Title
Apostille Korea launches document legalisation package for foreign residents and multicultural families A diploma or criminal record certificate issued abroad only takes effect in Korea after notarisation followed by an apostille or consular legalisation.
- Related countries
- 한국
Content
Apostille Korea said it provides an overseas administrative agency package for foreign nationals and multicultural families living in Korea. The service handles the issuance, notarisation, apostille and consular legalisation of foreign documents required for study, marriage and employment.
- Korea has become a multicultural society of 1.8 million foreign nationals and some 330,000 people in multicultural families.
- A growing share of that population now studies, marries and works in Korea, but the institutional framework has not kept pace.
- For a foreign document to take effect in Korea it must be notarised and then carry an apostille or consular legalisation.
- Requirements, processing times and costs differ by embassy, so even a single document can take considerable time and expense to legalise.
The population has grown, the paperwork has not changed
With more multicultural students and rising numbers of international marriages, Korea has become a society shared by 1.8 million foreign nationals and around 330,000 people in multicultural families. Yet settling in the country does not make daily life straightforward for them. Alongside discriminatory attitudes and wage issues, the shortage of administrative support is one of the reasons. In the past many stayed only briefly, but as the multicultural population has grown, the share of people pursuing education, marriage and employment in Korea has risen quickly. Even so, the institutional arrangements serving them remain incomplete, and considerable time and effort is lost as a result.
How a foreign document takes effect in Korea
Those who wish to continue their studies in Korea are generally asked to have their foreign academic credentials recognised. Simply obtaining a diploma and an academic transcript is not enough. For a document issued abroad to have legal effect in Korea, it usually has to be notarised and then carry an apostille or consular legalisation. Someone resuming studies interrupted at a Philippine university, for example, must have the diploma issued by that university notarised and then legalised at the embassy. The same process applies when obtaining a local criminal record certificate for marriage or employment purposes. Having someone on the ground to handle the paperwork makes things easier, but requirements, timelines and costs differ from embassy to embassy and are hard to pin down, so even one document can consume considerable time and money. Apostille Korea has assembled a package covering local document issuance, notarisation, apostille and consular legalisation in response to that demand.
Frequently asked questions
Is a foreign diploma alone enough to have my studies recognised in Korea?
Usually not. For a foreign document to take effect in Korea it must be notarised and then carry an apostille or consular legalisation.
Do I need an apostille or consular legalisation?
It depends on whether the issuing country is party to the Apostille Convention. Where it is not, the document goes through consular legalisation instead.
Is a translation required as well?
Often yes. Depending on the administrative requirements of the country concerned, a translation into the relevant language may be needed, so the requirements should be confirmed before proceeding.
Source: 미래한국 · 2017-04-10