From living with Korean host families to founding a startup for newcomers, Anaïs Chauvet has turned a decade of experience into a mission: helping foreigners settle smoothly in South Korea with Ready Set Korea.
Finding a Way to Belong
When French entrepreneur Anaïs Chauvet first came to Korea, she didn’t arrive as a tourist. She came to live—staying with host families, volunteering with NGOs, learning Korean, and exploring every layer of society. Over several years, she moved between experiences: working in nonprofits, studying at Hanyang University, joining a Korean agency that sent volunteers abroad, and later returning as a remote worker.
By 2024, after many cycles of arrival, departure, and return, she wanted to make it easier for others to navigate the same challenges. That idea became Ready Set Korea—a company dedicated to helping foreigners prepare for life in Korea and get settled once they land.
Operating from Seoul’s Global Startup Center, Anaïs combines her firsthand knowledge with a practical, person-to-person approach. Her service bridges administrative gaps, cultural differences, and the emotional hurdles of starting a new life in a country known for its complex systems.
We sat down with Anaïs to talk about her long road to founding Ready Set Korea, what makes her service different from traditional relocation agencies, and how Korea is slowly opening up to foreign founders.
“I’ve been through all of it, and even if things have changed a bit, I still have tips and insights to make people’s lives easier.”
Anaïs Chauvet, Ready Set Korea
“It’s about helping people feel safe.”
For someone hearing about Ready Set Korea for the first time, how would you describe what you do in simple terms?
Anaïs Chauvet: The company’s mission is to support foreigners who are coming to Korea for over three months—it can be one year, it can be more. Ready Set Korea helps people prepare for their move to Korea—organizing everything from administrative and logistical tasks before they arrive—and then provides in-person assistance once they’re here. That includes things that may sound trivial but are necessary to daily life, like opening a bank account, finding long-term accommodation, or going to the immigration office.
A lot of people think they’ll just figure it out when they arrive, but it can be stressful when you don’t know where to start or what’s expected. My goal is to help people save time, avoid mistakes, and feel confident from the beginning.
From Incheon to Independence
Can you walk me through what a newcomer experiences from the moment they land at Incheon Airport if they’re using your welcome package?
Anaïs: There are two options. Someone from my team can meet them directly at the airport — that can be included in the paid package — or they can follow the web app we developed. The app has detailed guides that prepare you for your arrival: which documents to keep ready, what forms you’ll fill out on the plane, and how to get from the airport into Seoul.
Right now, I focus mainly on Seoul, but the plan is to expand to other cities like Busan and Jeju as we grow. The idea is to have the same kind of support everywhere in Korea eventually.
Different from Traditional Relocation
How is your approach different from traditional relocation services or just figuring things out alone?
Anaïs: Most relocation services are built for people who already have a company sending them here. They handle everything through HR channels, but they can feel impersonal. And doing it alone can be confusing — the language barrier is huge, and a lot of information online is outdated or inconsistent.
Ready Set Korea sits between those two worlds. We help anyone coming for long-term stays — students, digital nomads, professionals, or families — with tailored, human support. It’s personal, flexible, and based on real experience. I’ve been through every kind of visa and living situation myself, so I know what to expect and how to prepare people for it.
Who Uses Ready Set Korea?
Who is using Ready Set Korea most today — are they mainly students, professionals, or digital nomads?
Anaïs: It’s really mixed. I’ve had students who just arrived for their first semester in September, people on working-holiday visas, remote workers spending a few months here, and professionals being relocated by their companies for one or two years. I even have a family planning to move next year. They’re coming to open their own CrossFit gym and I’m helping every stey of the way in collaboration with local lawyers, business experts.
Everyone’s needs are different. Some are comfortable finding housing but get lost at the bank; others are the opposite. My job is to meet people where they are and fill the gaps without overselling what they don’t need.
A Student Story That Says It All
Could you share one story — maybe a student or worker — whose journey really shows the difference Ready Set Korea can make?
Anaïs: About a month ago, I helped a young student find accommodation in Seoul. It was his first time living abroad, and his parents came with him to help him settle. He wanted a shared house, so I found a bedroom that fit his budget. They visited on the day they arrived, liked it, and signed a few days later. Everything went smoothly.
Then a few weeks later, the same student had a medical emergency. His father called me — they were worried because he wasn’t being understood at the hospital. I went to the emergency room, helped him communicate with the doctor, and made sure everything was taken care of. Situations like that remind me why I do this. It’s not just logistics — it’s about helping people feel safe.
“Depending on the situation, I try to be flexible and be there when they need me.”
Anaïs Chauvet, Ready Set Korea
Guiding Through Bureaucracy
Most foreigners struggle with visas, alien registration cards, housing contracts, or language barriers at government offices. How does Ready Set Korea help navigate these issues?
Anaïs: When it comes to visas, we don’t give legal advice because we’re not licensed, but we can refer clients to lawyers we know. What we do handle is preparation and guidance. For example, if you’re staying more than three months, you’ll need an Alien Registration Card (ARC). We go through the list of documents you need to prepare, we review them together, and go with you to the immigration office. I explain how everything works step by step, and what happens after — how to pick up your card, how it’s delivered, what to check before you leave.
The same goes for banks. Most banks don’t have English-speaking staff, so we help translate, explain what you’re signing, and make sure your card, account, and mobile banking app are all working before we leave. It can take half a day, but you leave with everything working — that’s the difference.
Spotting the Policy Gaps
Have you noticed any gaps in Korea’s current policies or support systems for newcomers — and what improvements would you like to see?
Anaïs: I think things are moving in the right direction. The government is making efforts to open doors and attract more foreigners. The Global Startup Center, where I work from, is funded by a ministry to support foreign founders. There are also new visa types — for example, the E7 regional visa lets you work outside Seoul more easily if you commit to a region for five years, and there are special pathways for foreign STEM students to move from student visas to long-term ones like the F-2.
But sometimes it feels like they do things in steps — “phase one” gets launched, but “phase two” isn’t ready yet. So people who finish the first step get stuck waiting for the next part of the system to be built. It’s improving, but slowly. I also recognize I’m privileged — being from a Western country, I experience fewer barriers than others might. I hope future policies consider all nationalities equally and make administrative systems more accessible in English.
Partnerships and Collaboration
You’ve also built partnerships, like with Asia Exchange. How have collaborations like that helped Ready Set Korea grow?
Anaïs: Yes! Our partnership with Asia Exchange is about organizing faculty-led programs — short-term university trips where students come with their professors for about 10 days. They mix lectures, local experiences, and visits. We have one group coming next May, and I’ll help organize everything — accommodation, schedule, transport — and accompany them during their stay.
Then there’s Holiworking, a French HR company that helps employees work remotely from abroad for a few months. I’m their “local coach” in Korea — I pick people up at the airport, help them open bank accounts, take them to their accommodation, share a first meal, and stay available afterward.
The third partnership is Remoters, a French platform helping foreigners find accommodation in Korea. I help their clients find and visit homes that match their needs and guide them through the lease process until they move in. Partnerships like these expand our reach and let us serve people with different goals.
Fourth partnership, and most recent partnership is with Konnect Co. Ltd. It’s very new, but the idea is that I appear as one of the experts on the Konnect platform for people to easily access my services and book time with me from there as well. Konnect is an “AI Super App that breaks language barriers and unlocks Korea for global travelers”.
Scaling Smart, Not Fast
On the flip side, what’s been the biggest challenge of scaling this kind of support service in Korea?
Anaïs: For now, it’s just me running everything, so scaling is tricky. In-person assistance takes a lot of time — traveling, waiting, supporting clients at the office or bank, then coming back. Each session can take half a day. That’s why I’m focusing on building our web app as a platform where people can handle tasks independently. It includes checklists, a budget simulator, and step-by-step guides for everything from getting a SIM card to finding housing.
Once that’s stable, I plan to hire one or two people so we can help more clients and cover Busan next. My long-term vision is to have trusted local staff in each region — not dozens of people, but enough to make sure foreigners always have someone nearby who understands both sides.
A Founder’s View from Inside Korea
As a foreign founder in Korea, what has your experience been like navigating the local startup ecosystem?
Anaïs: It’s definitely a challenge. Starting a company is hard anywhere, but doing it abroad adds another layer. Even getting the right visa takes time. For example, with the D-10-2 visa, you have six months to prepare to open your company. But during that time, you can’t take any part-time jobs — so you live off your savings. The training sessions you need, like the OASIS program, aren’t frequent, so you often wait weeks between steps.
Then, once you switch to the D-8-4 startup visa, you’re still not allowed to work outside your business. The government knows the first year is financially hard — they even say they don’t expect you to pay yourself — but they don’t allow part-time work that could help founders survive. Many people end up leaving before year one ends, not because their business fails, but because they run out of money.
Despite that, I love the freedom. I enjoy building my own vision and choosing my schedule. I’m not chasing hypergrowth like most startups — my goal is to build something sustainable and human, where clients feel seen and supported.
“For me, the positives: I like keeping my freedom—choosing work hours, taking a day off if I need to. I like control over the company, the project, the vision.”
Anaïs Chauvet, Ready Set Korea
Advice for Foreign Entrepreneurs
What advice would you give to other foreign entrepreneurs considering building here?
Anaïs: Be curious and prepare early. Before you even come to Korea, connect with people through LinkedIn — other founders, investors, or startup organizations. Ask questions, learn the process, and understand what challenges you might face. The more you plan and gather information, the fewer surprises you’ll have once you arrive. Preparation doesn’t guarantee success, but it makes everything smoother.
“The more you plan ahead and understand the system and setup, the easier it will be. It doesn’t mean you’ll make money right away, but it’ll be faster and easier to find help or answers because you did your homework.”
Anaïs Chauvet, Ready Set Korea
Looking Ahead
Where do you see Ready Set Korea in five years? Do you see expansion beyond Korea, or will Korea remain your core focus?
Anaïs: In five years, I hope Ready Set Korea will be established in Seoul and Busan and expanding to secondary cities like Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon. I want the same mission — helping people prepare and settle — but the way we deliver it will evolve. The web app will play a bigger role, with more self-guided tools. Startups change fast, and I’m open to adapting as long as we stay true to the purpose: making life easier for newcomers.
Quick Takes
Favorite Korean food?
It depends on the weather — udon on rainy days, dakgalbi when it’s cold, and kimbap for picnics.
Best comfort food for homesickness?
Anything with chocolate — Pepero, Binch, cookies.
Favorite neighborhood?
Seongsu-dong. It’s creative, relaxed, and full of small local cafés.
One piece of advice for newcomers moving to Korea?
Prepare before you come. Talk to people, gather information, and plan early — it makes the first months much easier.
About Ready Set Korea
Founded in November 2024 by Anaïs Chauvet, Ready Set Korea helps foreigners plan and settle into long-term life in South Korea. The company offers personalized consultations, relocation guides, cultural coaching, and in-person support for everything from bank accounts to housing and immigration. Based at the Global Startup Center in Seoul, Ready Set Korea aims to make moving to Korea less overwhelming — and a lot more welcoming.
Website: https://readysetkorea.org
Connect with Anaïs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaischauvet1703/
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