a contract: notice, penalties, and flight reimbursement

Short answer: A teacher can always stop working, because Korean law prohibits forced labor. Leaving a fixed-term contract early without an unavoidable reason can still create a claim for the academy's actual, proven damages under the Civil Act. What a contract cannot do is fix a penalty or a damages figure in advance: Article 20 of the Labor Standards Act prohibits penalty and pre-set damages clauses, and the academy cannot simply deduct its claims from wages.

This is where most teachers' worry comes from, and much of it rests on clauses that are not enforceable as written.

Notice periods

Academy contracts commonly ask for 30 days' notice from the teacher. That is a contract term, and giving the notice requested is the sensible course, both because it keeps the agreed early end date within reach and because a teacher who leaves without notice is more exposed to a damages argument.

On the employer side, the rule is statutory: under Labor Standards Act Article 26, a dismissal needs 30 days' notice or 30 days' ordinary wages in place of notice, except where the teacher has worked less than three months or one of the narrow statutory exceptions applies.

For fixed-term contracts, which most E-2 contracts are, Civil Act Article 661 allows either side to terminate for an unavoidable reason, but the side whose fault caused the reason must compensate the other.

What Article 20 prohibits

Article 20 states that an employer may not enter into a contract that fixes in advance a penalty or an amount of damages for failure to perform the employment contract. A violation can be fined up to ₩5,000,000. Typical academy clauses that raise Article 20 problems include:

• A fixed penalty for leaving early, such as one month's salary.
• Forfeiting earned wages or a completion bonus that is really part of pay.
• A recruitment fee to be repaid by the teacher if the contract is not completed.

Separately, Article 43 requires wages to be paid in full, directly to the worker, with deductions only where a law or collective agreement allows them. Article 21 prohibits offsetting advance loans against wages. Even where an academy believes it has a valid claim, holding back the final paycheck to pay it is a separate problem.

Flight reimbursement

Many contracts require repayment of the inbound flight if the teacher leaves before a set point, often six or twelve months. No court decision specific to foreign teachers' airfare was confirmed for this guide, so the honest answer is that it depends on how the clause works.

The Supreme Court has said repayment clauses are not automatically void. In a July 17, 2025 decision (2023다318420), it weighed the legal nature of the money, how and why it was paid, the amount, what triggers repayment and for how long, and whether the clause unduly restricts the freedom to resign. In an April 15, 2025 decision (2022다208755), it held a repayment clause void where the money was really compensation for work rather than a genuine benefit to the employee.

Practical tip: A teacher who disputes a repayment demand should not agree to a deduction from wages. Ask for the demand in writing, then call 1350 with the contract in hand. Wages are owed in full, and any separate claim the academy has can be dealt with separately.

Final pay and severance timing

Short answer: All money owed on departure, including the last month's salary, is due within 14 days of leaving under Labor Standards Act Article 36, unless both sides agree to extend. Severance, owed after at least one year of continuous service at 15 or more hours a week, is also due within 14 days and is paid into an individual retirement pension (IRP) account except in cases the Decree lists.

The 14-day rule is the one teachers most often find out about too late, usually from a new city.

From October 8, 2026, failing to settle money owed under Article 36, or failing to pay wages in full under Article 43, can be punished by up to five years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ₩50,000,000 under the amended Article 107. The same amendment provides that, except for employers already publicly named for wage arrears, prosecution cannot proceed against the explicit wishes of the worker, which is why settlement often happens before charges. The detail of severance calculation is covered in the guide to severance pay, and what to do when an academy cannot pay at all is in the guide to academy closures.

Practical tip: The timing of a move affects severance. A teacher who leaves days before the one-year mark loses the entitlement entirely, so the agreed last day should be checked against the first day of work, not the contract signing date.

Changing hagwons cleanly, step by step

1. Read the current contract's end date, notice clause, and any repayment clause. These decide which situation applies.
2. Check the residence card expiry date. If it falls before or near the planned start at the new academy, raise it with 1345 now.
3. Decide whether to finish the contract or agree an early end date. Either one removes the need for consent. If leaving early, get the agreed last day in writing.
4. Give the notice the contract asks for, in writing. Keep a copy.
5. Request a certificate of employment and confirm the date of the last payday and the severance date if the one-year mark has been passed.
6. Collect the new academy's documents: signed contract, business registration, and academy registration certificate.
7. Book a HiKorea appointment so the workplace change report falls inside 15 days of starting, or before starting if permission is required.
8. File the report or permission application and keep the receipt. Report any new address within 15 days of moving in.
9. Check that final pay and severance arrive within 14 days. If they do not, call 1350.
10. If no new job is ready, apply for D-10 before the E-2 expires rather than after.

For academies

Hagwon Hub content is read by academy operators as well as teachers, and hiring a teacher who is already in Korea is faster and cheaper than recruiting from abroad, provided the paperwork is checked first.

• Ask for the previous contract's end date before making an offer. A teacher who has completed the contract, or has a written agreed end date, can usually start and report within 15 days.
• Check the residence card expiry date. A workplace change does not by itself extend the stay period.
• Do not let the teacher start before permission where permission is required. The Immigration Act penalizes employing a foreigner outside a permitted workplace, and teaching first for a teacher on the permission route is a risk for both sides.
• Keep business and academy registration certificates current and ready. They are on the required document list.
• File your own departure reports within 15 days. The fine for a missed employer report is up to ₩2,000,000.
• Write departure clauses that survive Article 20. A reasonable notice request is fine; a fixed penalty, forfeited wages, or wage deductions are not.
• Settle final pay and severance within 14 days. The criminal penalty for non-payment rose on October 8, 2026.
• Put agreed early exits in writing. A signed agreed last day protects the academy from a later dispute and lets the teacher move without a consent letter.

Common problems and what causes them

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a letter of release to change hagwons in Korea?
Not if the contract was completed, an agreed end date was reached, or the academy closed or suspended business. The previous employer's consent is required only for other mid-contract moves.

Is a release letter still required on an E-2 visa in 2026?
The requirement survives only as a document for mid-contract workplace changes without an agreed end date. For a teacher finishing the contract, it is not needed.

How long do I have to report a new job to immigration?
An E-2 teacher on the report route must report within 15 days of the change of workplace. A teacher on the permission route must get permission before starting.

What is the difference between a workplace change report and a workplace change permission?
A report is filed after starting at the new academy, within 15 days, and carries no listed fee. Permission must be granted before starting, costs ₩120,000, and applies to teachers excluded from the report route.

Can my old academy stop me from working for another academy?
After a completed contract, no. Mid-contract, the academy's consent affects which immigration route is available, but Korean law does not allow an employer to force anyone to keep working.

What happens to my E-2 visa if I quit?
The academy must report the departure within 15 days, and immigration can cancel or change a stay permission when circumstances change. Outcomes vary by case, so confirm the remaining stay period with 1345 immediately.

Can I stay in Korea after my contract ends to look for a new job?
A former E-2 teacher can apply for D-10 job seeker status before the E-2 expires. It is granted in six-month periods up to one year in total, and teaching is not allowed on it.

Can my academy charge me a penalty for breaking my contract?
A pre-set penalty or damages figure is prohibited by Article 20 of the Labor Standards Act. The academy may still pursue actual damages in some cases, but it cannot deduct them from wages.

Do I have to pay back my flight if I leave early?
It depends on how the clause is written. Fixed amounts larger than the real cost, and deductions from wages, carry high risk under Articles 20 and 43; a clearly stated loan for the actual fare, reduced in proportion to time worked, is less likely to be struck down.

When will I get my final pay and severance?
Within 14 days of leaving, unless both sides agree to extend. Severance requires at least one year of continuous service at 15 or more hours a week.

Do I need a new visa to change hagwons?
Usually not. An in-country workplace change is the normal route. A new visa from abroad is an alternative where the in-country route is blocked.

How much does an E-2 workplace change cost?
The fee schedule lists ₩120,000 for a workplace change permission, reduced by 20 percent if applied for online, and has no separate item for a report. Check the current fee when booking.

The short version

The release letter is not a general legal requirement anymore. It survives as one document on one list: the previous employer's consent for an in-country workplace change, and the rule itself excuses it when the contract was completed, an agreed end date was reached, or the academy closed.

E-2 teachers usually change workplace by reporting within 15 days of starting at the new academy. The exception is a teacher dismissed or leaving mid-contract through their own fault without consent, who needs permission before starting, or a new visa from abroad.

Contracts cannot set penalties for leaving, academies cannot deduct claims from wages, and final pay and severance are due within 14 days. From October 8, 2026, failing to pay can mean up to five years in prison or a ₩50,000,000 fine.

The single most useful action is to finish the contract or put an agreed last day in writing, because either one removes the previous employer from the decision entirely.

Sources

• National Law Information Center, Immigration Act, Articles 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 36, 89, 95, and 100, version effective October 2, 2026, covering the designated workplace rule, employer and teacher 15-day reports, cancellation powers, and penalties (Korean)
• National Law Information Center, Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Articles 24, 26, and 26-2, on employer reports, workplace change permission, and the report route for E-1 to E-7 holders (Korean)
• Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2020-212, conditions for changing workplace by report only, including the exclusion for mid-contract departures through the worker's own fault without transfer consent (Korean)
• National Law Information Center, Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5 and Annex 5-2 E-2 document lists, and Articles 72 and 74 on fees, version effective September 15, 2026 (Korean)
• National Law Information Center, Labor Standards Act, Articles 7, 20, 21, 26, 36, 39, 43, 107, and 114, version effective October 8, 2026, including the increased penalty for unpaid wages (Korean)
• National Law Information Center, Act on the Guarantee of Employees' Retirement Benefits, Articles 4, 8, and 9, on severance eligibility, amount, and 14-day payment (Korean)
• National Law Information Center, Civil Act, Article 661, on terminating a fixed-term employment contract for unavoidable reasons (Korean)
• Jipyong, Supreme Court decision 2023다318420 of July 17, 2025, on the factors that decide whether a repayment clause violates Labor Standards Act Article 20 (Korean)
• Shin & Kim, Supreme Court decision 2022다208755 of April 15, 2025, holding a cost repayment clause void under Article 20 (Korean)
• Korvia, letter of release guide for E-2 transfers, May 27, 2026, on when a release letter is and is not needed in practice (Korean)
• Seoulstart, changing jobs on a Korean work visa, July 2026, confirming E-2 on the 15-day report track (English)
• Seoulstart, D-10 visa guide, June 2026, on six-month grants and the one-year limit for former E-series holders (English)
• HiKorea, official immigration portal for appointments, forms, and fee schedules
• Korea Immigration Contact Center: 1345
• Ministry of Employment and Labor counseling line: 1350

For the D-10 job seeker status and the long-term route off employer sponsorship, see the guide comparing the E-2, F-2, and D-10 visas. For dismissal rules and the visa side of a contract ending early, see the guide to probation clauses. For how severance is calculated, see the guide to severance pay. For appointments and the immigration office visit, see the Korea immigration playbook. For unpaid hours before a move, see the guide to unpaid overtime. For reaching 1345 and 1350 in English, see the guide to English hotlines in Korea. For what happens when an academy closes or stops paying, see the guide to academy closures on the Hagwon Hub blog.