As travel tightens, civil documents move to contactless handling With the infectious disease alert raised to its highest level and more countries restricting entry from Korea, online applications are replacing counter visits.

Apostille Korea said it provides a global contactless platform service that handles domestic and overseas civil documents without an in-person visit. On the 23rd the government raised the infectious disease crisis response to the highest, serious level in view of how far COVID-19 had spread. The number of countries banning or restricting entry by Koreans has risen to 30.

Civil affairs shift from the counter to the screen

As COVID-19 spread rapidly, the airline, travel, lodging and restaurant industries and major multinational companies alike have been affected. On the 23rd the government raised the infectious disease crisis response to the serious level in view of the severity of the outbreak. The highest level had not been triggered for ten years, since the 2009 influenza outbreak. As the alert level rose, the number of countries banning or restricting entry by Koreans increased to 30. With consumers reluctant to go out at all, face-to-face consumption is shifting to contactless channels. Online services are used instead of large stores and department stores, and counter services at community centres, district offices and police stations are being handled through online applications wherever possible, a pattern visible both in Korea and abroad.

Document tasks left undone when travel stops

One Korean national staying in Canada had planned to return to Korea in mid-February to deal with postponed paperwork. That included renewing a driver's licence and an international driving permit close to expiry, and the translation, notarisation, consular confirmation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy legalisation of a graduation certificate needed at work. The plan was dropped because there was no guarantee of being able to re-enter Canada after travelling to Korea. In similar cases, a student preparing to study abroad cannot submit the required documents, and a young jobseeker cannot file academic records, which can push back admission or employment. Couples in international marriages have also been unable to submit marriage documents to the other country. Apostille Korea built a global contactless platform that processes domestic and overseas civil documents from an online application alone, so the work can proceed without travelling abroad. It also runs translation and review in more than 40 languages, notarisation, and apostille processing for 120 countries.

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Source: 이투뉴스 · 2020-02-27