Title
Apostille Korea obtains Korean criminal record certificates for people living abroad Applications must in principle be made in person and only larger police stations issue the document, which makes it hard to handle from overseas.
- Связанные страны
- 한국
Content
Apostille Korea said it provides a service that obtains the Korean criminal record certificate for people staying abroad and has built a system capable of same-day issuance. The document is required when applying for a visa or permanent residency.
- The Korean criminal record certificate must be submitted when applying for a visa or permanent residency for marriage, employment or study.
- Because it carries highly sensitive personal identity data, the applicant must in principle apply in person, with proxy applications allowed only in limited cases.
- It is not issued at neighbourhood police posts, only at district- or county-level police stations.
- Until now, someone abroad could only return to Korea in person or appoint a proxy.
A document with strict issuance conditions
The Korean criminal record certificate belongs to the same family of documents as the US FBI Check, the Canadian RCMP record, the NBI Clearance and the COC. Applicants must submit it when seeking a visa or permanent residency abroad for marriage, employment or study. Because it records any criminal history that arose during residence in the country concerned, it counts among the harder civil documents to obtain. It carries highly sensitive personal identity data, so the rule is that the applicant applies in person, with proxy applications permitted only in limited cases. It is also not issued at a neighbourhood police post near the applicant's address, but only at a police station at district or county level or above. An applicant inside Korea can obtain it after checking the procedure from several angles.
The wall applicants hit from abroad
The people who struggle most with the process are not those inside Korea but those outside it. An applicant staying abroad had two options. The first was to return to Korea and go through the procedure in person, the most certain route but also the most demanding in time and cost. The second was to have a proxy handle it, which requires drafting a power of attorney and preparing separate evidence to satisfy the conditions for appointing that proxy. On top of that, the apostille and consular legalisation that follow issuance also have to be handled by the proxy, which is more than most individuals can manage. Apostille Korea said it built a system capable of same-day issuance to reduce this burden, adding that the document holds sensitive personal data and therefore demands accurate handling.
Frequently asked questions
Can a proxy apply for the criminal record certificate?
The rule is that the applicant applies in person; proxy applications are allowed only in limited cases.
Where is it issued?
Not at neighbourhood police posts, but at police stations at district or county level and above.
What further steps are needed to submit it abroad?
Depending on the destination country, apostille certification or consular legalisation is required.
Source: 산업일보 · 2017-07-05