본인인증 keeps failing: the 7 causes and how to fix them (foreigners in Korea)
Misspelt name, a line in your employer's name, a prepaid plan, a residence card that is too new… The common reasons Korean identity verification fails and their fixes.
Machine translation from French, being reviewed. Read the French version (reference)
Contents
본인인증 (bonin injeung, identity verification) is required everywhere in Korea: banking, online shopping, delivery, public websites. It usually goes through your Korean phone number2. When it fails, it is almost always for one of these reasons.
1. Your name is not written the same everywhere
The name registered with your carrier, on your residence card and at your bank must be identical. A space, a hyphen or a different romanisation is enough to block it1. Fix: go to your carrier's shop with your residence card and passport, compare the name on file and have it corrected1.
2. Surname and given name reversed
The carrier sometimes swaps your given name and family name1. Fix: same step: check the exact order and ask for a correction1.
3. The line is not in your name
A line in your employer's, school's or landlord's name almost always fails: verification checks the subscriber's name1. Fix: transfer the contract to your name or get a new line in your name, with your residence card and passport1.
4. A prepaid plan
Foreign residents report that verification works with a monthly (postpaid) plan but not with prepaid. This is not written in any public rule1. Fix: ask the carrier before signing which contract type passes 본인인증1.
5. Your residence card is too new
Carrier and bank databases take time to recognise a new residence card, with no official timeline1. Fix: for anything urgent, go to a bank counter, where staff check your physical card. Try the apps again a few days later. After a week, ask your carrier whether your card number is on file1.
6. The PASS app is missing from your store
The PASS app or a certificate app does not appear in your country's App Store or Google Play1. Fix: create a Korean Apple ID or switch your Google Play region to Korea, or use the developer's official website1.
7. The service does not accept your method
Some services accept only certain methods, and a few seem to accept only a Korean resident registration number, not a foreigner's registration number1. Fix: try another accepted method. The Gov24 portal accepts five: mobile ID, simple authentication, joint certificate, financial certificate and Naver, Kakao or Toss IDs. If your foreigner number is not accepted at all, contact the service directly1.
In DariGuide: getting past the digital wall In DariA phone plan in your name: the stepsFrequently asked questions
Why does 본인인증 fail when I have a Korean number?
Usually because the name is not identical at the carrier, on the residence card and at the bank, or because the line is not in your name1.
Does a prepaid plan work for 본인인증?
According to residents, often not: ask the carrier before signing1.
Sources
- SeoulStart, « Korean identity verification guide » (26/07/2026) · checked on 26 October 2026
- Korea JoongAng Daily, barrières numériques et vérification par numéro local (12/05/2026) · checked on 26 October 2026