Title
Apostille Korea widens contactless handling of overseas criminal record certificates The local criminal record certificate required for an F4 visa or an alien registration card can now be obtained without travelling to the country that issues it.
- Related countries
- 한국, 미국
Content
Apostille Korea said it has strengthened a one-stop service for obtaining, without a face-to-face visit, the overseas criminal record certificate required to apply for or extend an F4 overseas Korean visa and an alien registration card. The move follows the growing number of entry refusals and restrictions under COVID-19, which have made collecting such documents in person difficult.
- Issuing or extending an F4 overseas Korean visa or an alien registration card requires an overseas criminal record certificate.
- The certificate, also known as a background check, is issued only in the country concerned, so the applicant has had to travel there in person.
- Procedures differ by country and can take three months or more, and the issued document still needs translation, notarisation, apostille and embassy legalisation.
- Apostille Korea handles issuance through to overseas delivery from an online or mobile application and covers documents from some 120 countries.
The document problem behind F4 visas and residence cards
An overseas Korean staying in Korea who wants to obtain, renew or extend an F4 visa or an alien registration card must submit an overseas criminal record certificate. Because the certificate, also known as a background check, is issued only in the country concerned, the applicant has in principle had to spend the time to travel there in person. Procedures differ from country to country and the wait can run to three months or more. As COVID-19 spread and entry refusals and restrictions multiplied, that route was effectively blocked. An overseas Korean from the United States living in Korea needs an FBI Check, the local criminal record certificate, to extend an F4 visa nearing expiry, but travelling to collect it has become a burden. An overseas Korean in Canada who holds an F4 visa needs an alien registration card to stay in Korea beyond 90 days, yet advice against travel has made the trip difficult.
Legalisation handled in the same process
A document issued abroad cannot be submitted in Korea as it stands: it must pass through translation, notarisation, apostille and embassy legalisation. Apostille Korea carries those steps through in sequence once an application is filed online or by mobile, without the applicant travelling. No computer, printer or digital certificate is needed to apply, and the finished document can be received by email or at a place of the applicant's choosing. Documents sent from Korea abroad, from one foreign country to another and from abroad to Korea are all covered. The company said it handles civil documents from some 120 countries.
Frequently asked questions
Why does an F4 visa extension require an overseas criminal record certificate?
It is one of the documents required to issue and extend an overseas Korean visa and an alien registration card. In the case of the United States, the FBI Check serves that purpose.
Can the certificate be obtained without travelling there?
The certificate is issued only in the country concerned, but an agency service allows the application to be filed without going in person. Filed online or by mobile, issuance through to delivery is handled.
Can the certificate be submitted as soon as it is issued?
A document issued abroad must go through translation, notarisation, apostille and embassy legalisation before it can be submitted. Those steps are handled in the same process.
Source: M오토데일리 · 2020-03-12