China's no-criminal-record certificate can be issued without going to China The Chinese criminal record certificate required for an F-4 overseas Korean visa or a change of status is issued only inside China, which makes it hard to prepare.

Apostille Korea said it provides a contactless service for requesting China's no-criminal-record certificate without travelling to China. Built on a global IT network platform, it covers issuance and delivery at home or abroad from an application filed online or through a mobile app. Translation, notarisation by proxy, apostille, foreign ministry certification and consular legalisation are handled alongside.

The Chinese document that surfaces in an F-4 application

Ethnic Koreans with Chinese nationality who want a long stay and the right to work in Korea must apply for an F-4 overseas Korean visa or change their existing status. One of the supporting documents is China's no-criminal-record certificate, that is, the local Chinese criminal record certificate. Also known as a background report, it is processed only in the issuing country, so the rule was that applicants travelled to China themselves. When both countries tightened entry rules, that trip became impractical and applications stalled. Another burden is that translation, notarisation, apostille and consular legalisation for documents bound abroad are likewise available only locally. Because the issuing method differs by country, the requirements have to be checked in advance, and issuance itself can take several months.

What the contactless platform takes over

Apostille Korea built a global IT network platform so that applicants can file through the website and mobile app without visiting an office in person. China's no-criminal-record certificate and other countries' criminal record certificates run as a single process from issuance through domestic or international delivery. The steps that follow issuance — translation, notarisation by proxy, apostille, foreign ministry certification and consular legalisation — are handled in one go. Because requirements differ by purpose, whether study, immigration, employment, a visa or an international driving permit, checking them beforehand matters. The service covers documents inside Korea, from Korea abroad, between two foreign countries and from abroad back to Korea. When a submission deadline is fixed, applying early with the legalisation time in mind is the safer route.

Frequently asked questions

Source: 시민일보 · 2020-04-01