Hana EZ app is one-stop certificate access for foreigners

Industry

Published: 04 Mar. 2024, 16:46

Hana EZ app is one-stop certificate access for foreigners

Hana Bank logo shown at its headquarters in Jung District, central Seoul [NEWS1]

Foreigners in Korea can now obtain a digital certificate for financial transactions and e-government services relatively hassle-free with Hana Bank's mobile app, which began to offer support in 16 languages.

The bank has also enabled foreign residents who have been using passports for digital identification to switch to residence cards without visiting a bank branch in person.

Such services are the first of their kind in the country, according to Hana Bank, Korea’s largest commercial bank by net profit, on Monday.

The latest features, available through Hana Bank’s Hana EZ app, are designed to enhance accessibility in digital transactions and services for foreign residents who often face language barriers in online application processes, said the bank.

The mobile app, which specializes in international money transfer services, is available in 16 languages including Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Sinhala, Burmese and Khmer.

A joint certificate issued by Hana can be used for digital identity verification for financial services and the issuance of administrative documents from Korea’s National Tax Service, National Health Insurance Service and more.

Foreign residents in Korea can obtain a joint certificate used for insurance subscriptions and year-end tax settlements.

Moreover, those who have been using a passport for digital identity authentication can switch their authentication method to a residence card through the app without any time restriction using a card permitting them to stay in the country for over 90 days, instead of visiting a bank in person.

“We expect that the latest launch of the multilingual joint certificate issuance support service and virtual authentication transition will enhance convenience for foreign clients in accessing financial services,” said a Hana Bank official in the foreign exchange business division.

To promote its Hana EZ app, Hana Bank has launched a lucky draw event, which will run until May 31. Foreign customers who send the equivalent of $3,000 or more internationally and obtain a joint certificate from Hana Bank through the app during the event period will be automatically entered for the lucky draw.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]