Title
Apostille Korea bundles issuance, translation, notarisation, apostille and overseas delivery A Korean public document bound for another country must pass through translation, notarisation, an apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, in some cases, embassy legalisation.
- Related countries
- 한국, 중국
Content
Apostille Korea said it handles certificate issuance, translation, notarisation, apostille, consular legalisation and overseas shipping as a single process. Applicants living abroad can file online or through the app without returning to Korea and receive the finished documents where they are. Family Relationship Certificates, marriage certificates and other civil documents intended for overseas use are covered.
- An apostille is the procedure that allows a public document issued by a Korean administrative body to be accepted abroad.
- Documents filed overseas move through issuance, translation, notarisation, apostille or consular confirmation, embassy legalisation and delivery.
- Documents going to a country in the Apostille Convention need only the apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with no embassy step.
- Apostille Korea has added parental travel consent and PDF issuance of property registers, land ledgers and building ledgers.
Why an overseas filing takes several steps
A public document issued in Korea cannot be submitted to a foreign authority as it is. It must be translated into the language of the receiving country, the translation must be confirmed by notarisation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must then issue an apostille or consular confirmation attesting to the document. If the receiving country is not a party to the Apostille Convention, legalisation by that country embassy is added on top. Each step sits with a different authority and uses a different intake procedure, so an applicant acting alone has to approach each office separately. For someone already living abroad, completing the chain can mean flying back to Korea. Apostille Korea links the steps in order and processes them from a single application.
Filed online, received in the country of residence
For a Korean national in China who has to submit a Family Relationship Certificate, issuance, Chinese translation, notarisation by proxy, apostille or consular confirmation and Chinese embassy legalisation are all covered by one application. For a country inside the Apostille Convention, such as the United States, the embassy step drops out. The completed documents are shipped to the overseas address the applicant names. Apostille Korea treats parental travel consent as a separate service line, because tighter rules on the protection of minors mean a child without the document can be refused entry. PDF issuance of property registers, land ledgers and building ledgers is also being added, with demand coming mainly from construction firms and architecture practices.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to return to Korea to obtain Korean documents while I am abroad?
No. You can apply online or through the app, and issuance, translation, notarisation and legalisation are handled for you before the completed documents are shipped to your address abroad.
Is embassy legalisation always required?
No. If the receiving country belongs to the Apostille Convention, the apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is enough; embassy legalisation is added only for countries outside the convention.
Which documents can be handled?
Identity records such as Family Relationship Certificates and marriage certificates, along with parental travel consent, property registers, land ledgers and building ledgers.
Source: 머니투데이 · 2019-05-30