How to Book a Hair Salon in Seoul as a Foreigner

You can pick a Seoul salon, service and time on Naver without Korean, but the last step needs real-name verification. What works in 2026, with screenshots.

Emma5 min read  ·  Nov 2, 2026

I tested the whole Naver booking flow on a phone on November 2, 2026, at a salon in Hongdae, stopping just before the booking was made. Here's exactly what you'll see, screen by screen.

Which way should you book?

There's no single booking method for Seoul salons. Some use Naver Booking, while others point international customers to Instagram, WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, email or their own form. (Korea Bridge)

Booking a salon on Naver Map, step by step

Step 1. Search and look for the green badge

Open Naver Map and search the area plus 미용실 (mi-yong-sil, hair salon), for example 홍대 미용실. Only places with the green 예약 (ye-yak, booking) badge take online bookings.

Step 2. Choose a service, date and time

Tap the badge, then pick a menu. Salons often have a first-visit deal. Pick a date on the calendar and a time. 오전 is morning and 오후 is afternoon.

If you see 바로확정 (ba-ro-hwak-jeong), the booking is confirmed instantly, with no waiting for the salon to accept.

The services are grouped in tabs: 컷 cut, 클리닉 treatment, 펌 perm, 컬러 color, 드라이 blow-dry. Each one shows the price and how long it takes. The cut I picked was ₩27,000, or ₩25,650 with the salon's Naver Pay discount.

Step 3. Log in (Google, Apple and LINE work)

Press 다음단계 (next step) and Naver asks you to log in. The login page has an English option at the bottom, plus Apple, Google and LINE buttons. When I signed up with Google, Naver only asked me to choose a Naver ID. No Korean phone number.

Step 4. The wall: real-name verification

Back on the booking page, everything is filled in. Then this pops up:

안전한 예약을 위해 실명이 확인된 네이버ID만 예약 가능합니다. 본인인증 진행 후 예약해주세요.
"For safe bookings, only Naver IDs with a verified real name can book. Please verify your identity first."

The 동의하고 예약하기 (agree and book) button stays grey until you do.

Korean verification normally uses a Korean phone in your own name. In June 2026, Naver started letting foreign visitors verify with a passport for reservations, orders and payments on the map, and said it would add supported services gradually. (The Korea Times) So it's worth tapping 본인인증 하러가기 (go verify) to see whether the passport option appears for you.

Salon words you'll see on Naver

Korean to use at the salon

Before you go

• Read the first-visit offer carefully. The salon I tested advertised big first-visit discounts tied to buying a prepaid membership (선불권, seon-bul-gwon). You don't have to buy one to get a haircut.
• Check the last booking time. Salons list the latest start time for perms and color, often earlier than closing.
• Book a named stylist if timing matters. The salon I tested noted that bookings without a chosen stylist may involve a wait.
• Prices can change after the consultation, especially for long hair, perms and color. Ask 얼마예요? before they start.

FAQ

Also useful: How to make a restaurant reservation in Korea as a foreigner.

Too much hassle? I'll book it for you

If doing all this yourself sounds like a hassle, just send it to my booking page and I'll do it for you. Tell me the salon (or just the area and what you want), the date and the time, and I'll book it in Korean, in your name. It's free while I'm testing this, and I never ask for your card or passport number.

Send it to my booking page

Sources: first-hand test of Naver Map booking on mobile, November 2, 2026; The Korea Times (June 2026); Korea Bridge. Apps change often, so check the current screens before you rely on them.

Written by Emma

Emma is a Korean-American who grew up in the US and now lives in Seoul. A marketer by trade, she spent years guiding first-time visitors around Korea and teaching them to read Hangul.