Apostille Korea Offers an Agency Service for the Overseas Korean Registration Certificate Registration itself can be filed online, but the certificate cannot be issued online, leaving applicants to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno, Seoul, or appoint a representative.

Apostille Korea said it provides a civil affairs service that obtains, on the applicant's behalf, the Overseas Korean Registration certificate that cannot be issued online. The certificate must be submitted when an overseas Korean national applies for matters such as acquiring domestic property, exercising property rights or registering a business. With only one issuing counter, the step is a burden for those living abroad or far from Seoul.

Register online, but collect the certificate in person

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs the overseas Korean registration scheme under Article 1 of the Overseas Korean Registration Act, requiring nationals living or staying abroad to register with the competent overseas mission so the government can track how many nationals are where. Its stated purpose is to improve the convenience of overseas nationals' activities at home and abroad, ensure proper handling of administrative affairs and support the framing of protection policy. In practice it is used to locate and protect nationals when an incident, accident or disaster occurs abroad, and to issue the resident registration for overseas nationals. It covers Korean nationals staying in a given area abroad with the intention of living or remaining there continuously for 90 days or more, and applications can be filed online or in person at a mission. With continued guidance from government departments, around 7.3 million people are now registered.

When the certificate is needed, and where the process stalls

An overseas Korean national applying to acquire domestic property, exercise property rights, register a business, claim a national pension refund, seek a resident tax reduction, use the special admission route for overseas nationals or claim military service exemptions must be registered under the scheme, and must submit the Overseas Korean Registration certificate as proof. The problem is that, unlike registration itself, the certificate is not issued online. Anyone who needs it must visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno, Seoul, in person or appoint a representative. For someone whose family and acquaintances are all abroad, or who lives far from Seoul, that becomes a cumbersome step, and it grows more difficult still when the document is needed urgently. On top of that, when the certificate is used for special university admission, immigration matters or visa cases, translation into the relevant language plus notarisation and authentication follow. Apostille Korea handles both the issuance and those subsequent steps.

Frequently asked questions

Source: 이투뉴스 · 2017-06-27