Title
Apostille Korea builds a criminal record certificate service for Koreans living abroad The National Police Agency offers online issuance, but certificate and security module requirements keep blocking applicants outside Korea.
- Связанные страны
- 한국
Content
Apostille Korea said it has built a system dedicated to obtaining criminal record certificates in Korea and abroad for overseas Koreans. The document is a basic requirement for marriage, employment, entry and residence matters abroad, yet applicants outside Korea often cannot complete the online route when their computing environment does not match.
- Criminal record paperwork is divided into a certificate and a report depending on whether expired sentences are included.
- Online issuance requires installing security modules and registering a digital certificate, which often fails outside Korea.
- Applicants living abroad must provide proof of overseas residence in order to appoint a proxy.
- Even after issuance, the document may need foreign ministry authentication, an apostille or consular legalisation depending on the country of use.
Why issuance stalls from abroad
A 29-year-old man living in Paris finished his studies and applied to several companies, one of which rated his academic record and portfolio highly and invited him to an interview. After the interview the company asked him to submit a criminal record certificate from Korea as part of its identity checks. He contacted the consulate to obtain it in Paris and was told he could apply online, and that if that was not workable he would have to travel to Korea in person. He tried the online route but could not proceed past the program compatibility stage, and was left without a way forward. The National Police Agency has set up online issuance for the criminal investigation record report, but computer compatibility problems and other practical obstacles make it hard for people staying abroad to use it.
Proxy issuance and the authentication chain
The criminal investigation record report is a form setting out the applicant's own criminal history, and the paperwork is divided into a certificate and a report depending on whether expired sentences are included. Because the report includes all expired sentences it is in principle used only for the individual's own verification, and it can be released only within the minimum necessary scope where it is needed for a foreign national's residence permit or on grounds set out in law. Online issuance requires installing several security module programs and registering a digital certificate. A person residing in Korea is expected to obtain the document in person, while someone staying abroad can appoint a proxy after providing proof of overseas residence. Even once the document is issued, it may still require foreign ministry authentication, an apostille or consular legalisation depending on the country where it will be used, and appointing a proxy leaves the applicant handling a document containing sensitive personal data at a place they cannot observe. For that reason a considerable number of overseas Koreans still travel to Korea to obtain the document themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Can the certificate be issued online from abroad?
The system exists, but it requires security module installation and a registered digital certificate, so it often cannot be completed in an overseas computing environment.
What is the difference between the certificate and the report?
They are distinguished by whether expired sentences are included; the report contains all expired sentences as well.
Can the document be used abroad as soon as it is issued?
No. Depending on the country of use, foreign ministry authentication, an apostille or consular legalisation is required in addition.
Source: 금강일보 · 2017-05-12